Terms Of Reference For Curriculum Design And Youth Innovation Camps/hackathons Services In Tunisia

Hedayah is implementing activities in Tunisia through the Skills for Resilience program,, with the project aiming to strengthen youth resilience against extremism and violent extremism by fostering critical thinking, encouraging innovation in response to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and developing context-specific tools to assess harmful extremist content.

Against this background, Hedayah is looking to contract a Curriculum Design and Innovation Consultant with experience in the Tunisian or broader MENA region context, who will focus on designing enhancing participants (30 maximum) understanding of media and information literacy, and supporting them in developing creative solutions to address issues related to AI, online radicalization, and preventing extremism online.

The Service provider/Consultant shall develop a customized curriculum and content design for the innovation camps and hackathons, and support in the planning and outreach approach of the activity, ensuring that they can provide a clear plan to target participants and have representation from the 24 governorates, using  both online and offline visibility materials, ensuring diversity amongst the youth and visibility beyond urban areas (including young professionals, recent graduates, and civil society representations). Sessions should be designed to encourage creativity and practical ideation, with a focus on digital resilience, alternative and counter narratives related to extremism, the role of AI in peacebuilding, and civic engagement.

The Service Provider/Consultant will also provide on-site support and facilitation of the workshops, guiding participants throughout the camps across three regions in Tunisia: North, Center, and South. Hedayah will coordinate logistics, including venues, catering, and accommodation. Additionally, structured follow-up mentoring will be provided, with one mentoring session per week for winning ideas over a period of 4–6 months. The Service Provider/Consultant should also support and encourage the winning ideas to develop into start-ups or civil society organizations.

This initiative will be implemented in two phases:

• Phase 1: A single innovation camp will be held in Tunis, focusing on piloting the curriculum, sessions, and facilitation methods.
• Phase 2: Additional innovation camps may be held in other regions of Tunisia (North and South) depending on the availability of funding. If implemented, this phase will include further research, development, and production of training content tailored to the Tunisian context.

The Service Provider/Consultant is expected to deliver all activities and support outlined above for Phase 1, and for Phase 2 only if funding is confirmed, with specific deliverables detailed as follows:

Phase 1 Deliverables (One Innovation Camp)

1. Curriculum and Content Development

• Leverage Hedayah’s internal program documentation and conduct additional research to develop a finalized curriculum and content design for the mini-hackathon and ideation lab.
• Integrate a specific AI component, addressing both potential risks and positive applications in preventing online radicalization.
• Design sessions to foster creativity and practical ideation, with focus on digital resilience, alternative and counter narratives, and civic engagement.

2. Innovation Camp Planning

• Plan and design one innovation camp tailored to the local context of Tunisia/ Location is Tunis.

3. Communication and Outreach:

• Develop communication and marketing materials.
• Design outreach strategies to enhance visibility, including areas beyond urban centers in Tunisia.

4. Facilitation and On-Site Support: Facilitate and delivery mini-hackathons and provide on-site support during the innovation camp.
5. Post-Camp Mentoring:

• Provide structured follow-up and mentoring for participating in youth and winning ideas.
• Provide regular updates during the writing of the curriculum and throughout the entire process up until post-camp mentoring to Hedayah to support the participant’s knowledge and efforts in the Hackathons and camps.

6. Venue Recommendations: Suggest low-budget venues with accommodation options across Greater Tunis, Central, and Southern Tunisia suitable for innovation camps and startup acceleration.
7. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Support

Support Hedayah’s Program’s Department in delivering potential options for the monitoring, evaluation and learning in the design of M&E tools to measure:

1. Knowledge retention and learning outcomes;
2. Program effectiveness and scalability; and
3. Include feedback loops for continuous program adaptation.

Phase 2 Deliverables (Two Innovation Camps)

1. Curriculum and Content Development

• Update and adapt Hedayah’s curriculum and content design for two additional mini-hackathons and ideation labs.
• Continue integration of AI components addressing risks and opportunities for preventing online radicalization.
• Design sessions for creativity, practical ideation, digital resilience, alternative and counter narratives, and civic engagement.

2. Innovation Camp Planning

• Plan and design two innovation camps adapted to Tunisia’s local contexts.

3. Communication and Outreach:

• Develop communication and marketing materials.
• Design outreach strategies to enhance visibility, including areas beyond urban centers in Tunisia.

4. Facilitation and On-Site Support: Facilitate and delivery mini-hackathons and provide on-site support during both innovation camps.
5. Facilitation and On-Site Support: Facilitate and delivery mini-hackathons and provide on-site support during the innovation camp.
6. Post-Camp Mentoring:

• Provide structured follow-up and mentoring for participating in youth and winning ideas.
• Provide regular updates during the writing of the curriculum and throughout the entire process up until post-camp mentoring to Hedayah to support the participant’s knowledge and efforts in the Hackathons and camps.

7. Venue Recommendations: Suggest low-budget venues with accommodation options across Greater Tunis, Central, and Southern Tunisia suitable for innovation camps and startup acceleration.
8. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Support

• Support Hedayah’s Program’s Department in delivering potential options for the monitoring, evaluation and learning in the design of M&E tools to measure:
  • Knowledge retention and learning outcomes;
  • Program effectiveness and scalability; and
  • Include feedback loops for continuous program adaptation.

• Phase 1: This phase, which includes one Innovation Camp, should be delivered and implemented by December 2025. All associated deliverables and outputs are expected to be fully implemented from November 2025 to March 2026, with structured post-camp mentoring and follow-ups continuing until June 2026 at the latest.
• Mini-Hackathons and Camps Facilitation: Delivery and facilitation of the mini-hackathons and camps are scheduled for first half of December 2025.

• Phase 2: The two additional Innovation Camps are planned to be delivered and implemented by December 2026. Phase 2, which will include additional innovation camps and hackathons, is scheduled from January to December 2026.
• Post-Phase 2 Support: There is potential for further support to the program and winning ideas in subsequent years, including advanced training, continued adaptation, and extended mentoring.

Professional:

1. An advanced level university degree (master’s degree or academic equivalent) in International Relations, Education, Political Science, Social Sciences, Counter-Terrorism Studies or related field. Interest in the thematic area of media and extremism online, radicalization, and artificial intelligence is desirable.
2. At least five (5) years of experience in the field of working in online communications, countering extremism, national and/or international level, including knowledge of the Tunisian local context, is needed.
3. Proven experience in designing and developing training curricula for innovation camps, with strong technical understanding of how extremist content operates and spreads online.
4. Consolidated experience working with youth participants, governmental or non-governmental organizations and advanced research skills; and
5. Background knowledge of effective media and information literacy processes with a specific focus on artificial intelligence and/or its nexus to online harms and the radicalization of youth.

Key Skills:

1. Planning and organization skills with extensive capabilities to work under pressure and with tight deadlines.
2. Strong interpersonal skills to engage with the stakeholders including effectively managing internal and external relationships with diplomacy and discretion. This includes engaging with cultural sensitivity, a high degree of integrity and the ability to work in multi-cultural teams.
3. A working level of fluency in French/ and Arabic is essential both in written form and speaking, in addition to English. Advanced French skills are desirable.
4. High degree of proficiency with Microsoft Office suite.
5. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
6. Excellent facilitation skills
7. Outstanding research, drafting, and editing skills are essential to this position.

GENERAL TERMS

1. 1. This opportunity is open to individual consultants, firms and consortiums, all are eligible to submit their proposals.
   2. The contract will be deliverables based, and the daily rate will be commensurate with relevant experience and skills.
   3. The position will be remote, and candidates can be global (from any country), although experience in and expertise in Tunisia and MIL is needed, alongside regular remote communication with Hedayah team (based in the UAE).
   4. The Consultant will report to Hedayah Program Manager within the Programs Team and will subsequently work alongside the wider team.
   5. The shortlisted candidates will undergo an interview during the selection process.
   6. The contract will be awarded to one consultant –either individual firm or consortium- upon completion of evaluation and awarding processes. However, Hedayah may keep the contact and personal details of non-selected applicants -with high potentials- on its internal database to assist with future programmatic activities.

1. This opportunity is open to individual consultants, firms and consortiums, all are eligible to submit their proposals.
2. The contract will be deliverables based, and the daily rate will be commensurate with relevant experience and skills.
3. The position will be remote, and candidates can be global (from any country), although experience in and expertise in Tunisia and MIL is needed, alongside regular remote communication with Hedayah team (based in the UAE).
4. The Consultant will report to Hedayah Program Manager within the Programs Team and will subsequently work alongside the wider team.
5. The shortlisted candidates will undergo an interview during the selection process.
6. The contract will be awarded to one consultant –either individual firm or consortium- upon completion of evaluation and awarding processes. However, Hedayah may keep the contact and personal details of non-selected applicants -with high potentials- on its internal database to assist with future programmatic activities.

For a proposal to be considered as comprehensive and to meet Hedayah’s requirements; please submit a proposal that includes the following sections:

• Brief technical proposal includes the following:
  • Updated company profile and/or CVs of the consultant/s
  • Approach and methodology for developing the customized curriculum (maximum three pages).
  • Samples of previous work on curriculums (optional but preferred)

• Financial quotation bidders shall submit 2 separate financial quotations in GBP. First quotation will cover the services mentioned in sections 3 and 4 herein (the first Phase, being the first innovation camp). The second quotation shall cover phase 2 of the program which will include additional two innovation camps and hackathons.
  Note: Please note that the financial quotation covering the first phase -one camp only- shouldn’t exceed a maximum budget of 6k GBP). This can include any other relevant costs and/or expenses which will include but are not limited to:

• transportation expenses (if applicable).

• Language of Proposal:

All proposal’s sections and any supporting documents and references should be submitted in English. Any documents in different languages should be accompanied by an attested translation to English otherwise it will not be considered.

• Submission Deadline

Full proposals should be submitted by November 10^th, 2025, 05:00 pm GST to: procurement@hedayah.ae with CC Hatem.shatnawi@hedayah.ae and Hafedh.dridi@hedayah.ae with subject “Hackathons and Innovation Camps– S4R Program”. Late submissions will not be considered.

• Selecting and Awarding:

Shortlisted candidates will be notified regarding the next steps.

Applicants are responsible for all the costs incurred in preparing their proposals. Hedayah is not obliged to reimburse any relevant costs.