Provision of Communications and Event Organisation Services

Communication services:

These tasks cover the design, preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of integrated information and communication activities of the contracting authority in the field of their respective EU policies and programmes. The contracting authority may ask the contractor to provide the whole range of activities that make up an information and communication campaign activities or a single activity.

Events, conferences and training sessions:

These tasks cover support to the EIT in the organisation of physical and digital events, such as conferences, workshops, networking sessions, info days, exhibitions, press trips, press conferences and training sessions. Events may take place online, face to face or as a hybrid of both and this includes video conferences, webinars, small-scale and large digital conferences, workshops, networking sessions and other types of remote conferencing.

The tasks are to be performed at the premises designated by the contractor in other Member States.

Services to be included in this call for tenders may consist of the following aspects of communications and event organisation services:

— research, analysis and design – research, definition of key performance indicators, defining and segmentation of the target audience(s), designing a communications strategy or plan including messages, target audience segmentation, localisation and the appropriate mix of communication channels as well as the timing for different stages of the project;

— implementation, content creation and dissemination – production and adaptation of the content and materials needed, dissemination as well as tracking the performance of the different actions and all other related activities that might be required;

— monitoring and evaluation – monitoring results and outcomes, including tracking metrics for social media as well as for the media and compiling all articles, links to TV/radio spots, analysing the impact of the actions, tracking agreed key performance indicators and cooperating with independent evaluators and all other related activities that might be required;

— management – overseeing the whole project(s), liaising with the EIT throughout the contract, ensuring timely and quality delivery, managing all involved parties including accounting.

As the EIT’s needs will differ from project to project, the contractor may be asked to deliver on all steps of a communication or event project or just a selection of it. This call for tenders is looking to find contractors who can supply support on all stages of communication and events projects, from single actions to complex communication and events projects.

Activities under this framework contract will mainly be conducted in EU Member States but may also be carried out in third countries all over the world. They can have a local, regional, national, multi-national, European or global dimension and local adaptation is therefore very important. Communication activities should be fully adapted, tailored and localised to meet the contextual needs of each target audience. Target audiences (non-exhaustive list) will include:

— particular audience groups (e.g. EIT Community beneficiaries (students, innovators, entrepreneurs, business), higher education, research centres, experts, policy and decision-makers, public administrations, EU-level associations and networks, stakeholders, etc.);

— information multipliers (journalists, press officers, bloggers, influencers, etc.);

— wider audiences (defined on geographical, socio-demographic or other relevant criteria).

Projects under this framework contract will vary in their complexity and duration. Projects will make use of a varying number of communication and events channels. In principle, a communication channel is understood as a distribution channel for communication. The principal communication channels are (non-exhaustive list):

— online communications channels, including media, platforms, apps, social networks and blogs, including social media advertising and promotion, websites, interactive tools, e-publications, and other online resources;

— media relations and public relations;

— events (e.g. conferences, webinars, digital conferences, delegation trips, press trips and meetings, festivals, trade fairs and exhibitions, etc.);

— audio and audio-visual media (radio, podcasts, videos, TV, cinema, etc.);

— advertising and media placement (television, radio, print, but also out-of-home advertising, such as street posters, billboards on busses, airports advertising, outside screens, cinema etc.);

— physical deliveries (printed materials (leaflets, brochures, booklets,) gadgets, promotional items, mailings, etc.);

— any other channels, including new distribution channels (e.g. mobile terminals) and techniques, deemed appropriate by the contractor and approved by the EIT for reaching specified target audiences.

Within three years following the signature of the FWC, the contracting authority may use the negotiated procedure under point 11.1(e) of Annex to Reg.(EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union to procure new services from the Contractor up to a maximum of 50 % of the initial FWC ceiling.

Provision of Communications and Event Organisation Services

Securing paid partnerships with media and third parties; map, negotiate, implement and conclude relevant paid promotions with media and/or third parties with a particular relevance for the target audience. Monitor, report and optimise set KPIs, monitor cost effectiveness in line with each campaign's strategy and objectives. Co-production and dissemination of paid native content with online media.