Videography and photography to document MSME and access-to-finance activities in Basra

Call for External Collaborator – Videography and photography to document MSME and access-to-finance activities in Basra

I. Background and purpose
The International Labour Organization (ILO), with support from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), is implementing a project in Southern Iraq aimed at promoting private sector development and the creation of decent employment opportunities, with a strong focus on sustainable green business practices and support for startups and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
The project operates at three interconnected levels. At the macro level, it supports evidence-based policy development for MSME growth through business environment assessments and related analytical work. At the Meso level, it strengthens the capacity of financial institutions and intermediary organizations to improve service delivery and enhance access to finance for MSMEs. At the micro level, it directly supports youth, entrepreneurs, and small business owners through training in business management, financial literacy, and facilitation of linkages to financial services.
Within this context, the project is actively implementing field-based interventions in Basra, including SIYB training, financial education, green business promotion, and access to finance support. These activities involve continuous engagement with beneficiaries, trainers, financial institutions, and local stakeholders, generating strong opportunities to capture visual evidence of change and impact.
Given the scale and nature of implementation, high-quality videography and photography services are required to document key project activities, including training sessions, MSME dialogue events, field visits, beneficiary interactions, and success stories

To provide professional videography and photography services to document project activities and results, and produce high-quality visual content that supports communication, visibility, and impact storytelling for the ILO AICS project in Southern Iraq.

II. Scope of work
The videographer/photographer will be responsible for providing professional visual documentation services for the ILO AICS project in Southern Iraq. The assignment will focus on capturing high-quality photo and video content that reflects project implementation, results, and impact.
The consultant will cover key project activities in Basra, including SIYB and Financial Education training sessions, MSME dialogue events, field visits, stakeholder meetings, and beneficiary interactions. This includes documenting training delivery, participant engagement, access to finance processes, and success stories of entrepreneurs and MSMEs supported by the project.
The assignment also includes producing visual materials for communication and visibility purposes, ensuring that content highlights human-interest stories, showcases project achievements, and reflects the contribution of the project to MSME development, job creation, financial inclusion, and green business promotion.
The consultant will coordinate closely with the project team to plan field visits, ensure appropriate coverage of activities, and obtain necessary approvals. All photos and videos must be of high professional quality, properly organized, and delivered in formats suitable for reporting, publications, and digital communication platforms
III. Detailed tasks
1\. Inception and Planning
Hold an inception meeting with the project team to agree on priorities, field schedule, and coverage plan.
Review project activities and identify key moments for visual documentation (trainings, MSME dialogues, field visits, and success stories).
Develop a shooting and coordination plan for field visits and events, ensuring coverage of all required deliverables as follows:
o Workshop photography: professional edited photographs per training workshop (10 workshops × 20 40 images each)

o Workshop short videos: 45 90 second edited reels per workshop or cluster ( 3 videos)
o MSME photography: edited photo sets per supported enterprise ( 40 enterprises × 8 10 images each)
o MSME short videos: 60-second reel-style videos or slides ( 6 videos)
o Success story long videos: 2 3-minute documentary-style videos per selected MSME ( 6 videos)
o Raw footage archive: curated unedited footage for institutional archive, compiled per coverage cycle
2\. Field Coverage and Visual Documentation
Attend and document SIYB and Financial Education training sessions, ensuring full coverage of workshop photography and short workshop videos.
Cover MSME dialogue sessions, stakeholder meetings, and field visits in Basra.
Capture high-quality visual content aligned with MSME photography requirements and success story documentation.
Conduct interviews with selected beneficiaries for MSME short videos and success story productions.
3\. Content Production and Editing
Edit and produce all required visual materials in line