Request For Proposals

Request For Proposals

Marketing for A Sustainable World digital learning platform

Due Date: September 11, 2026

Project Timeline: September 2026 to February 2027, with campaign launch targeted for mid-October 2026.

Location: Canada

Overview

A Sustainable World is a digital experience that brings global challenges to life through interactive maps, real-world data, and learning resources. It shows how issues like climate change, education, health, and gender equality are connected — and how communities around the world are responding with creativity and resilience.

Informed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Global Citizenship Education (GCE) principles, A Sustainable World invites youth and educators across Canada to connect local and global issues and explore pathways for meaningful action. Developed with curriculum and education experts, the platform includes educator guides, classroom resources, and curriculum connections that help teachers bring global learning into classrooms across Canada.

A Sustainable World was developed by Aga Khan Foundation Canada and the Royal Canadian Geographic Society (RCGS), undertaken with the support from the Government of Canada. It combines AKFC's expertise in global development with RCGS's expertise in education, geography, and storytelling through Can Geo Education.

• AKFC is an international development organization and registered charity. Working in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, the Foundation invests in local institutions and systems that anchor progress over the long term. Since 1980, AKFC has helped millions of people to unlock their potential to build a better life. In Canada, AKFC promotes discussion and learning on global issues, raises funds, taps into Canadian expertise, and builds partnerships with Canadian institutions. AKFC’s suite of public engagement activities includes exhibitions, events, educational resources, training, overseas placements, and awareness campaigns.
• Founded in 1929, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) works to deepen understanding of Canada’s landscapes and its people. Known for Canadian Geographic, it supports research, expeditions, and education. Through Can Geo Education, RCGS provides free, curriculum-aligned resources to over 28,000 educators nationwide, helping students explore their country, connect to their communities, and better understand the environment.

Project Description

Objectives

AKFC is seeking a consultant to support the national promotion of A Sustainable World, a new digital learning resource that helps educators and youth explore global challenges through interactive maps, real-world data, and curriculum-connected learning resources.

The goal of this project is to implement a targeted marketing campaign that raises awareness of A Sustainable World and drives educator adoption and classroom integration across Canada. The campaign should generate awareness of the resource, increase engagement with the interactive map and supporting resources, and encourage meaningful use in classrooms. Some campaign tactics and supporting content may need to be adapted on a case-by-case basis to reflect the specific curriculum requirements and educational contexts of key provinces, particularly Alberta and Quebec.

In addition to driving awareness and educator adoption during the campaign period, the consultant should develop a sustainable educator engagement strategy that can be maintained by AKFC following the conclusion of the project. The strategy should emphasize cost-effective approaches and provide recommendations that support ongoing educator engagement, resource promotion, and classroom integration beyond the campaign period.

The budget for the campaign is $100,000 inclusive of all fees and expenses. The final budget will be determined based on appropriateness and value.

Key Deliverables

The consultant will work alongside AKFC and Canadian Geographic to deliver an integrated marketing campaign that complements and builds on existing marketing investments including

• influencer campaigns
• educator publication advertising
• organic social media
• an AKFC monthly educator newsletter
• a digital and print special issue of CanGeo
• an exhibitor/demonstration booth at major education conferences
• events (such as a major public launch of the map in late September 2026) and workshops.

In addition to developing and implementing of new tactics, a key objective will be to convert the awareness raised through these activities into measurable educator engagement, resource adoption, and sustained classroom use of A Sustainable World.

This project will focus on developing and executing a multi-channel campaign, supporting educator engagement and adoption, creating marketing assets, and providing ongoing analysis and optimization throughout the campaign.

Audiences

The interactive map is designed for educators teaching grades 6–12 and the students they teach. The marketing campaign should focus primarily on educators and education stakeholders who influence resource selection and classroom use.

Priority audience segments include:

• Canadian educators of grades 6 to 12 – this audience acts as multipliers for use amongst youth ages 12-18.
• School administrators, principal, vice-principals, school board members, and librarians in Canada – this audience is key for encouraging adoption of GCE within schools and classrooms.
• Curriculum leaders and other individuals who influence resource adoption within schools and school systems.

Timelines

The campaign is expected to run from mid-October 2026 to February 2027. Prior to launch, the selected consultant will work with AKFC to develop the campaign strategy, creative assets, and implementation plan. Reporting and optimization will occur throughout the campaign period, with a final report submitted at the conclusion of the project.

Scope of Work

1. Develop and implement a national marketing campaign focused on educator adoption

The consultant will design and execute a bilingual, multi-channel marketing campaign to raise awareness of A Sustainable World and support educator adoption and classroom integration across Canada.

The campaign should increase:

• Awareness of A Sustainable World among educators and education stakeholders
• Traffic to the interactive map and supporting resources
• Growth of educator email subscribers and engaged audiences
• Resource downloads and educator engagement
• Sustained use of the resource in classrooms

1.1 Digital advertising and audience acquisition

The consultant will develop and implement a digital advertising strategy that supports campaign objectives and maximizes the effectiveness of available marketing investments.

Activities may include:

• Developing and managing Google Ad Grant campaigns
• Developing and managing paid digital advertising campaigns (e.g., Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, and other recommended platforms)
• Lead-generation and email acquisition campaigns
• Ongoing campaign optimization informed by performance data and insights

1.2 Educator engagement and adoption

The consultant will recommend and implement tactics designed to move educators and other education stakeholders from awareness to active use of the resource in classrooms and schools.

Activities may include:

• Educator and education stakeholder lead-generation initiatives
• Email nurture and engagement campaigns
• Resource promotion strategies
• Educator testimonials, case studies, and success stories
• Webinar, virtual engagement, or other educator-facing initiatives
• Additional tactics designed to support educator adoption and sustained classroom integration
• Recommendation of engagement activities that can be implemented by AKFC following the campaign period, including low-cost, sustainable approaches that support ongoing educator engagement and resource adoption.

The consultant should outline how they will support educator adoption and how success will be measured throughout the campaign.

1.3 Creative development and campaign assets

The consultant will develop compelling creative assets and campaign materials that support digital advertising and educator adoption.

Deliverables may include:

• Campaign messaging and creative concepts
• Digital advertising creative and copy
• Email marketing assets
• Event promotional materials
• Additional campaign assets required to support educator engagement and resource adoption

AKFC and Canadian Geographic will provide existing content, resources, videos, photography, and other materials where available for adaptation and use within the campaign. They will also provide messaging guidelines and visual identity assets to support consistent and effective communications across all campaign activities.

2. Support conference & tradeshow outreach

The consultant will provide recommendations and support to maximize the impact of educator-facing events, including a conference tour and tradeshow booth.

Activities may include:

• Educator engagement and lead-generation strategies
• Conference- and event-specific promotional activities
• Event follow-up communications
• Recommendations for converting event participants into active users of the resource

3. Reporting, insights, and optimization

The consultant will provide ongoing reporting and strategic recommendations throughout the campaign.

Requirements include:

• Regular performance reporting
• Analysis of advertising, website, engagement, and adoption metrics
• Recommendations to improve campaign performance and educator adoption outcomes
• Tracking against agreed-upon KPIs and performance targets
• A final report summarizing results, key learnings, and recommendations for future educator engagement, marketing, and adoption initiatives

Consultant Qualifications

The successful consultant will demonstrate:

• Experience planning and executing integrated, multi-channel marketing campaigns, including digital advertising across Google Ad Grant, Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, and other relevant platforms.
• Demonstrated experience reaching and engaging K–12 educators and/or education decision-makers in Canada, including an understanding of the factors that influence educator resource discovery, selection, adoption and sustained classroom use.
• Demonstrated success in developing and implementing campaigns that drive audience engagement and adoption.
• Strong creative capabilities in developing effective campaign concepts, digital advertising assets, marketing materials, and content aligned with established brand guidelines.
• Expertise in audience acquisition, email marketing, retargeting, conversion optimization, and other tactics designed to move audiences from awareness to action.
• Expertise in tracking, analyzing, and reporting on campaign performance using tools such as Google Analytics and platform dashboards, with clear, actionable recommendations.
• Excellent project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple deliverables, coordinate with various stakeholders, and consistently meet deadlines.
• A collaborative approach, with experience working closely with internal teams and incorporating feedback throughout the creative and campaign development process.
• Knowledge of the Canadian education landscape.
• Experience working with nonprofits, charities, educational organizations, or global citizenship education programs is considered an asset.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Understanding of the project objectives and target audiences
• Strength and suitability of the proposed marketing approach
• Experience with digital advertising and audience acquisition
• Experience engaging educators and education stakeholders
• Quality and relevance of previous work
• Project management and timeline feasibility
• Approach to collaboration and communication
• Measurement, reporting, and optimization approach
• Budget appropriateness and value for money.

Submission Instructions

Interested consultants are invited to submit a proposal by e-mail to AKFC Human Resources at: AKFC.HR@akdn.org by September 11, 2026. Please reference “A Sustainable World Marketing Campaign” in the subject line.

AKFC reserves the right to cancel or amend the RFP process without liability at any time. Digital submissions only, as an attachment of less than 35 MB.

If there are any questions related to this consultancy, please direct them to cedric.garnier@akdn.org.

Proposals should include the following:

• Proposed marketing approach and plan, outlining how the consultant will achieve the project objectives and support educator adoption and resource engagement.
• Educator adoption approach, outlining how the consultant will move educators and other education stakeholders from awareness to active use of A Sustainable World.
• Collaboration and project management plan, including the approvals workflow, communication approach, and how the consultant will work with AKFC’s internal team.
• Work plan and schedule, with key milestones leading up to the targeted mid-October 2026 campaign launch.
• Detailed cost breakdown, organized by major task or deliverable, including daily rates, advertising spend assumptions, and any anticipated expenses.
• Team qualifications, including bios, roles, and relevant experience. The individuals proposed must be the team that will work directly on the project unless otherwise agreed in writing by AKFC.
• Portfolio examples (minimum of two), clearly identifying the consultant’s or firm’s specific role in each project.
• Two client references from the past five years.

We thank all applicants for their interest however only short‐listed applicants will be contacted for an interview. If short-listed, key members of the proposed team must be available for a virtual interview.

AKFC Policies

AKFC is committed to advancing gender equality and inclusion through our programming and operations in Canada and overseas. AKFC requires all employees and consultants to review and abide by the AKFC Gender Equality Policy.

AKFC welcomes and encourages submissions from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for consultants taking part in all aspects of the process.

AKFC recognizes the importance of safeguarding and is committed to ensuring it manages a wide range of risks such that beneficiaries, staff, other associates, and the organization as a whole are kept safe from harm. All employees and consultants must respect the AKF Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy.