May 2026

Request for Proposals (RFP): Collaborative Publication & Research Management

Project Title: Research Study on Women Vulnerability in Rural Tunisia


Issued by: Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (RLS), North Africa Office
Date: 04/05/2026
Submission Deadline: 15th of May 2026

1. Vision & Purpose

The Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (RLS) North Africa Office is seeking a collaboration between a specialized publishing entity and a multidisciplinary cohort of researchers. The objective is to manifest a 150-page seminal study that interrogates the intersectional precarity of women in rural Tunisia. By synthesizing granular field-derived testimonies with heterodox economic frameworks, the final opus will serve as an indispensable reference for social and gender justice in Tunisia.

2. Eligibility & Legal Status

Participation in this call is strictly reserved for publishing houses legally registered and domiciled in Tunisia. Applicants must be in full compliance with national fiscal and administrative regulations. This localized focus ensures that the project benefits from an organic understanding of the Tunisian hinterland’s specific socio-economic fabric and legal landscape.

3. The Collaborative Mandate

The successful bidder will not merely execute a technical assignment; they will curate a scholarly ecosystem. The publishing house is invited to propose an integrated collaborative model that encompasses:

  • Identifying, vetting, and contracting authors/researchers whose intellectual pedigree aligns with decolonial and gender-sensitive methodologies.
  • Managing the comprehensive budget, ensuring equitable and prompt disbursement of payments for all contributing researchers and field agents.
  • Producing the study from its embryonic inception through rigorous peer-review, linguistic refinement, and high-fidelity printing.

4. Language of the Study : Arabic (Applications should be sent in Arabic )

5. Core Thematic Axes

Proposals should articulate how the collaboration will deconstruct:

  • Faltering Modernization: The manner in which partial agricultural shifts have dismantled ancestral safety nets without erecting modern institutional protections.
  • The Invisibility of Labor: Analyzing the sexual division of labor where women’s contributions are often dismissed as mere “familial assistance,” thereby siphoning off surplus value.
  • Spatial Hegemony: How the geographic isolation of rurality functions as a structural crucible for unfair gendered norms.

6. Technical Deliverables & Timeline

  • Operational Horizon: May/June 2026 – December 2026.
  • Outputs: A 150-page scientific study, incorporating qualitative interviews and updated quantitative datasets.
  • Final Product: Professional layout, bespoke graphic data visualization, and both physical and digital publication.

7. Strategic Milestones:

  • The chosen publishing entity is expected to adhere to a rigorous production cycle, ensuring that each phase of the study undergoes meticulous peer-review and refinement. The following schedule delineates the primary outputs:
  • May 2026 | Inception Report: A comprehensive foundational document outlining the final methodological approach, the finalized research cohort, and the operational roadmap for the study’s inception including a Detailed Plan.
  • July 2026 | Theoretical Framework & Preliminary Report: The delivery of a robust theoretical analysis that synthesizes the socio-economic literature with the specific developmental failures identified in the rural Tunisian context.
  • August 2026 | Empirical Compendium (Field Research Draft): Submission of the initial findings derived from field investigations (at least two Tunisian regions should be studied , with socio and economic justifications of the choice), including raw testimonies, updated statistical datasets, and a preliminary deconstruction of the regional gendered division of labor.
  • December 2026 | Final Publication: The culmination of the project—a 150-page, high-fidelity printed and digital volume, encompassing all revisions, professional layout, and graphic data visualization.

8. Submission Requirements

We invite eligible Tunisian publishing houses to submit a dossier that details:

  1. Administrative Credentials: Proof of legal registration and tax compliance in Tunisia.
  2. A narrative research proposal harmonizing the efforts of authors and researchers included in the project.
  3. A comprehensive financial offer prioritizing fair author compensation alongside production overheads.

    Deadline for Submission:  15th May 2026
    Send to:     Procurement.NorthAfrica@rosalux.org with the subject: Women Vulnerability in Rural Tunisia.

9. Selection Benchmarks & Evaluation

Priority will be accorded to proposals that demonstrate a profound hermeneutic grasp of the Tunisian socio-economic landscape, ensuring the study transcends mere data collection to offer a transformative critique.

The submission must reflect a judicious equilibrium between high-fidelity production values and an uncompromising commitment to fair compensation for intellectual labor. Furthermore, to verify the scientific caliber of the project, comprehensive CVs of the proposed research cohort are compulsory.

Note:

*Incomplete applications will be ignored.

*Only selected applicants will be contacted for further discussion.