RFP -for an Endline evaluation of the Akshita Program's integrated model – Damoh District

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR AN

ENDLINE EVALUATION OF THE AKSHITA

PROGRAM'S INTEGRATED MODEL – DAMOH DISTRICT

Issued by: The Antara Foundation

RFP Issue Date: 9 September 2026

Deadline to Receive Questions from Prospective Applicants: 12 September 2026

Deadline for Response to Questions (RFQ): 16 September 2026

Proposal Submission Deadline: 25 September 2026

Selection of Study Partner: 8 October 2026

1. ABOUT THE ANTARA FOUNDATION

The Antara Foundation (TAF) envisions a world where women and children do not suffer from preventable health conditions. We believe that every mother and every child deserves an equal start to a healthy life. We support the public health system in delivering solutions at scale to improve maternal and child health outcomes by partnering with the government and communities. Interventions of The Antara Foundation follow two closely integrated paths: helping the government system deliver higherquality health care to the community, and supporting the community in mobilising and seeking better health outcomes.

TAF works to improve maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition (MNCHN) outcomes across nine districts of Madhya Pradesh by strengthening last-mile public health delivery, anchored by its AAA Platform (coordinating ASHAs, ANMs, and Anganwadi Workers), supervisory strengthening, and facility enhancement.

For more information visit antarafoundation.org .

2. PURPOSE OF THIS RFP

TAF invites proposals from qualified research agencies (hereafter referred to as the study partner) to conduct an endline evaluation of the Akshita Program's integrated model in Damoh district, Madhya Pradesh.

In Damoh, TAF works across five blocks (Batiyagarh, Hatta, Jabera, Patera, and Tendukheda), delivering both supply-side and demand-side interventions. Initiated in 2022, supply-side interventions include the AAA Platform , facility-based care strengthening, and systems strengthening. Demand-side, or community-facing demand-generation work comprised two different models: Participatory Learning and Action (PLA), rolled out in November 2024 in the Jabera and Batiyagarh blocks, and Mothers and Enablers Groups (MEGs), rolled out in September 2025 in the Patera, Hatta, and Tendukheda blocks.

The baseline itself was conducted in September–October 2024, prior to both community models were rolled out. This design nests two comparisons: a cluster-randomised allocation of the demand-side layer across clusters within Damoh (integrated arm vs. supply-only arm), combined with a quasi-experimental, non-randomised comparison against Panna district (with no TAF interventions). TAF is now commissioning an endline assessment, expected to be fielded approximately two years after baseline

(around September–October 2026), to complete this impact evaluation. Full background, baseline findings, methodology, and measurement domains are provided in Annex 1.

This RFP seeks a study partner with demonstrated experience in:

Designing and conducting quasi-experimental / c-RCT impact evaluations in MNCHN, or closely related public health domains, in India

Difference-in-differences (DiD) or comparable causal-inference analysis

Large-scale CAPI-based household surveys in rural/tribal geographies, including managing migration-related fieldwork challenges

Qualitative research grounded in implementation science or process evaluation

Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, mandatory (see Section 8)

This is an open, competitive RFP. Agencies that have previously worked with TAF are welcome to bid alongside other qualified agencies. Researchers/organisations applying must be registered in India.

SCOPE OF WORK

The study partner is expected to execute the endline round consistent with the baseline's evaluation design (see Annex 1, Sections II–IV for detailed objectives, evaluation design, scope of work, and measurement domains), flagging any deviations required by changed ground conditions.

TAF will facilitate access to the baseline survey tool, the January 2025 baseline report, the deidentified baseline dataset, and government permissions; these materials, along with any other tools and de-identified datasets, will be shared only with the selected study partner. The study partner will be responsible for adapting the instruments, and for fielding, analysing, and reporting the endline round.

Key deliverables will include an inception report, IRB approval documentation, cleaned quantitative and qualitative datasets, a draft endline report, a final endline report, and a presentation of findings to TAF (see Annex 1, Section VI).

SUBMISSION

All proposals and queries should be sent to [contact details removed] and cc to [contact details removed] with the subject line "Damoh Endline Evaluation proposal || Organisation name".

Queries will be accepted until the deadline stated on the cover page; responses to queries (RFQ) will be shared with all prospective applicants by the date indicated.

For detailed information, please check the complete version of the RFP attached below