UPDATE: Deadline extended to Monday, 23 June, 23:59 (Tashkent time)

The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy is pleased to announce a call for proposals under the IAIS institutional modernization plan “Building Institutional Capacity for Sustainable Futures: A Pathway to Competitiveness in Central Asia and Beyond”. Supported by a “Modernizing Uzbekistan National Innovation System (MUNIS)” Project’s $195,600 PRIM grant awarded in December 2024, this initiative falls within Sub-component 1.3: Public Research Institutes Modernization, and is carried out with the strategic aim of building institutional capacity for sustainable futures and enhancing Uzbekistan’s competitiveness in Central Asia and beyond.

Under this Terms of Reference, IAIS seeks to engage a qualified consulting company to design and deliver a comprehensive Training on Enhancing Communication Skills and Strategic Outreach. The selected firm will conduct a thorough needs assessment, develop and facilitate interactive, on-site workshops covering public speaking, persuasive writing, digital communication and stakeholder engagement, and co-create a multi-channel strategic outreach plan complete with standardized branding and messaging guidelines. This assignment is central to IAIS’s institutional development objectives and will strengthen our ability to communicate research impact, foster partnerships, and inform policy dialogue.

The consultancy will run over a four-month period from 20 June to 20 October 2025, culminating in a three-day in-person workshop series and the delivery of tailored training manuals, templates and a final project report. Key milestones include delivery of a Needs Assessment Report, Detailed Training and Outreach Plan, Customized Training Programme, Strategic Outreach Plan, Communication and Branding Guidelines, and facilitation of at least two interactive training sessions with documented participant feedback and performance metrics.

Interested firms should possess:

• A minimum of three years’ experience in designing and delivering communication and outreach capacity-building for governmental, academic or international development organisations;
• Proven expertise in public speaking and policy writing training, digital engagement strategies, and stakeholder mapping;
• A strong track record of producing user-friendly training materials and branding frameworks;
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-stakeholder projects on schedule and within budget.

Applications must include a company profile, relevant work samples or references, a proposed methodology and detailed workplan, and a financial proposal. All documents should be submitted by email to Mr Shakhboz Akhmedov at info@iais.uz no later than 23:59 (Tashkent time) on 14 June 2025.

For any enquiries regarding this call, please contact the IAIS Project Manager via the above email. We look forward to partnering with a dynamic consulting firm to advance IAIS’s communication excellence and strategic outreach capabilities.

DETAILED TERMS OF REFERENCE