Invitation to tender: Media engagement brief 2023-2024

As we prepare our new strategy for launch in 2024, we require expertise to ensure our messages reach our stakeholders in a meaningful and exciting way. We want to sustain our long-term media engagement plans as part of our external affairs work.

Context 

Activity Alliance is the national charity and leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity.

We were established in 1998  and we are proud of our success so far. We work with so many amazing people and are at the centre of influential world-renowned programmes for disabled people. Our programmes and resources help local and national providers in sport, leisure, health, and education. With insight at the heart of our work, disabled people’s authentic voices are central to our communications.  

We are determined to achieve our vision of fairness for disabled people in sport and activity.  

We benefit from the wealth of our Members’ expertise and work closely with many stakeholders across a range of sectors.  

This makes it appealing to freelancers or specialist agencies.

Time period 

April 2023 – end of March 2024. 

We anticipate that some interested people/companies may identify peak periods for more support, and/or a retainer for the rest of the year. For this preference, we expect two periods of more intense activity for the tender for bigger projects. These are June 2023 and a date to be confirmed later in the contract.  

Interested parties should cost the number of hours they can provide within the budget. Our media and campaigns advisor will shape quarterly plans and lead on the relationship so work plans and capacity does not require this to be a full-time role.  

Key tasks

• Increase Activity Alliance’s visibility as a leading charity with experts in disabled people’s inclusion in sport and activity.
• Act as media advisory support for planned and potential activities.
• Support and advise on pro-active and reactive responses for current affairs activity.
• When required for more intense periods, create tailored content and copy for outlets.
• Improve and advise on relationships with key media outlets for various sectors.
• Assist in media training and briefing for spokespeople.
• Monitor and present coverage to team.

Targets and measures 

The outputs will be measured via either project or other relevant KPIs that set out your clear targets for engagement. You will present back through media monitoring and engagement analytics. 

The opportunity 

We are seeking to work with people/agencies that can provide, deliver and demonstrate: 

• Ability and experience in delivering key messages through media engagement at a national and regional level
• Innovative communications and engagement strategies and plans
• Contacts and systems to distribute content and build relationships
• Experience in writing compelling narrative. Skills in high quality inclusive and accessible copy/content for online and offline
• Ability to work creatively and to tight deadlines
• Experience in briefing and getting the best out of spokespeople
• Ability to deliver across media outlets and channels (social media, news media)
• Working in the third sector, sport or leisure space, across all channels
• Good disability awareness and knowledge on social model of disability
• Value for money, noting our non-profit status 

Budget

£15k (including VAT) 

Additional costs will be considered for our staff/spokesperson training and other media/advertising placement if required.  

Response and deadline  

Please email your proposals by 5pm Wednesday 15 March 2023.

Your proposal should demonstrate your experience and success in this specialism. It should also breakdown your total cost including VAT.  

Send your proposals in Word, PDF or PowerPoint files to Sarah Brown-Fraser, External Affairs Manager sarah@activityalliance.org.uk 

For queries about this response only, please email Sarah Brown-Fraser and Courtney Perks. You can call the team on 07764 291671. We will shortlist and dependent on level of proposals and interest, will run interviews for further questions.  

Extra reading  

• Activity Alliance website  
• Our Guide and film is a useful starting point to learn more about our work in reaching more people through inclusive and accessible communications.  
• Our Media Guide for journalists and others who write news on disabled people in sport.  
• The social model of disability is a way of viewing the world, developed by disabled people. It can affect the way we write about disabled people and the barriers to communications. Scope has a really useful video to explain more.