Organizational Overview

Founded in 2000 with the core belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read (RtR) is creating a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality through education. We are achieving this goal by helping children in historically low-income communities develop literacy skills and a habit of reading, and by supporting girls as they build life skills to succeed in school and negotiate key life decisions. Through a holistic and innovative approach, Room to Read focuses on effecting profound, systemic change within schools in low-income countries during two pivotal stages of a child's academic journey: early primary school for literacy acquisition and secondary school for girls' education. We collaborate with governments and other partner organizations to deliver positive outcomes for children at a scale, to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and ensure girls can complete secondary schools with the skills necessary to negotiate key life decisions. Room to Read has benefited more than 39 million children and has worked in 23 countries and in more than 182,000 communities, providing additional support through remote solutions that facilitate learning beyond the classroom. Room to Read aims to benefit 40 million children by 2025.

Room to Read India Trust, established in 2003, operates programs in twelve states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi NCR, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. We aim to make educational opportunities and resources more available to disadvantaged children in our mission to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy one child at a time.

Program Overview

Room to Read envisions a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, where all children have the opportunity to learn and thrive. Our Gender Equality Portfolio aims to equip adolescents—particularly girls—with life skills that foster gender equality, lifelong learning, and informed decision-making. Building on this commitment, Room to Read is introducing the Life Skills for Equality Project (LSEP) for Boys, a test initiative designed to help boys develop critical life skills while challenging harmful gender norms. Gender norms influence boys' behaviours, emotional expression, and relationships from adolescence into adulthood, reinforcing inequalities that shape interactions throughout life.

Early adolescence (ages 10–14) is a pivotal period when puberty-related changes influence self-perception and gendered expectations. Without guidance, boys may internalize rigid notions of masculinity, reinforce gender disparities and limit their potential. Through structured interventions, LSEP will equip boys with skills in emotional regulation, conflict resolution, and critical thinking—empowering them to make informed choices about education, careers, and relationships.

Schools, as key influencers of gender norms, provide an ideal setting for these interventions. By integrating life skills education into the school system, we can create a lasting shift in attitudes and behaviours, promoting more equitable relationships between boys and girls. The program takes a gender-transformative approach, fostering self-reflection, peer support, and positive role modelling. Boys will be engaged as active stakeholders in building a gender-equitable world.

This program will be tested in Chhattisgarh and Telangana with the goal of refining and scaling the model for broader implementation

Study Objectives

The key objectives of this baseline study are:

1. To establish the baseline levels of life skills, gender-related knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes among adolescent boys in intervention and comparison schools.
2. To assess the baseline levels of teachers’ self-efficacy, preparedness, and attitudes toward delivering life skills and gender equality content, along with their own life skills and gender-related knowledge.
3. To identify barriers that may influence boys’ life skills and gender attitudes, and that may support or hinder the delivery and scale-up of the LSEP.

How to Apply:

Proposals are invited from the interested agency for the above assignment and the last date for receiving the proposal is 17^th August 2025 at procurement.india@roomtoread.org  [do not copy anyone from RtR]

Kindly submit two separate emails with the following subject lines:

• EMAIL (1): TECHNICAL PROPOSAL – 2025 Baseline Study – LSEP
  • A technical proposal should include a comprehensive company profile.
  • The proposal should clearly outline the approach and methodology for executing the study.
  • It should highlight the expertise and experience relevant to this field.
  • EMAIL (2): FINANCIAL PROPOSAL – 2025 Baseline Study – LSEP
    • A comprehensive financial proposal should be provided as per the template provided.
    • Copies of essential documents, including the registration certificate, GST, PAN Card, MSME Certificate, and other relevant certifications, must be submitted.

Submission terms:

• All agencies are strongly advised to carefully review the Scope of Work (SoW) before submitting their application.
• Technical and Financial proposals must be submitted in two separate emails. Submissions in a single email will not be accepted.
• Incomplete submissions or any deviation from the stated submission guidelines will lead to automatic disqualification.
• Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted agencies will be contacted and may be invited for a face-to-face or online interaction/presentation.
• The organization reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal, in whole or in part, without assigning any reason.
• Canvassing in any form will lead to disqualification.

For queries, please contact:

All queries or requests for clarification must be submitted in writing to Ms. Neha Premchandani at Neha.Premchandani@roomtoread.org no later than 10 August, EOD.

To download the full SoW, click here: Hiring an External Research Agency

Tags Children and Childcare Education and Education Technology (edtech)