[Consultancy] RfP - Event Management Services for the WUSC Nigeria P2S Annual Learning Summit

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
Event Management Services for the WUSC Nigeria P2S Annual Learning Summit

Issued by: World University Service of Canada (WUSC)
Issue Date: August 25, 2026
Submission Deadline: 8 September  2026 by 5 pm (GMT +1)
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Contract Term: 30 working days 

1. INTRODUCTION
   The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian international development organization working to catalyze positive education and economic outcomes for young people. We bring together and collaborate with a diverse network of partners (including businesses and not-for-profit organizations) who share this mission.
   WUSC is currently implementing the Pathways to Scale (P2S) project. P2S is a five-year, young women-focused program of the Mastercard Foundation, implemented in partnership with WUSC and supported by Seedstars. Operating in Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Rwanda, P2S strengthens women-owned and women-led enterprises by providing gender-focused business development services and access to finance to unlock 93,000 work opportunities for young women, particularly young rural women.
   These Terms of Reference define the scope of services for providing comprehensive event management services for the upcoming annual learning event in Lagos, Nigeria, between 23-25 November 2026.

2. BACKGROUND
Under Pathways to Scale, WUSC will bring together Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs) that support small and growing enterprises to strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems, promote gender equality, and create employment opportunities for young rural women.
As part of the ESO partner capacity building, WUSC will host the annual learning summit under the theme Sustainable Pathways for Enterprise Growth. The event will engage up to 85 participants from 4 countries for over 3 days (23-25 November 2026) with the following objectives:

• Strengthen Enterprise Support Organizations' (ESOs’) capacity as strategic knowledge partners by facilitating co-learning and co-creation that standardize inclusive and gender-responsive business development support delivery models.
  
• Benchmark internal P2S methodologies against proven models from similar development programs across Sub-Saharan Africa to catalyze cross-border innovation and integrate external best practices into our technical support systems.
  
• Promote ongoing learning by openly discussing successes and failures to remove barriers and improve performance across the program implementation partners.
  
• Facilitate networking and partnership opportunities among Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs) across the continent, fostering collaboration and encouraging future partnerships.

WUSC seeks a professional Event Management Firm to provide end-to-end logistical planning and coordination of this event.

3. SCOPE OF WORK
Reporting to the designated P2S focal point in Nigeria, the selected Service Provider will be responsible for the comprehensive logistical planning, coordination, and delivery of the P2S Learning Summit, including participant travel and accommodation coordination, venue and vendor management, event production, transportation, registration, technical support, and post-event closeout.
WUSC will retain responsibility for the agenda and substantive content of the Summit, participant selection, strategic decisions, session facilitation, communications messaging, branding approvals, and approval of all budgets and major expenditures. The Service Provider will be expected to manage the high-volume operational coordination required to deliver the event successfully.

3.1 Pre-Event Planning and Event Delivery
Participant & Logistics Management

• Develop and maintain a detailed, time-bound event management and logistics work plan, including responsibilities, deadlines, dependencies, and approval points. Finalize physical event venue preparation, including venues for social activities, in line with room and breakout requirements, in consultation with WUSC. This includes contract negotiation, inspection, and setup management. Manage room blocks and rooming lists, and coordinate participant check-in, check-out, room changes, early arrivals, late departures, and cancellations. 
• Arrange and manage airport meet-and-greet services for participants, airport transfers, hotel transfers, and daily transportation between hotels, venues, and side-event locations.
• Manage participant registration during the event.
• Distribute participant information packs (agenda, venue details, contacts, etc.).
• Establish and maintain a consolidated participant database covering registration status, contact information, travel itineraries, accommodation requirements, dietary restrictions, accessibility requirements, emergency contacts, and other relevant logistical information.
• Support WUSC in administering participant registration prior to the event and tracking responses, including following up with participants on missing information. 
• Provide an accessible participant support contact, including an after-hours emergency contact, during the participant travel and event period. 

Vendor & Supplier Coordination

• Identify, procure, contract, coordinate, and supervise all required service providers, including venues, hotels, catering providers, transportation providers, audio-visual suppliers, printers, photographers, videographers, and other relevant service providers.
  Obtain competitive quotations where required and provide WUSC with clear recommendations based on quality, suitability, and value for money. 
• Clearly separate third-party vendor costs from the Event Management Firm’s professional fees, management fees, commissions, markups, and other charges. 
• Manage third-party vendors' schedules, contracts, setup, delivery, performance, invoicing, and closeout. Manage payment of vendors. 

Side/Networking Events

• Plan and manage side events or networking sessions, including scheduling, venue setup, refreshments, and materials.

Catering & Hospitality

• Develop and coordinate the food and beverage plan for the Summit, side events, and other approved activities. 
  
• Coordinate food and beverage services, including coffee breaks, lunches, snacks, and any receptions, particularly those outside the main event venue.
  
• Collect information on dietary restrictions, allergies, religious dietary requirements, and other relevant participant needs as part of registration, and ensure vendors make the necessary accommodations. 

Technical & Event Support

• In coordination with WUSC, develop a detailed logistical run of show covering room setup, session transitions, catering, transportation, technical requirements, side events, and other operational activities. 
  Coordinate audio-visual equipment, microphones, screens, projectors, sound, lighting, internet connectivity, recording, interpretation, and other technical requirements. 
  
• Ensure event tech support (including availability of IT and A/V technicians) throughout to ensure all presentations and sessions run smoothly. Ensure that all equipment is tested before the event and at the beginning of each event day. 
  
• Support speakers, facilitators, moderators, and presenters with presentation loading, testing, timing, microphone use, and technical troubleshooting. 

Health, Safety, Security, and Contingency Planning

• Develop a practical contingency plan covering the main operational risks, including transportation delays, technical issues, and supplier non-performance.
  
• Maintain an up-to-date emergency contact and escalation list and coordinate relevant emergency procedures with the venue, hotel, and transport providers.
  
• Confirm that appropriate first-aid support and information on nearby medical facilities are available.
  
• Promptly report any significant incident, safety concern, or disruption to WUSC and support an appropriate response.

Accessibility and Inclusion
The Service Provider will:

• Ensure that the selected venues, transportation, and hospitality services are reasonably accessible and responsive to identified participant needs.

3.2 Post-Event Activities

• Coordinate venue breakdown, equipment collection, and return or storage of unused materials. 
  Manage all vendor payments and contractual closeout activities in accordance with WUSC requirements. 
  Submit a final financial reconciliation, supported by invoices, receipts, quotations, payment records, and explanations of any variance from the approved budget. 
• Submit a comprehensive post-event report including:
  • Attendance list
  • Budget utilization summary
• Deliver all media materials (photographs, video footage, session recordings, presentation decks) to WUSC.
  Securely transfer or delete participant personal data after closeout, in accordance with WUSC instructions. 

4. DELIVERABLES

# - Activity / Deliverable - Key Outputs - Suggested Date
1 - Inception and Event Management Plan
Detailed logistics work plan and timeline; responsibility matrix; proposed staffing plan; venue and hotel options; preliminary vendor and procurement plan; event budget framework; contingency and escalation approach. - Within 5 days

2 - Venue, Accommodation and Vendor Confirmation
Confirmed Summit and side-event venues; negotiated hotel arrangements and room blocks; confirmed key suppliers; updated cost estimates. - By 15 Oct 2026

3 - Participant Travel and Logistics Management
Live participant logistics database; registration tracking; travel arrangements; visa-status tracking/support; accommodation rooming list. - Continuously

4 - Event Materials, Catering and Technical Readiness
Catering and hospitality plan; final room layouts; A/V and internet plan; equipment and technical-support arrangements confirmed. - By 13 Nov 2026

5 - Final Operational Readiness Package
Final logistical run of show; on-site staffing schedule; participant and transport manifests; registration plan; emergency contacts. - By 18 Nov 2026

6 - Summit Implementation
Successful delivery of participant arrivals, three-day Summit, registration, venue setup, catering, transportation, and A/V support. - Nov 2026

7 - Post-Event Closeout and Reporting
Venue closeout; final vendor payments; financial reconciliation; attendance list; photographs, recordings and comprehensive post-event report. - 7–10 days post

5. BUDGET AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS
Deliverable # - Deliverable - Deliverable Date - Invoicing Date - Payment (Naira)

1- Event plan and logistics confirmed
15 Oct 2026
20 Oct 2026
 
2 - Successful event delivery
30 Nov 2026
2 Dec 2026

6. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Interested firms must submit a comprehensive proposal containing:

• Company Profile (legal registration, structure, services, and contact details)
• Relevant Experience (similar events, ideally with NGOs, international agencies, or corporate clients)
• Technical Proposal (methodology, work plan, and approach)
• Work Plan and Timeline (Gantt chart or similar)
• Team Composition and Detailed Staffing Plan (key staff, roles, bios). The bidder must propose an appropriately staffed event-management team capable of supporting the assignment, including sufficient on-site staffing. 
• Financial Proposal (itemized cost breakdown and payment schedule)
• References (at least three relevant and recent clients)
  Risk Management and Contingency Plan (including proposed arrangements for travel disruption, technical failure, medical incidents, and supplier non-performance)
  
• Sample Tools and Work Products, such as a participant tracker, rooming list, transport manifest, event run of show, or post-event report from a comparable assignment.
  
• Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest, supplier commissions, rebates, or other financial relationships.
  
• Confirmation of Relevant Insurance, licenses, and legal registration in Nigeria.
  
• Data Protection Approach, describing how participant and travel information will be collected, accessed, stored, transferred, and deleted.
  

7. EVALUATION CRITERIA
Criteria - Weight

• Relevant Experience & Past Performance - 25%
  
• Technical Approach & Creativity - 25%
  
• Team Qualifications - 15%
  
• Financial Proposal (Cost-Effectiveness) - 25%
  
• References & Overall Presentation - 10%

8. SUBMISSION DETAILS
Proposals must be submitted electronically in PDF format to:
anwanja@wusc.ca,  kniyomutabazi@wusc.ca, loluwadare@wusc.ca, and p2s@wusc.ca 
Subject Line: RFP for Event Management, P2S Annual Learning Summit Nigeria
Deadline for submission: Monday, 7th September 2026 by COB. Late submissions will not be considered.

9. CONTACT INFORMATION
For any clarification, please contact: 
Keilah Niyomutabazi
Communications and Knowledge Management Advisor
Email kniyomutabazi@wusc.ca   
Liz Oluwadare, Partnership Manager
World University Service of Canada (WUSC)
loluwadare@wusc.ca,