Communications Consultancy (Press Releases)

Criteria for Submitting a Bid

1 Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be financially sound and financial continuity throughout the project;
• Have proven experience in media relations and press release distribution in Europe, Middle East, Gulf, and African regions;
• English is essential; Arabic is a bonus.
• Provide consulting services in drafting press releases to be covered in top-tier media outlets in Europe, Middle East, Gulf and Africa;
• Extensively monitor the coverage;
• Draft media reports upon completion of each distribution;
• Have experience in communications for European Union funded projects is a plus;
• Deliver tangible and efficient results to tight deadlines;
• Efficiently budget and contribute to the success of the activities.

2.Applicants must submit a bid on their own being the mere implementing body.

  Description

All press releases will be drafted by SPARK’s Communication Team and will be shared with the service provider in a timely manner. SPARK will also provide media kits including photos, videos or infographics to be shared with the targeted media outlets.

During the duration of 12 months, the service provider is expected to be the main focal point for SPARK’s media relations and press releases, and be available when needed. The service provider will be asked to distribute press releases for SPARK in Europe, Middle East, Gulf and Africa and will be  compensated after each activity based on the qualification of said activities. Compensation will be based on the essential expenses provided by the service provider in the application.

The service provider should expect inquiries of the consulting, distribution, follow-up, and monitoring services for press releases in English. Distribution in additional language(s) will be required depending on the target audiences in Europe, Middle East, Gulf and Africa.

  List of Deliverables

• Consulting on the writing press releases to get the best media coverage possible;
• Consulting on the best timing of press releases;
• Translating the press releases from English to additional language(s) that may be required depending on the target audiences;
• Distributing press releases to top-tier media outlets in Europe, Middle East, Gulf and Africa;
• Sharing press kits and providing information and visual materials (photos, videos, infographics) to the media outlets upon their request (with support from SPARK Communication Team);
• Following up with key people at media outlets ie. (media owners, journalists and editors) to secure media coverage;
• Carrying out an extensive media monitoring upon distribution of each press release;
• Providing a comprehensive media report upon completion of each distribution;
• Ensure that SPARK and its donors are acknowledged and mentioned in the news articles.

Evaluation Details

• We are looking for service providers who:
• Are competitive budget-wise and can contribute to the success of the activities;
• Ensure visibility and branding for the activities, participants, SPARK, and the back donor;
• Have reasonable experience in the fields of refugees and development sector in general and entrepreneurship/start-ups and MSMEs specifically;
• Are well-connected with the major news media in Europe, Middle East, Gulf and Africa;
• Have added-value and advantage over competitors.

Selection Criteria

1.     The evaluation committee will evaluate and award the contract on the basis of the following selection criteria:

v Price

v Quality

2.     Selection method (selection criteria evaluation):

       Evaluation method (selection criteria evaluation):

• Price
  • Criteria weight is 40 %
  • Formula: (Best Bidder Price/Evaluated Bidder Price) *Criterion Weight.
  • Price shall be quoted in EURO 
• Quality
  • Criteria weight is 60%