Development and implementation of a nationwide communication initiative aimed at increasing student engagement and societal recognition of STEM programs in higher education institutions

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

UKRAINE

Country: Ukraine

Project: «Lifting Education Access and Resilience in times of Need in Ukraine Program»

Loan №: 9238-UA

Project №: P171050

Assignment Title: Consulting services for the development and implementation of a nationwide communication initiative aimed at increasing student engagement and societal recognition of STEM programs in higher education institutions

Contract Package ID: № MOES-C1-COM-07

Ukraine and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank) have signed Loan Agreement No. 9238-UA of US$200 million for the Project " Ukraine Improving Higher Education for Results Project " (hereinafter referred to as the Project). The Project is implemented in Ukraine by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MoES) with the support of the World Bank Group. The Project implementation period is 2021-2026.

The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to improve efficiency, conditions for quality, and transparency in the higher education system of Ukraine.

The Ministry of Education and Science, together with the World Bank and other partners, is working to increase STEM capacity in schools, TVETs, and higher education institutions. Yet, a targeted communication campaign is urgently needed to raise awareness about STEM’s broad importance, emphasizing the empowerment and inclusion of girls and young women in STEM, while addressing both male and female students, to foster a diverse and innovative future workforce.

The Ministry of Education and Science intends to use part of the proceeds for consulting services, for which this REoI has been issued.

Consulting services (hereinafter referred to as "Services") include: development and implementation of a nationwide communication initiative aimed at increasing student engagement and societal recognition of STEM programs in higher education institutions.

The Services are expected for a period of 8 months since a date of contract signing.

Detailed information regarding the provision of the specified Services is provided in the Terms of Reference (hereinafter referred to as "TOR"), which is attached.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as the "Client") invites qualified consulting companies (hereinafter referred to as "Consultants") to express their interest in providing the specified Services. Interested Consultants must provide information that confirms their qualifications and experience required to perform the Services.

The evaluation of the expressions of interest provided by the Consultants will be carried out based on the following criteria:

General Requirements

• The Consultant must be a legal entity registered in accordance with the legislation of their country of incorporation. Must have been in operation for at least seven (7) years.

• May apply as a single legal entity or a consortium/joint venture of affiliated companies.

Financial Stability Requirements

• The Consultant must have a total turnover of at least USD 300,000 over the past three (3) fiscal years.

• The Consultant must be able to provide documentation confirming financial stability and organizational structure (e.g., ownership documents, financial statements, audit reports, etc.).

Relevant Experience in Nationwide communication/media campaigns

• Proven track record of designing and implementing at least three nationwide communication, information and awareness campaigns over the past seven (7) years .

• Each of the submitted campaigns shall have:

• a minimum duration of 12 months ;

• country-wide coverage (national TV / radio and/or digital and OOH presence across multiple regions of Ukraine);

• clearly defined objectives and documented achievement of key results (e.g. reach, awareness, behaviour or perception change, or other agreed KPIs).

Consultants must submit documentation for at least three such approved nationwide campaigns, including short case descriptions (objectives, target groups, main channels, duration, KPIs and achieved results) and evidence (e.g. links, screenshots, summary reports).

Evidence-based communication campaigns

Demonstrated experience in designing and delivering communication or social marketing campaigns that are explicitly based on research and monitored through follow-up measurements.

• Consultants shall provide examples of at least three assignments where:

• baseline or formative research (e.g. surveys, focus groups, analytics) was used to inform campaign strategy and creative development; and

• changes in awareness, attitudes and/or behaviours were assessed through endline or follow-up research, with documented results.

Multi-stakeholder management

Demonstrated ability to design and deliver campaigns in multi-stakeholder environments , involving government bodies, educational institutions, private sector partners, media and/or civil society organisations.

Experience with international and public-sector clients (mandatory)

Experience working with international organisations, donor-funded programmes, or government institutions in Ukraine or comparable contexts.

Thematic experience (advantageous)

• Experience in projects related to the promotion of STEM specialties, education, youth engagement, innovation or workforce development will be considered a strong advantage.

References (mandatory)

A minimum of five (5) reference letters from previous clients, preferably including:

• Ukrainian ministries or government institutions, and/or

• international partners, donors or development organisations.

• Reference letters should confirm satisfactory completion of comparable communication / media assignments and the achievement of agreed objectives.

Recognised excellence and awards (advantageous)

• Presence of Effie Awards (Ukrainian or international) in the agency’s portfolio and/or other recognised national or international awards for communication / media campaigns will be considered an advantage.

• Bidders may provide brief descriptions or references to awarded campaigns as part of their proposal.

Human Resources

The Consultant shall ensure the participation of appropriately qualified experts (at the stage of evaluating the submitted expressions of interest, the qualifications and experience of key experts will not be assessed. Only the Consultant with the highest rating, determined in accordance with the established criteria for evaluating the Consultant’s qualifications, will be required to confirm the qualifications and experience of key experts).

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, items 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of The World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers[1], dated September 2023 with amendments of February 2025[2] (hereinafter referred to as the "Procurement Regulations"), which contains the World Bank's policy regarding conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

Selection of a Consultant will be performed in accordance with Consultant’s Qualification-based Selection (CQS) method following World Bank’s Consultants Guidelines.

Further information may be obtained at the address below.

Expressions of interest must be submitted in Ukrainian or English via email to the address: Cc: ; by 4 :00 PM Kyiv time on March 13, 202 6 .[3]

Expressions of interest to be clearly marked: " MOES-C1-COM-07: Expression of Interest" .

Consultants should provide not only information demonstrating their compliance with the Mandatory Minimum Qualification Requirements, but also information that meets the specific requirements of the assignment and will be considered an advantage. The Consultant rating will be based on compliance with these latter requirements. The Consultant with the highest rating, determined according to the established criteria for evaluating the Consultant’s qualifications, will be invited to submit a technical and financial proposal.

Information on the Consultant’s experience provided by the Consultants must be documented (copies of contracts or parts thereof, and acceptance certificates for services provided; additionally, client references may be submitted, describing the specifics of the completed assignment).

Interested Consultants are additionally advised to pay attention to the following aspects when preparing their information:

• Files submitted by the Consultant should be in PDF (Portable Document Format) and/or JPG formats and should be as consolidated as possible;

• When preparing information describing your qualifications and experience, provide as much detail as possible to demonstrate compliance with the established qualification criteria and relevance to the assignment;

• Include copies of documents confirming the stated experience and competencies, and provide contact information of third parties who can confirm your experience and provide relevant references.

Consultants who have submitted an EOI should not submit any documents or information after the deadline for EOI submission, except for providing documents and/or information requested by the Employer for clarification or explanation of the submitted EOI. Any exchange of information between the Employer and Consultants must be in writing via the official email addresses specified in this announcement.

LIST OF ATTACHED DOCUMENTS

• Terms of Reference (TOR) .

[1] https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/6c0602876d68949e80820507d90a14ed- /original/Procurement-Regulations-September-2023.pdf

[2] https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/20fb60f35ce8f2b52bb205da13c4df /original/Revisions-of-the-Procurement-Regulations-September-2023.pdf

[3] Consultants are advised to ensure that their submission has been delivered to the recipient

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consulting services for the

Development and implementation of a nationwide communication initiative aimed at increasing student engagement and societal recognition of STEM programs in higher education institutions

Contract No. MOES-C1-COM-07

World Bank Project ID No.: P171050 , Loan Number: 9238-UA

List of acronyms and abbreviations

ASC: Administrative Service Centre

CERC: Contingent Emergency Response Component

CMS: Content Management System

COVID-19: Coronavirus Disease 2019

CTR: Click-Through Rate

GA4: Google Analytics 4

GRM: Grievance Redress Mechanism

HEI: Higher Education Institution

IP: Intellectual Property

KPI: Key Performance Indicator

KV: Key Visual

M&E: Monitoring and Evaluation

MEL: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

MoES: Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

OOH: Out-of-Home (advertising)

PBC: Performance-Based Condition

PDF: Portable Document Format

POSM: Point-of-Sale Materials

PR: Public Relations

Q&A: Question and Answer

SM: Social Media

STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

TV: Television

VET/PPHE: Vocational Education and Training / Professional Pre-higher Education

UIHERP: Ukraine: Improving Higher Education for Results Project

US$: United States Dollar

Word: Microsoft Word Document Format

Development and implementation of National Communication initiative

aimed at increasing student engagement and societal recognition of STEM programs in higher education institutions.

I. BACKGROUND

Ukraine and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank) have signed Loan Agreement No. 9238-UA of US$200 million for the Project " Ukraine Improving Higher Education for Results Project " (hereinafter referred to as the Project). The Project is implemented in Ukraine by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MoES) with the support of the World Bank Group. The Project implementation period is 2021-2026.

The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to improve efficiency, conditions for quality, and transparency in the higher education system of Ukraine.

The Project includes six Parts:

• Part 1: Sector-Wide Improvements to Governance, Financing, Quality, and Transparency;

• Part 2: Alliances/Partnerships for Improved Efficiency and Quality;

• Part 3: Capacity Building and Education Environment Enhancement;

• Part 4: Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation

• Part 5: Support to Academic Scholarships under MoES and Social Scholarships under MoES for Higher Education Students

• Part 6: Contingent Emergency Response (CERC)

The Project supports two categories of expenditures: (i) traditional investments in goods, works, and services, for which disbursements are made against eligible expenditures, and (ii) defined performance-based conditions (PBCs), for which disbursements are also made against eligible expenditures conditional on the achievement of the PBCs as defined in the Loan Agreement and Project Operational Manual.

In the modern context, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is increasingly seen as an integrated, interdisciplinary approach that equips learners with critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation skills essential for tackling complex global challenges and promoting sustainable development. Technological advances are vital to Ukraine’s recovery and long-term competitiveness, driving innovation in AI, digital infrastructure, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and data-driven governance. However, recent enrolment patterns confirm that interest in STEM fields remains low and uneven, with many students still opting for more familiar or traditionally “safe” study choices. This trend is particularly visible among girls and young women, who often face persistent stereotypes, lack of visible role models and limited encouragement to consider STEM as a realistic option. As a result, they continue to be significantly underrepresented in most priority STEM disciplines, despite the growing demand for diverse talent in these areas.

Addressing this requires coordinated efforts to inspire and support the next generation of STEM professionals through enhanced education programs, capacity building, industry partnerships, and national policies prioritizing technological progress and workforce development. Equally important tool is the integration of scientific research and innovation into higher education. Bridging academic learning with applied research and entrepreneurial ecosystems ensures that students are not only equipped with theoretical knowledge but also immersed in real-world problem solving and innovation processes. Strengthening STEM education is crucial for Ukraine’s economic rebuilding.

STEM fields in Ukraine receive substantial state support through various measures, such as the allocation of state-funded places in universities and higher government grants for self-funded students. However, these fields remain less popular among students compared to majors such as business, management, and social sciences. Several factors contribute to this lower popularity. Many students and parents are not fully aware of how STEM skills translate into concrete, in-demand jobs in the Ukrainian and global labour markets, or how critical they are for the country’s future economy, recovery and competitiveness. STEM is still often perceived as “too difficult”, abstract or relevant only for exceptionally gifted students, while non-STEM majors are seen as safer and more familiar choices. Career guidance in schools and VET/PPHE institutions frequently focuses on traditional professions, and information about new STEM-related roles in digital, green, security and high-tech sectors remains fragmented and inaccessible. Long-standing stereotypes about who “belongs” in STEM – including gendered expectations – further discourage a broad range of young people from considering these pathways. As a result, even though STEM specialities are central to Ukraine’s technological sovereignty and long-term growth, they are not yet perceived by many prospective students as attractive, attainable options for their own future.

The Ministry of Education and Science, together with the World Bank and other partners, is working to increase STEM capacity in schools, VETs/PPHEs, and higher education institutions. Yet, a targeted communication campaign is urgently needed to raise awareness about STEM’s broad importance, emphasizing the empowerment and inclusion of girls and young women in STEM, while addressing both male and female students, to foster a diverse and innovative future workforce.

The campaign is expected to build on and, where feasible, formalise partnerships with educational agencies, universities (especially STEM departments) and NGOs to showcase real-life role models and successful STEM pathways.

According to the statistics on the allocation of state funding and state-funded study places for applicants, at the bachelor’s level at the bachelor’s level, five out of the ten majors with the largest number of state-funded offers were STEM fields. At the master’s level, six of the top ten were STEM. However, when looking at the ten most popular majors by actual enrollment, STEM fields are underrepresented. For instance, at the bachelor’s level, the most popular majors were Business and Law (37,170 enrolled students) and Social Sciences (23,628), while only one STEM major - Engineering and Production - enrolled more than 20,000 students (20,211). A similar pattern is observed at the master’s level, where only two STEM majors rank among the ten most popular: Computer Science (2,653) and Building and Civil Engineering (2,142). Combined, these two majors enrolled nearly three times fewer students than the most popular major - Psychology (12,042).

This communication campaign aligns closely with Ukraine's national WinWin innovation Strategy, which emphasizes fostering inclusive innovation ecosystems and leveraging STEM education to drive sustainable economic growth, making the campaign a critical component in realizing the strategy's goals.

Part of the proceeds from Part 1 of UIHERP supports communication efforts for higher education reform, including financing surveys, developing communication strategies, and implementing campaigns and outreach to enhance transparency and build engagement and consensus within Ukraine’s higher education community.

Now, MoES is looking for an experienced and qualified consultant (Consultant) to create a national communication campaign aimed to increase interest in STEM specialties.

This activity focuses on planning and implementation a nationwide, multi-channel communication campaign to increase applications to STEM in 2026 vs 2025 and to increase the share of girls among STEM applicants during admissions campaign.

More detailed information is given at the link https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-detail/P171050.

II. OBJECTIVE

Overall goal

Increase national interest and uptake of STEM specialties by positioning STEM as a high‑value, accessible, and inclusive pathway for Ukraine’s recovery, innovation, and long‑term competitiveness. The primary target audiences for this campaign are secondary-school students and VET/PPHE students, with parents, teachers and the wider general public as key influencing audiences.

The campaign will prioritise communication with secondary-school students (in general secondary education institutions) and learners in VET/PPHE institutions, while also addressing parents, teachers, school counsellors and other influencers who shape young people’s education choices.

The campaign also will give particular attention to increasing interest in STEM among girls and young women, while ensuring that all messages are inclusive and address both genders. Teachers and school counsellors will be treated as a distinct influencing audience, with tailored messages and tools to help them guide students towards STEM pathways.

Specific Objectives (Phase I: Q1–Q4 2026)

• Establish a robust baseline of public awareness and attitudes towards STEM in Ukraine

• Within the first two (2) months from the Contract start date, commission and complete a nationally representative baseline survey (general population, with separate cuts for young people and parents, boys/men and girls/women) to assess awareness, understanding and perceptions of STEM education and careers.

• Based on this baseline, identify at least five core attitude and awareness indicators (e.g. prompted awareness of STEM, ability to decode the acronym, perceived demand for STEM professions, perceived future of STEM in Ukraine, willingness to recommend STEM to children) to be tracked throughout the campaign.

• Increase basic awareness and understanding of what STEM is and why it matters for Ukraine’s future

• By November 2026 , achieve at least a 15% point increase among boys/men and 20% points increase among girls/women (baseline vs endline survey) in the share of respondents who can:

• correctly expand the STEM acronym , and

• name at least two STEM-related professions or fields of study .

• Achieve a 15% relative increase (baseline vs endline) in respondents who agree with statements such as:

• “I understand what STEM specialities are and what people in these fields do.”

• “STEM skills are important for Ukraine’s economic development and security.”

• Strengthen positive perceptions of the relevance, demand and future of STEM careers in Ukraine

• By November 2026 , achieve a 15% relative increase (baseline vs endline) in the share of respondents who agree with statements such as:

• “STEM specialities are in high demand on the labour market in Ukraine.”

• “STEM professions have good long-term prospects in Ukraine.”

• “I would recommend a STEM speciality to my child, relative or a young person I advise.”

• Reduce by at least 10 percentage points the share of respondents who agree with negative perceptions such as “STEM is only for very gifted people” or “STEM is not relevant for ordinary Ukrainians” (exact formulations to be finalized at baseline design stage).

• Drive active interest and information-seeking behaviour related to STEM education options

• By Q4 2026 , achieve a 15% relative increase (baseline vs endline) in the share of respondents who report that they have in the last 6 months:

• searched for information about STEM specialities or programmes in Ukraine;

• discussed STEM education or careers with their children, relatives or peers.

• Secure at least 20 million completed views of all STEM campaign content in online media (total across all channels including SM) and 20% engagement rate (clicks, saves, shares, comments) across digital channels.

• Ensure at least 20 million contacts with outdoor advertising of STEM campaign content (across all channels, including billboards, citylights, state and municipal points of contact with citizens, cultural and entertainment environments, etc.)

• Ensure at least 2 million views of social advertising on TV (including channels broadcasting the “national marathon” “Yedyni Novyny” and others that are not restricted in digital broadcasting during wartime).

• Measure change in key indicators between baseline and endline and generate evidence for Phase II

• By 1 December 2026 , conduct a follow-up nationally representative survey mirroring the baseline methodology and questionnaire structure.

• Demonstrate a 15% relative improvement across the five core indicators defined at baseline (e.g. understanding of STEM, perceived demand, perceived future, willingness to recommend STEM, perceived relevance for Ukraine’s development).

• Produce a final analytical report summarising changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviours, with recommendations for Phase II focused on conversion to applications and enrolment during admission campaign 2027.

Cross cutting topics - gender and inclusion, regional equity

KPI Framework Implementation

Output – Campaign Delivery and Reach

These indicators measure the direct results of campaign execution and media presence during Phase I (2026 awareness campaign).

• Media reach and frequency across key channels (out-of-home advertising, television and cinema spots, digital and social media, radio), as reported by media partners and platforms.

• Confirmed media placements and visibility in priority locations (major cities, transport hubs, educational institutions, youth and community venues) in line with the agreed media plan.

• Video performance metrics, including: number of views, view-through rate (VTR), average watch time and quantity of completed view for core STEM campaign assets.

• As an option: number and type of offline and online activations (e.g. webinars, school/university events, Q&A sessions with STEM professionals etc) implemented, and total participants reached.

Outtake – Audience Perceptions and Attitudes

These indicators track changes in awareness, understanding and short-term behavioural intentions among the general public and key sub-groups (young people, parents, educators), based on baseline and endline research. The campaign will specifically measure changes in teachers’ and school counsellors’ awareness of STEM opportunities and their confidence in recommending STEM pathways to students.

• Increased prompted and unprompted awareness of STEM and STEM specialities (share of respondents who recognise the term and/or correctly expand the acronym).

• Increased share of respondents who can correctly explain what STEM stands for and name at least two STEM-related professions or fields of study.

Improved understanding of:

• the role of STEM in Ukraine’s economic development, security and recovery,

• typical STEM career paths and areas of application,

• opportunities for STEM learning (programmes, preparatory/zero-level courses, extracurricular activities).

• Strengthened positive attitudes towards STEM, including higher agreement with statements such as “STEM specialities are important for Ukraine’s future” and “STEM professions have good long-term prospects in Ukraine”.

• Reduced prevalence of key negative perceptions identified at baseline (e.g. “STEM is only for very gifted people”, “STEM is not relevant for ordinary Ukrainians”), with separate tracking for girls and underrepresented groups where feasible.

• Increased reported intention to learn more about STEM and to recommend STEM education to children, relatives or students (self-reported short-term intention in surveys).

• Increased share of teachers and school counsellors who report that they feel well-informed about STEM study options and are confident to recommend STEM pathways to their students.

All relevant perception and intention indicators will be disaggregated by gender, with dedicated analysis for girls and other underrepresented groups in STEM.

Outcome – Measurable Impact (Phase I)

These are the measurable changes and evidence generated by Phase I that are aligned with the overarching goals of building demand and preparing for the next phase of STEM promotion.

• Demonstrated improvement (typically 15–30% relative increase vs baseline) across the set of core indicators defined in the baseline study, including:

• understanding of STEM and related professions,

• perceived relevance and demand of STEM specialities in Ukraine,

• willingness to recommend STEM pathways to young people,

• self-reported information-seeking behaviour related to STEM education.

• Increased share of respondents who report that, over the last 6–12 months, they have searched for information about STEM programmes in Ukraine or discussed STEM education and careers with children, relatives or students.

• Clear evidence (from survey data and digital analytics) that the campaign has reached and engaged girls and other underrepresented groups in STEM at scale.

• A documented monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework for STEM communications, including baseline and endline survey reports, analytical summary of changes in awareness and attitudes, and concrete recommendations for a subsequent phase focused on conversion into applications and enrolment. Particular attention will be paid to identifying which approaches are most effective in shifting perceptions and intentions among girls and young women.

III. SCOPE OF SERVICES

Inception phase

Description

During the Inception phase, the Consultant shall prepare an Inception Report that sets the strategic, research and implementation framework for the campaign, fully aligned with the Specific Objectives and the Output / Outtake / Outcome indicators for Phase I (2026).

The Inception Report shall include, at minimum, the following Sections:

• Research Plan

• Overall research approach and methodology, including design of the nationally representative baseline survey (Q1 2026) and its link to the endline survey (Q4 2026).

• Target groups and sampling strategy with dedicated sub-samples such as young people, parents, teachers and school counsellors, educators.

• Main thematic blocks for baseline and endline questionnaires (awareness and understanding of STEM, acronym recognition, perceived demand and future, willingness to recommend STEM, information-seeking behaviour, attitudes of girls and underrepresented groups).

• Tools, channels and timelines for quantitative and, where relevant, qualitative research (interviews, focus groups) and data analysis.

• Clear mapping of how questions and indicators feed into the agreed Output / Outtake / Outcome framework and MEL system.

• Workplan

• Detailed implementation schedule (e.g. Gantt) covering research, strategy, creative development, media planning, production, implementation, monitoring and reporting.

• Milestones and decision points (approval of Inception Report, creative concept and KV, scripts and assets, baseline and endline surveys, interim and final reports).

• Roles and responsibilities within