CBC seeks fresh rates for TVCs, AI videos and Reels from empanelled agencies

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has invited financial bids from its currently empanelled Multimedia Agencies with Rate Card under the Executive Panel. The exercise is aimed at discovering the lowest valid rates for a set of new creative deliverables. The September 29 advisory is not a fresh agency empanelment exercise. It is restricted to agencies already empanelled under CBC’s Executive Panel through RFP No. 22201/DCID/RFP-MMA/2425 dated October 1, 2024. CBC said the fresh rate-discovery exercise became necessary because it has been receiving requirements from government ministries and departments for deliverables whose rates are not covered by the existing L-1 rate matrix. The last date for submission of financial bids is October 6, 2026, at 5 pm. Bids have to be submitted in hard copy in a sealed envelope. CBC is seeking rates for eight new deliverables. These include TVCs of up to 15 seconds, 16-30 seconds and 31-45 seconds, all with subtitles. For the TVC formats, the quoted cost is expected to cover concept development, scripting, storyboarding, filming, art direction, casting, editing, crew and equipment, music, voice-over, visual and sound effects, subtitles and, where required, graphics or 2D/3D character animation. CBC has also separately created a rate category for AI-assisted dominant video production of TVCs up to 60 seconds. Under this category, the majority of visuals can be generated using artificial intelligence tools, including text-to-video, image-to-video, AI imagery and AI avatars, but the production must remain under human creative direction. The rate is expected to include concept and script development, prompt design and generation, editing, voice-over, music, visual and sound effects, subtitles and the use of licensed AI tools. CBC has also laid down safeguards for AI-generated work. A significant part of the new rate card is dedicated to short-form vertical video. CBC is seeking separate rates for Reels of: ● up to 15 seconds ● 16-30 seconds ● 31-60 seconds The formats cover short-form videos for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels and similar platforms. Unlike quickies or snackable content assembled largely from existing, stock or client-provided footage, these Reels are expected to involve an original field shoot with subjects, locations, beneficiaries or presenters. The footage can be shot on a mobile phone or camera capable of at least 1080p at 30-60 frames per second, with equipment such as stabilisers, microphones and portable lighting where required. The master has to be delivered in the 9:16 aspect ratio, while the cost must also account for adaptations into 1:1, 4:5 and 16:9 formats where needed. The scope includes concept and script development, music and voice-over, location shooting, casting of presenters, anchors or actors where required, text overlays, graphics and related incidentals. CBC is also seeking a separate rate for the design of invitation cards for events, launches and conferences, including both print-ready and digital versions suitable for email, WhatsApp and social media. For each deliverable, the lowest quote among valid bids will be treated as the L-1 rate. CBC can, however, seek justification if it considers a quote to be abnormally low under the predatory-pricing provisions of the original RFP. The accepted rates will then be incorporated into the existing Executive Panel rate matrix through an amendment or addendum and will remain valid for the balance period of the existing contract. CBC has also made participation conditions unusually explicit. Agencies submitting bids must quote for all the new deliverables. Leaving any item blank will make the bid unresponsive and liable for rejection. An empanelled agency that chooses not to participate in the financial bidding process must instead submit an undertaking giving unconditional acceptance to whatever L-1 rates CBC eventually discovers and notifies. The undertaking also requires such an agency to agree to execute future work at those rates and not raise objections later on the ground that it did not participate in the bidding process. Failure to submit either a financial bid or the undertaking can invite action under the terms of the original RFP. Only agencies whose Executive Panel empanelment remains valid on the last date of submission are eligible to bid. Agencies on CBC’s Base Panel are explicitly excluded from this exercise. The bid-opening date will be announced separately by CBC.