Consultancy: Communication support for due diligence campaign

Deadline: 31.12.2022
Consultancy timeline: approx. Q1 2023 – Q1 2024

The contracting party for this contract will be Friends of the Earth Europe.

Introduction to FoEE

Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE) campaigns at the heart of Europe for sustainable and just societies and for the protection of the environment. We are the largest grassroots environmental network in Europe, uniting 32 national organisations with thousands of local groups as part of Friends of the Earth International. Our vision is of a peaceful and sustainable world, founded on social, economic, racial, gender and environmental justice and free from all forms of domination and exploitation.

In the context of our work on the Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence we are looking for consultancy support as follows:

Context and general purpose

In February 2022, the EU launched a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence (CSDDD). Friends of the Earth Europe and the European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ) are campaigning on this topic with the aim to contribute to a strong due diligence law that obliges companies to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address actual and potential adverse environmental, climate and human rights impacts in their own operations and through their value chain.

It must have strong enforcement mechanisms, including providing remedy for those suffering from damage. Affected people must have the right to hold companies liable for their negative impacts in European courts.

For this tender we have two more specific objectives:

1. All companies covered by CSDDD must be obliged to do due diligence and address their climate impacts. That includes having an emission reduction plan for the short, medium and long term, in line with the Paris Agreement, covering scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and not relying on offsetting.
2. Financial companies must be included in the CSDDD, throughout their entire value chain and due diligence obligations must cover the full duration of the financial service provided.

FoEE and ECCJ will be using three main strategies to achieve those aims and objectives:

1. Advocacy: We will engage in direct advocacy activities towards all relevant European decision makers: the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament.
2. Public communications: We will raise public and media attention for the need for a strong CSDDD through targeted communication work at the European level and in a number of key member states, working with specialised communication agencies and communications people in our partners at national level.
3. Public mobilisation: We will mobilise public pressure on European decision makers from European citizens through a wide range of activities.

What we need

FoEE and ECCJ are looking for a communication consultancy that will help us with the 2nd strategy: to raise public and media attention at the European level and in a number of key countries. More concretely, the consultant will need to support us in the following tasks:

• Developing a communication strategy, setting out audiences, frames, messages, channels, tactics, and key moments in priority countries;
• Developing messages that resonate with media at EU level and in key member states;
• Developing key activities and materials that are interesting for media;
• Reaching out to prominent media, in close cooperation with our media teams and our partners and member groups in the relevant countries;
• Pitching stories to media and set up media interviews in the relevant countries;
• Writing op-eds, media briefings, reactive lines and other press tools;
• Producing campaign materials that resonate with the public;
• Developing shareable digital content in multiple languages;
• Developing and implementing a growth, engagement and paid strategy to boost our reach;
• Drafting copy for newspaper, billboard, radio and online ads.

Time frame

Approx. Q1 2023 – Q1 2024.

We expect that political decision-making about CSDDD will take place in 2023, and possibly extending to February 2024.

While the Council has already taken a preliminary position, we expect the European Parliament position to be agreed Spring 2023 (April-May) and Trialogue negotiations between Commission, Council and Parliament to take place in the 2^nd half of 2023.

Your offer

Please submit your offer outlining a proposal describing the following:

• How you will design and implement the material related to our requirements;
• How you propose to work with us in practical terms;
• Your relevant experience;
• Any other experience you deem relevant to support your offer;
• Your financial offer including hourly or daily rates, including VAT.

Your offer has to be submitted by December 31 2022 to paul.declerck@foeeurope.org.