Call for Development: Educational Mobile Game for Digital Safety Awareness

Call for Development: Educational Mobile Game for Digital Safety Awareness

February 2025

Background:
7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering Palestinian and Arab civil society by promoting digital rights, strengthening digital safety awareness, and building capacities in the digital space. Through innovative and creative tools, 7amleh works to ensure that individuals and communities are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the digital world safely.

In today's increasingly interconnected world, children and teenagers are more digitally engaged than ever. However, this growing digital presence exposes them to various online risks, including privacy breaches, cyber threats, and harmful content. Recognizing the urgent need to enhance digital safety awareness among children, 7amleh is developing an Interactive Mobile Game for Digital Safety Awareness, designed specifically for children aged 10 to 15 years old.

This gamified educational app will provide an engaging, age-appropriate learning experience that equips young users with essential digital security skills. Through interactive storylines, challenges, and real-world scenarios, players will be navigating online challenges such as privacy protection, safe communication, password security, and recognizing digital threats. The game will not only help children build confidence in their ability to stay safe online but will also foster critical thinking, media literacy, and responsible digital behaviour in an enjoyable and immersive format.

This Terms of Reference (ToR) invites experienced digital game production companies to submit technical and financial proposals demonstrating their expertise, methodologies, and innovative approaches to bringing this vision to life.

Description of the assignment:
The selected company will collaborate closely with 7amleh’s appointed team to design, develop, and launch an interactive educational mobile game that enhances digital security awareness among children aged 10 to 15 years old. The game will provide an engaging and educational experience, covering key topics such as privacy, safe communication, password protection, and identifying online threats (e.g., phishing, cyberbullying, and privacy settings).

Below are the key tasks and deliverables required:
Task 1: Content Creation

The selected company will develop creative concepts and interactive content for the game, ensuring an engaging and educational experience. Core features must include:

• An engaging narrative with relatable characters.

• Mini-games and challenges that reinforce learning.

• Real-life scenarios to teach digital security principles.

• A progress tracking and rewards system.

• Age-appropriate content and design aligned with the target audience.

The characters and storyline should be engaging and relatable, featuring story-driven gameplay with branching scenarios that allow players to explore different outcomes. All content must be shared with 7amleh’s appointed team for review, feedback, and approval before further development.

Task 2. Content Design
The game’s design and visuals should align with 7amleh’s visual identity, ensuring an appealing and age-appropriate visual. Design requirements include:

• 2D or 3D animations for characters and environments.

• Music and sound effects to enhance the experience.

• Voiceovers for instructions and storytelling to improve accessibility and engagement.

Following submission and review, modifications will be implemented based on feedback from 7amleh’s team.

Task 3: Technical development
Once the content and design have been finalized, the next step is the technical development of the game. This phase will ensure that the game is built with a strong foundation, offering a smooth, engaging, and secure experience for users. This includes:

• Platform Development:

  • Game Engine:

    • Option 1 - Godot (preferred)

    • Option 2 - Unity

  • Backend  (progress tracking, and data storage, etc.): 

    • Local storage (preferred)

    • PaaS (Firebase, etc.)

• Design and User Interface (UI)

  •   Bright, colorful, and child-friendly visuals.

  •   Simple navigation with intuitive touch controls.

  •   Accessible design for younger children (e.g., large buttons, clear text).

• Security and Privacy

  • Data Protection: 

    • Ensure all user data is encrypted and stored securely. The application must not collect any PII (Personally Identifiable Information).

    • Comply with GDPR, COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act), and other relevant regulations.

  • No In-App Purchases or Ads: 

    • To ensure a safe and distraction-free environment for children.

• Performance and Compatibility

  • Device Compatibility:

    • Support for the following operating system versions:

      • Android 13-16

      • iOS 16-18

  • Performance Optimization:

    • Smooth gameplay with minimal lag.

    • Low storage and memory requirements.

Task 4: Prototyping
Before full development, a functional prototype must be created to test core gameplay mechanics, user experience, and engagement. The prototype will be reviewed by 7amleh’s team and youth groups to gather feedback for refinement before full-scale development proceeds.

Task 5: Marketing and outreach
Once the game is fully developed, it will be made accessible to the target audience through a strategic launch and outreach plan. The selected company will be responsible for:

• Publishing the game on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

• Developing a promotion strategy to reach Palestinian children, in collaboration with schools, educational institutions, and social media campaigns.

Task 6: Updates and Maintenance
After launch, ongoing updates and maintenance will be required to ensure the game remains functional, engaging, and up to date. This will include:

• Regular content updates, such as new challenges, mini-games, or educational scenarios.

• Bug fixes and technical maintenance to ensure smooth gameplay.

• Compatibility updates to support new operating system versions on iOS and Android

Additional initiatives:
Bidders are encouraged to propose innovative ideas, additional features, or alternative approaches that could enhance the game’s effectiveness and impact on children.  

Timeline:
Bidders are expected to set clear expected timelines for the above-mentioned tasks starting 1st of April 2025 - 31st December 2026.

Qualification Requirements:
The selected company must possess demonstrated expertise in digital game development and educational content creation. The proposal should outline the experience of the dedicated project team in the following key areas:

• Educational Content Development: Proven ability to create engaging and age-appropriate educational content for children.

• Digital Security Knowledge: Familiarity with digital security concepts and the ability to translate them into child-friendly content.

• Localization & Cultural Sensitivity: Expertise in adapting content for Arabic-speaking audiences, ensuring linguistic and cultural relevance.

• Marketing & App Store Optimization (ASO): Knowledge of effective marketing strategies and techniques to optimize the game’s visibility and accessibility.

• Game Development: Minimum 3-5 years of experience with expertise in Godot/Unity for cross-platform game development.

• Mobile App Development: Experience in iOS and Android development, including proficiency in C# programming and mobile performance optimization.

• UI/UX Design: Ability to create intuitive, engaging, and age-appropriate user interfaces tailored for children.

• Backend & Database Management: Expertise in Firebase for secure authentication, data storage, and cloud-based infrastructure. 

Evaluation Process and Criteria:
A selection committee from 7amleh will partake in the evaluation process, and will assess applicants in accordance to the below criteria. The weight allocated to the Technical Qualification is 70%, while the weight allocated to the Financial Proposal is 30%. 

Technical Proposals will be evaluated first. Technical Proposals receiving 70% of obtainable points (60/70 pt) or higher, will be considered technically responsive and the Financial Proposal will be opened. Proposals which are considered not technically compliant and non-responsive, will not be given further consideration.

Financial evaluation (30% points):
Only those financial proposals for bidders which have been technically accepted according to the above criteria will be opened. The Financial proposal will be weighted based on the clarity and appropriateness. The price should be broken down for each component of the proposed work. The total amount of points allocated for the price component is 30. 

The Contract shall be awarded to a bidder obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores. Proposals not complying with the terms and conditions contained in this ToR, including the provision of all required information, may result in the Proposal being deemed non-responsive and therefore not considered further.

How to apply? 
Candidates may apply for this Terms of Reference by emailing jobs@7amleh.org with "Application Game" as the subject line. The application should include both a technical proposal, a financial proposal, and CVs of key personnel. The deadline for proposal submission is March 16, 2025, and 7amleh will review all submissions and select the most relevant proposal by March 30, 2025. Applicants who require clarifications may submit their queries in writing via email to jobs@7amleh.org no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 28, 2025. Responses to all queries will be provided via email by Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.