Business and management consultancy and related services

Tender description

The Department of International Trade (DIT) secure UK and global prosperity by encouraging and financing international trade and investment, and championing free trade. You invited to tender to be the PR Agency for DIT North America. The requirement is for an agency to complement the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Communications Network for DIT North America. The agency will bring to life DIT’s vision of being the ‘good news’ department and help with perceptions of the UK with our North American audience. The agency will deploy these ‘success stories’ as digital content, through strategic press and media placements. The requirement and subsequent contract shall be for an initial period of 12 months; with the availability of up to two 2 extensions of up to a further 12 months each. Funding has been approved on 20 June 2019. The total budget is USD 180 000 (including applicable taxes) per annum. The total potential opportunity is USD 540 000 over 3 years. DIT is looking to identify a PR agency to lead on publicity and delivery of our communications objectives for designing our future, the cross-sector marketing and PR campaign led by the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) in the US and Canada. The target for this contract to be in place is by January 2020. The contract is to be a 1 + 1 + 1 arrangement at USD 180 000 per annum. The maximum contract opportunity for agencies will be USD 540 000 should all extensions be enabled, and the contract spent up to the ceiling; though DIT do not commit to spending the full amount. The agency will be required to deliver top line messaging highlighting the UK’s commitment to innovation and creativity. This will be underpinned by specific examples of UK companies, organisations and individuals (or UK/North America collaborations) exhibiting these qualities. The agency will demonstrate how innovative UK companies and UK-North American partnerships are in providing solutions to the grand challenges (AI data; Future of mobility; clean growth and sustainability and the ageing society) and strategic areas of the industrial strategy (diversity and development of talent and diversity of finance and funding). The agency will deliver supporting messaging focused on logistical, financial, geographic or cultural reasons why companies might buy from or invest in the UK; or choose the UK as a partner in science and innovation or advanced education. The messaging will also focus on the use of the industrial strategy, grand challenges and sector deal messaging to showcase UK government commitment to innovation through business-friendly government policies, funding, research and government/industry collaboration and what it means for potential investors or buyers. The agency will work with members of the DIT North America marketing hub, as well as relevant Press and Public Affairs (PPA) officers and trade and investment officers across the US and Canada. The agency may also work with the GREAT Britain Campaign team, media buying agency MG OMD, and other campaign partners to develop and execute successful strategies to meet objectives. During the contract period the Agency will detail how the following deliverables will be achieved: • PR strategy, planning and implementation; with uplift around key events; • Drafting overall DIT messaging strategy and providing counsel on the roll out; • Gathering intelligence though media monitoring and identifying viable story opportunities; • Developing a bespoke list of journalists to pitch stories and invite to events; • Drafting and editing media materials such as press releases, advisories and fact sheets; • Liaising with stakeholders (DIT clients, event partners and sponsors) on communications; • Inputting quality control and evaluation measures to assess the impact of activity; • Post-event media evaluation (clippings, links, evaluation metrics) activity and successes; • Media monitoring; including a full media sweep and evaluation after each event or activity, with reports monthly.