REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: No. RFP-PSP-IT-2026-004 FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A FRAME AGREEMENT FOR THE PROVISION OF CREATIVE SERVICES FOR SMS AND DIGITAL CAMPAIGN FOR UNHCR PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS IN IT

The SMS communication and fundraising campaign
UNHCR Italy’s fundraising campaign through charity SMS is an annual initiative, usually carried out
between January and February. The campaign relies on a highly coordinated PR strategy to ensure
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strong visibility across key channels, with mainstream television including RAI, SKY, La7, Mediaset and TV 2000, playing a central role in fundraising. Additional components include media relations, digital PR, content creator engagement, organic social media and free advertising. A key role is played by UNHCR celebrities, who lend their image to the production of the campaign video, memes, interviews, posts on their social media accounts, and television appearances.
UNHCR’s first SMS fundraising campaign was launched in Italy in 2012 under the claim “Routine is Fantastic”, inviting the public to reflect on the value of everyday routines by contrasting them with the lives of more than 70 million people forced to flee war, violence and persecution.
From 2016 to 2020, the SMS campaign focused on access to primary education through “Mettiamocelo in Testa”, centred on the message that quality education can save the life of a refugee child.
Between 2021 and 2023, the SMS campaigns shifted towards emergency-driven narratives, focusing respectively on the Sahel, Afghanistan and Ukraine emergencies. The creative approach evolved from thematically driven storytelling to the direct portrayal of specific humanitarian crises, adopting simpler, more immediate messaging such as “Emergenza Afghanistan non lasciamoli soli” and “Ucraina: e’ passato un anno di guerra, non il dolore”.
Finally, in 2024 and 2026, the “Ferma il Gelo” campaign focused on the devastating impact of winter on refugees and displaced people in countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine.
B. Digital communication and fundraising campaign
In addition to the SMS campaign, PSP Italy delivers at least two other major digital communication and fundraising campaigns each year:
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A summer campaign usually focused on food insecurity, driven by the combined impact of conflict and the climate crisis, which disproportionately affects refugees and internally displaced people in selected African countries such as Sudan, Ethiopia, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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A winter campaign addressing the impact of harsh winter conditions on refugees and internally displaced populations in countries including Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Ukraine.