FSSAI invites bids to empanel creative agencies for multi-media design work

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) inviting bids from eligible creative agencies for empanelment to undertake multimedia designing work for a period of two years, extendable by one year based on performance.

Agencies will be selected through a two-stage evaluation process. Stage I will assess experience and manpower capabilities, accounting for 40 points, with a minimum cut-off of 20 points. Only those meeting this threshold will move to Stage II, which involves creating sample deliverables, including a coffee table book, brochure, and presentation based on content provided by FSSAI. This round accounts for 60 points. A cumulative score of 70 or above will be required for empanelment, although only the top five scorers will ultimately be selected.

The empanelment process aims to constitute a panel of up to five creative agencies that will support FSSAI in producing high-quality visual and promotional material. 

The scope of work includes designing coffee table books, brochures, annual reports, event branding collaterals, exhibition panels, and digital presentations. Agencies may also be required to provide branding for physical items such as T-shirts, mugs, jute bags, and mementoes.

Empanelled agencies will be bound to accept the L1 (lowest) rates determined through financial bids. “The arrived L1 rates shall be binding and final on all empanelled agencies,” the RFP states. For design jobs outside the rate contract scope, agencies may be required to participate in limited or open tenders in accordance with GFR 2017 guidelines.

To be eligible, agencies must have a minimum of three years’ experience working with government departments or PSUs, a presence in Delhi-NCR, and an annual turnover of at least Rs 72 lakh over the past three financial years. Start-ups, as defined under the 2018 DPIIT notification, are exempted from the turnover and past experience criteria.

An Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of Rs 50,000 is mandatory for participation and must be submitted via direct bank transfer. Selected agencies will also be required to furnish a performance bank guarantee of Rs 1,00,000 valid throughout the empanelment period.

The deadline for submitting bids on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal is August 11, 2025, with the technical bids scheduled to be opened the same day at 3:30 PM. Presentation dates for technically qualified agencies will be announced subsequently on the FSSAI website.

FSSAI has clarified that empanelment does not guarantee the award of work. The authority also reserves the right to terminate the empanelment or reallocate work if an agency fails to deliver on time or refuses an assignment. Delays may attract liquidated damages up to 10% of the contract value.