Developing Eco-system to Incubate Creative Entrepreneurship at Rural Craft and Cultural Hubs for Sustainable Fashion in India

The Phase II of the RCCH project focuses on providing innovative and inclusive support to new practitioners, helping them upgrade their practices, scale up their creative enterprises, and promote ICH through cultural heritage-sensitive marketing tools and strategies. Additionally, it will continue supporting beneficiaries from the previous phase. The incumbent will work across four sustainable fashion clusters aiming to support 500 artisans across these clusters:

• Kenjakura Weaves
• Rabha weaves
• Dhokra Weaves
• Kantha embroidery

Purpose

• The purpose of this request for proposal is to invite Sealed Proposals for professional services to be provided to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Objectives

• Promote sustainable fashion by fusing Bengal’s traditional weaving and stitching heritage with contemporary design for a global audience, which includes:
  • Conducting market research and product development.
  • Facilitate sampling, testing, and initial production.
  • Promoting sustainable and ethical fashion through compelling narratives and visuals.
  • Building collaborations with institutions for design, training, and marketing.

Scope

• Product Development & Market Testing: Enhance the product ecosystem through prototyping, sustainable innovation and pilot testing:
  • Co-develop product prototypes in four key craft categories – Kenjakura, Rabha, Dhokra and Kantha.
  • Ensure sustainable and contemporary design approaches rooted in traditional skills.
  • Facilitate small-batch production for market testing, consumer feedback.
• Storytelling & Marketing: Build strong artisan-centric brand identities supported by storytelling and visual content:
  • Curate story or narratives highlighting human interest stories for sustainability, and craftsmanship.
  • Conduct professional photoshoots and documentation of craft processes and artisan stories.
  • Design high-quality digital and print collaterals (brochures, look books, videos, social media assets)
• Quality & Production Standardization: Strengthen design, production quality, and consistency through expert engagement and ongoing mentoring:
  • Organize workshops on product design and quality enhancement with institutions like NIFT, CCI, and expert designers.
  • Provide on-ground supervision and mentoring to ensure market-ready output.
  • Promote consistency in finishes, sizing, and material selection for upscale markets.
• Partnerships, Showcasing & Outreach: Expand visibility and networks for artisans through strategic partnerships and curated events:
  • Partnerships with academic and technical institutions for long-term support
  • Curate and execute a fashion showcase for developed collections.
  • Facilitate participation in national and international ethical fashion platforms, exhibitions, and buyer’s meeting.

Expected Outcomes

• By the end of the project period, the following outcomes are expected:
  • A curated network of 500 trained artisans across four clusters with enhanced skills and production capacity.
  • Develop 20 value added products under sustainable fashion categories, incorporating traditional knowledge and skills.
  • Increased visibility and promotion of crafts including visuals, narratives, and digital content.
  • Increased visibility of artisans through at least one curated fashion event and participation in two national/international platforms.
  • Established partnerships with at least three technical/design institutions for ongoing mentoring and knowledge exchange.
  • A documented proof-of-concept for linking traditional crafts with contemporary markets under a sustainable and ethical fashion framework.

Eligibility Criteria

• Bidders should not be associated, or have been associated in the past, directly or indirectly, with a firm or any of its affiliates which have been engaged by UNESCO to provide consulting services for the preparation of the Terms of Reference, and other documents to be used for the procurement of services to be purchased under this Request for Proposal.
• This bid is open to all national and international suppliers who are legally constituted, can provide the requested services.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Bidders are ineligible if at the time of submission of the offer:
  • The bidder is on the exclusion list published on the global portal for suppliers of the United Nations Organization due to fraudulent activities.
  • The name of the bidder appears on the Consolidated United Nations Security Council Sanctions List which includes all individuals and entities subject to sanctions measures imposed by the Security Council.
  • The bidder is excluded by the World Bank Group.

Application Requirements

• The Proposals prepared by the Offeror and all correspondence and documents relating to the Proposal exchanged by the Offeror and UNESCO shall be written in English.
• The Proposal shall comprise the following components:
  • Proposal submission form;
  • Operational and technical part of the Proposal, including documentation to demonstrate that the Offeror meets all requirements;
  • Price schedule, completed in accordance with clauses 10 &11.

For more information, visit UNESCO.