Invitation to tender: UK and Montenegro strategic communications programme II
The UK government (HMG) and the Government of Montenegro (GoM) have a shared interest in promoting stability and prosperity in Montenegro and the wider Western Balkans.
To this end, HMG is offering support to GoM to implement two campaigns in Montenegro. One concerns supporting the growth of start-ups and small businesses (SMEs). The other looks to support regional development by promoting opportunities to citizens in the north of the country.
Objectives
The objective of the start-up/SME campaign is to increase the number of potential entrepreneurs and small businesses accessing government provided grants and loans across Montenegro.
The objective of the regional development campaign is to increase citizen engagement with emerging opportunities – for instance, new job opportunities – in the north of the country.
The start-up/small business campaign will focus on younger people (18-29) in particular, while the regional development campaign will need to reach those with less access to the internet.
What we require
Creative work has begun and we require services of a full-spectrum media ad-buying partner to help us ensure our messages are effectively promoted through the right channels. They will be expected to put together a media plan and execute it, based on a brief containing information about the objectives, target audience and channels.
The implementing organisation for this campaign is Government Communication Service International (GCSI) on behalf of the British Embassy in Podgorica, which forms part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Who we require
The successful bidder must demonstrate experience of ad-buying through the following channels in Montenegro, since they will be required to purchase media in line with it:
- Offline channels: billboards, television advertisements, radio advertisements, newspaper advertisements
- Online advertisements including on social media platforms.
Bidders with experience of reaching younger audiences will be at an advantage.
Other technical details
| Person to supervise the work of the service provider | Montenegro project lead – Head of Strategic Communications, GCSI, Cabinet Office |
| Frequency of reporting | Weekly, unless specified otherwise, in a written format, data based reporting. |
| Progress reporting requirements | Technical progress shall be reported to the GCSI project lead in Montenegro. Reporting shall follow milestones as established in a timeline between GCSI and the creative agency at the start of the contract. |
| Location of work | Podgorica, Montenegro. Some remote working will be possible, but in-person attendance at key project team meetings would be preferable and at times required. |
| Target start and completion date | 31st January to 31st March 2020. |
| Facilities provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office | All costs needed to achieve the deliverables set out in this project need to be included in the financial proposals from the service provider. |
| Currency of proposal | Pound sterling (GBP) |
| Payment terms | On a monthly basis, with detailed breakdown of services rendered, unless agreed otherwise. |
| Persons to review/inspect/approve outputs/completed services and authorise the disbursement of payments | Communications Officer, British Embassy Podgorica |
Request for proposal (format)
Please submit an application outlining your credentials and showcasing some of your previous work. This should be done in a non-changeable format, such as PDF.
Please also itemise how much a typical piece of communication costs, per item, per location or per airing time to purchase through each channel, e.g. billboard, TV advertisement, print advertisement.
Your proposal must be expressed in English, and valid for a minimum period of 90 days.
Final deadline for receipt of proposals is the 18th of December 2019 at 09:00am (Montenegro local time). Proposal needs to be submitted in a form of an email. If a potential service provider wishes to submit documents by Post, these can be sent or delivered to the Embassy’s address and marked as “Response to tender: UK and Montenegro strategic communications programme II”. Deadline for receipt of the documents by post it the same as the deadline for email submissions.
Single email must not exceed 5MB (five megabytes) in size and should not contain any cloud-based computer file transfer service links.
Budget and contract
The maximum budget for this activity is £40,000 (€47,000) but it will be to the advantage of any applicant who can provide the service for less than this amount.
Any Contract or Purchase Order that will be issued as a result of this call shall be subject to the FCO’s Contract and General Terms and Conditions (CaGTC), provided by the British Embassy Podgorica.
Award
Service provider will be considered as successful, if receives the Highest Combined Score (HCS). HCS is based on the 50% technical offer (availability of channels 20%, number of channels 20%, experience with placing communication materials 10%) and 50% price weight distribution, where 70% is the minimum passing score for the Technical Proposal.
Criteria for Contract
Full acceptance of the FCO’s Contract General Terms and Conditions. This is a mandatory criteria. Non-acceptance of the CaGTC may be grounds for the rejection of the proposal. Acceptance of these terms need to be specified in the proposal.
For any questions in regard to this invitation, please contact us by email.