TENDER SPECIFICATIONS

Transcription

1 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Education and Culture Higher education and international affairs; Erasmus+ CALL FOR TENDERS Open procedure N EAC/24/2014 Subject: Enhancing the attractiveness of European higher education in the world TENDER SPECIFICATIONS 1

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INFORMATION ON TENDERING... 4 Participation... 4 Contractual conditions... 4 Joint tenders... 4 Subcontracting... 4 Content of the tender... 5 Identification of the tenderer: legal capacity and status EVALUATION AND AWARD Evaluation steps Exclusion criteria Selection criteria Award criteria Technical offer Financial offer TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Background Objectives of the proposed activities Results to be achieved Objective of the contract Results to be achieved Commission meetings with national promotion agencies Contract duration and renewals

3 4. CONTENT, STRUCTURE AND GRAPHIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE FINAL DELIVERABLES Content Graphic requirements ANNEXES

4 1. INFORMATION ON TENDERING Participation Participation in this tender procedure is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons coming within the scope of the Treaties and to all natural and legal persons in a third country which has a special agreement with the Union in the field of public procurement on the conditions laid down in that agreement. Where the Multilateral Agreement on Government Procurement 1 concluded within the WTO applies, the participation to the call for tender is also open to nationals of the countries that have ratified this Agreement, on the conditions it lays down. Contractual conditions The tenderer should bear in mind the provisions of the draft contract which specifies the rights and obligations of the contractor, particularly those on payments, performance of the contract, confidentiality, and checks and audits. Joint tenders A joint tender is a situation where a tender is submitted by a group of economic operators (consortium). Joint tenders may include subcontractors in addition to the joint tenderers. In case of joint tender, all economic operators in a joint tender assume joint and several liability towards the Contracting Authority for the performance of the contract as a whole. Nevertheless, tenderers must designate a single point of contact for the Contracting Authority. After the award, the Contracting Authority will sign the contract either with all members of the group, or with the member duly authorised by the other members via a power of attorney. Subcontracting Subcontracting is permitted in the tender but the contractor will retain full liability towards the Contracting Authority for performance of the contract as a whole. Tenderers must give an indication of the proportion of the contract that they intend to subcontract. Tenderers are required to identify all subcontractors whose share of the contract is above 10%. 1 See 4

5 During contract execution, the change of any subcontractor identified in the tender will be subject to prior written approval of the Contracting Authority. Content of the tender The tenders must be presented as follows: Identification of the tenderer (see below) Evidence for exclusion criteria (see section 2.2) Evidence for selection criteria (see section 2.3) Technical offer (see section 2.5) Financial offer (see section 2.6) Identification of the tenderer: legal capacity and status The tender must include Annex 1 presenting the name of the tenderer (including all entities in case of joint offer) and identified subcontractors if applicable, and the name of the single contact person in relation to this tender. If applicable, Annex 1 must indicate the proportion of the contract to be subcontracted. In case of joint tender, Annex 1 must be signed by a duly authorised representative for each tenderer, or by a single tenderer duly authorised by other tenderers (with power of attorney). Subcontractors must provide a letter of intent stating their willingness to provide the service foreseen in the offer and in line with the present tender specification. In order to prove their legal capacity and their status, all tenderers must provide a signed Legal Entity Form with its supporting evidence. The form is available on: cfm Tenderers that are already registered in the Contracting Authority s accounting system (i.e. they have already been direct contractors) must provide the form but are not obliged to provide the supporting evidence where such evidence has already been submitted to it for the purposes of another procurement procedure and provided that the issuing date of the documents does not exceed one year and that they are still valid. The tenderer (or the single point of contact in case of joint tender) must provide a Financial Identification Form and supporting documents. Only one form per offer should be submitted (no form is needed for subcontractors and other joint tenderers). The form is available on: Tenderers must provide the following information if it has not been included with the Legal Entity Form: 5

6 - For legal persons, a legible copy of the notice of appointment of the persons authorised to represent the tenderer in dealings with third parties and in legal proceedings, or a copy of the publication of such appointment if the legislation which applies to the legal entity concerned requires such publication. Any delegation of this authorisation to another representative not indicated in the official appointment must be evidenced. - For natural persons, where applicable, a proof of registration on a professional or trade register or any other official document showing the registration number. 2. EVALUATION AND AWARD 2.1. Evaluation steps The evaluation is based on the information provided in the submitted tender. It takes place in three steps: (1) Verification of non-exclusion of tenderers on the basis of the exclusion criteria (2) Selection of tenderers on the basis of selection criteria (3) Evaluation of tenders on the basis of the award criteria Only tenders meeting the requirements of one step will pass on to the next step. 2.2.Exclusion criteria All tenderers shall provide a declaration on their honour (see Annex 2), duly signed and dated by an authorised representative, stating that they are not in one of the situations of exclusion listed in the Annex 2. The declaration on honour is also required for identified subcontractors whose intended share of the contract is above 10%. The successful tenderer shall provide the documents mentioned as supporting evidence in Annex 2 before signature of the contract and within a deadline given by the contracting authority. If the requested evidence is not submitted in due time, the Contracting Authority can award the Contract to the Tenderer evaluated as the next-best. This requirement applies to all members of the consortium in case of joint tender and to identified subcontractors whose intended share of the contract is above 10%. 2.3.Selection criteria Tenderers must prove their economic, financial, technical and professional capacity to carry out the work subject to this call for tender. The evidence requested should be provided by each member of the group in case of joint tender and identified subcontractor whose intended share of the contract is above 10%. However a consolidated assessment will be made to verify compliance with the minimum capacity levels. 6

7 The tenderer may rely on the capacities of other entities, regardless of the legal nature of the links which it has with them. They must in that case prove to the Contracting Authority that it will have at its disposal the resources necessary for performance of the contract, for example by producing an undertaking on the part of those entities to place those resources at its disposal Economic and financial capacity criteria and evidence In order to prove their economic and financial capacity, tenderers (i.e. in case of joint tender, the combined capacity of all members of the consortium and identified subcontractors) must comply with the following criteria: - Annual turnover of the last two financial years above Satisfactory results following the analysis of the financial capacity which will be performed by the Contracting Authority based on the following methodology: The following evidence should be provided: - annex 3 " Economic and financial capacity analysis form" filled in with the relevant statutory accounting figures, in order to calculate the financial ratios - for economic operators required under national law to keep a complete set of accounts: the balance sheet, profit and loss account and annexes of the last two years for which accounts have been closed; - for economic operators required under national law to keep a simplified set of accounts: the statement of expenditure and revenue and the annex showing assets and liabilities for the last two financial years for which accounts have been closed; - in all cases, a statement of overall turnover and turnover concerning the supplies or services covered by the contract, provided over the last two financial years for which accounts have been closed. If, for some exceptional reason which the Contracting Authority considers justified, a tenderer is unable to provide one or other of the above documents, he or she may prove his or her economic and financial capacity by any other document which the Contracting Authority considers appropriate. In any case, the Contracting Authority must at least be notified of the exceptional reason and its justification in the tender. The Commission reserves the right to request any other document enabling it to verify the tenderer's economic and financial capacity Technical and professional capacity criteria and evidence a. Criteria relating to tenderers Tenderers (in case of a joint tender the combined capacity of all tenderers and identified subcontractors) must comply with the following criteria: - The tenderer must prove experience, expertise and efficiency in the fields covered by this tender, and in the activities which have to be provided: 7

8 Knowledge of the higher education sector within European countries and the international promotion strategies of European countries and higher education institutions; In-depth awareness of the international market for individual mobility within higher education: factors for study destination choice, trends and players on this market, including the existing and potential 'market' for individual mobility towards Europe; Existing infrastructure or presence in key HE markets outside Europe, and/or the ability to mobilise infrastructure, notably for education fairs; Foreign-language capacities required for carrying out the tasks contained within this call for tender, in Europe and in other key markets in other continents; A track record of carrying out promotional activities in the higher education sector, or in a comparable sector; A track record of event organisation, and the use of internet and social media for promotional purposes; Solid experience of working on collaborative projects involving different European countries; An effective quality assurance and evaluation system. The tenderer should provide examples of at least five projects carried out during the past three years, which (together or individually) demonstrate the tenderer's expertise and experience in all these fields of knowledge and capacities, each with a minimum value of EUR b. Criteria relating to the team delivering the service: The team delivering the service should include, as a minimum, the following profiles: Team overall The tenderer should demonstrate that the team as a whole possesses the overall combination of knowledge, skills and competences required (a) to carry out the different components of the project, and (b) to coordinate their delivery and exploit synergies between them. As a whole, the team should also combine skills and management capacity in specific activities with an expertise related to work in the higher education sector. Skills and professional experience required are: Knowledge of international aspects of higher education, and in particular of student and staff mobility Knowledge of marketing techniques in this sector Project planning, resource and team management skills, and experience of working with international projects Outstanding communication skills Where possible, individual team members should also display a combination of component-specific skills with experience of using them in higher education. Individual profiles required: 8

9 Project Manager: At least 15 years' experience in project management, including overseeing project delivery, quality control of delivered service, client orientation and conflict resolution experience in projects of a similar size (at least EUR ) and with international coverage (involving both intra-european partnerships and partners in other continents), with experience in management of team of at least 10 people. Information Manager: At least 10 years' professional experience in the field of communication / publication. Social Media coordinator: At least 5 years' professional experience in the field of communication, including at least 3 years of specific experience on social marketing/media projects. Event coordinator: At least 5 years' professional experience in the field of marketing/promotion and event organisation, including specific experience on the organisation of international higher education fairs At least one member of this team should have native-level language skills in English (level C2 in the CEFR 2 ). The team overall should have at its disposal a range of key global languages (such as English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic). c. Evidence: The following evidence should be provided to fulfil the above selection criteria: - List of relevant services provided in the past three years, with sums, dates and recipients, public or private. The most important services shall be accompanied by certificates of satisfactory execution, specifying that they have been carried out in a professional manner and have been fully completed. The tenderer should provide examples of at least five projects that (together or individually) show one or all of these fields of knowledge and capacity over the last three years, each with a minimum value of EUR The educational and professional qualifications of the persons who will provide the service for this tender (CVs) including the management staff. Each CV provided should indicate the intended function in the delivery of the service. - Description of the technical equipment and location of premises that can be used by the contractor to perform the services set out in the call for tender. - Description of the tenderer's in-house quality assurance procedure, and of the procedures used to ensure and monitor quality and impact of activities and outputs. - Description of the activities and advisory role played by the tenderer (information services provided, publications)

10 - Statement of the average annual manpower and the number of managerial staff of the service provider or contractor over the last three years. - proof that the tenderer is authorised to perform the contract under national law, as evidenced by inclusion in a trade of professional register, or a sworn declaration or certificate, membership of a specific organisation, express authorisation, or entry in the VAT register. 2.4.Award criteria The tender will be awarded according to the best-value-for -money procedure. The quality of the tender will be evaluated based on the following criteria. The maximum total quality score is 100 points. Quality of the proposed methodology (50 points - minimum threshold 50%) Sub-criterion 1.1 relevance (10 points minimum threshold 50%): 1. The extent to which the approach, and the way activities are combined, are relevant to the reality of the international higher education sector, and to the needs of incoming individuals and European institutions. This will include an assessment of the way the tender demonstrates a solid understanding of the sector and underlying trends within higher education, and its readiness to adapt to this fast-changing area. Sub-criterion 1.2 quality (40 points minimum threshold 50%) 1. The proposed key selling points on which European higher education can be promoted, and the reasons for this choice. 2. The way the methodology ensures a complementary combination of the different activities, in order to achieve the overall objectives of the project. 3. The way the methodology leverages the complementarity between the needs of individual countries on the one hand, and the shared European added value of working together on the other. 4. Procedures and mechanisms in place to ensure sharing of good practice among promotion agencies and among higher education institutions, and to use peer learning and teaching to its full potential. 5. The extent to which the organisation of higher education fairs demonstrates an understanding of the needs of target audiences and the current state of the art in marketing technique; and the choice and justification for the host countries. 6. Content, structure and user-friendliness of the text and structure proposed for the Study in Europe portal, and the strategy for monitoring content of national sites to ensure complementarity. 10

11 7. The quality and the degree of innovation behind the proposed approach for the promotional outputs: developing content, production, dissemination channels and the consideration of target users' needs in the mix of products proposed. 8. Pedagogic quality of the information to be produced and the training opportunities planned. 9. The scope and elements proposed for the social media platform and strategy, and the way this is used to promote other components of the project. 10. The insight displayed in the activities considered to identify, mobilise and equip promoters of European higher education in partner countries, and the justification for the countries chosen to test the model. Organisation of the work (30 points minimum threshold 50%) This criterion will assess how the roles and responsibilities of the proposed team and of the economic operators (in case of joint tenders, including subcontractors if applicable) are distributed for each task. It also assesses the global allocation of time and resources to the project and to each task or deliverable, and whether this allocation is adequate for the work. The tender should provide details on the allocation of time and resources and the rationale behind the choice of this allocation. In particular the evaluation will consider: 1. The level of coordination between the different activities and teams involved. 2. The way the contractor mobilises staff within the institution or sub-contracts services - to provide a full range of complementary services. 3. The level of cross-cutting experience assigned to the teams managing the different components: combining experience in the higher education sector with specific skills in promotion, event organisation, social media etc. Quality control and evaluation measures (20 points minimum threshold 50%) This criterion will assess the quality control system applied to the service foreseen in this tender specification concerning the quality of the deliverables, the language quality check, and continuity of the service in case of absence of the member of the team. It will also consider the practice and mechanisms proposed to assess the impact of communication initiatives and promotional events. The quality system should be detailed in the tender and specific to the tasks at hand; a generic quality system will result in a low score. Tenders must score minimum 50% for each criterion and sub-criterion, and minimum 60% in total. Tenders that do not reach the minimum quality thresholds will be rejected and will not be ranked. After evaluation of the quality of the tender, the tenders are ranked using the formula below to determine the tender offering best value for money. A weight of 60/40 is given to quality and price. 11

12 ( ) ( ) 2.5.Technical offer The technical offer must cover all aspects and tasks required in the technical specifications and provide all the information needed to apply the award criteria. Offers deviating from the requirements or not covering all requirements may be excluded on the basis of nonconformity with the tender specifications and will not be evaluated. 2.6.Financial offer The price for the tender must be quoted in euro (use Annex 4). Tenderers from countries outside the euro zone have to quote their prices in euro. The price quoted may not be revised in line with exchange rate movements. It is for the tenderer to assume the risks or the benefits deriving from any variation. Prices must be quoted free of all duties, taxes and other charges, including VAT, as the European Union is exempt from such charges under Articles 3 and 4 of the Protocol on the privileges and immunities of the European Union. The amount of VAT may be shown separately. The quoted price must be a fixed amount which includes all charges (including travel and subsistence). Travel and subsistence expenses are not refundable separately. 12

13 3. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 3.1. Background (a) The EU's current strategy for European Higher Education in the world Higher education has an increasingly international nature, driven by the globalisation of economies and knowledge, and by technological developments. As demand for higher education grows worldwide, this international dimension increases in importance. Students and researchers are keen to find the best opportunities worldwide, while higher education institutions seek to increase the quality of their teaching and research to attract the top academics and students, and to develop strategic knowledge partnerships with other likeminded organisations. The European Union recognises this global dimension in its recent communication European higher education in the world 3. This underlines the importance of international mobility as a part of EU-funded programmes, and as an important part of all Europe's higher education offer. It also recognises the need for strategic action by Europe's higher education institutions in the face of increasing competition from traditional alternative destinations such as North America and Australia, and emerging destinations on the global stage such as Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Central to this is the need to promote the quality and diversity of Europe's offer from all Member States, over the full range academic disciplines, and for all types of courses and methods of delivery. The Communication states "If Europe is to remain highly attractive as a destination for internationally mobile students against the rising backdrop of new regional higher education hubs it should reinforce its efforts to promote global awareness of the high quality and the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of European higher education." In the same Communication the Commission promises to work with the Member States to enhance the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area: [The Commission will] Support cooperation with national promotion agencies and alumni associations by sharing information and coordinating joint actions in order to market Europe as a high-quality study and research destination (e.g. student fairs and the design of joint promotion tools). In parallel with this contract therefore, the Commission will be holding regular meetings with national promotion agencies to explore ways of working together and sharing good practice. These meetings may result in specific initiatives for the Commission's overall promotion of European higher education. 3 COM (2013) 499 final, 11 July

14 (b) Past initiatives: Erasmus Mundus, the Global Promotion Project and Study in Europe Part of the remit of the Erasmus Mundus Programme ( and ) was to promote the attractiveness of European higher education. The programme funded a number of projects under open calls for proposals (Action 3), which aimed at enhancing the attractiveness of Europe as a study destination. These projects tended to focus on specific target groups, disciplines or regions. Results of these projects can be found here: 3_promotion_projects/thematic/promotion_of_eheducation_in_the_world_.pdf From the Global Promotion Project (GPP) was contracted under a call for tender funded by EUR 1.85 million of Erasmus Mundus funds. Five lots focused on: Lot 1: Develop a European brand and website Lot 2: Innovative services for international study Lot 3: Improve HE marketing techniques Lot 4: Events to promote European HE Lot 5: A media campaign/information materials The GPP ended in 2009, its main legacy being the on-going Study in Europe brand, which the Commission has continued to use the Study in Europe branding when participating in higher education fairs with a Study in Europe stand (see point 3.5.i.). Among the promotional tools for European higher education produced by the campaign were the following: 1. A Study in Europe visual identity, which is used on Commission stands at international fairs. 2. A website, available in seven languages, which attracted more than a million visits from 144 countries since its launch in April A new reduced-content version is to be published on the DG EAC website in mid Two special Study in Europe areas (with free booths for all Member States) at higher education fairs in Moscow and Sao Paulo in 2009/2010. These were considered a great success by participants Since 2010, EAC has participated annually via Study in Europe stands in international education fairs around the world, concentrating on countries and regions considered to be important partners. Annually we participate in Europosgrados in Mexico, the Korea Study Abroad Fair and the Education and Career Fair in Russia, together with fairs in China, Japan, South Africa, Brazil, Ukraine, USA, other African countries etc. The destinations have been selected to provide a combination of continuity from previous years and participation in "new" fairs or countries. 4. Promotional materials (brochure, flyer, poster, DVD and study fair giveaways). These were produced in seven languages to accompany the campaign and promote the website. Other projects funded by Erasmus and/or Erasmus Mundus include promotion projects such as Promodoc and StudyPortals, a large portal displaying European education and scholarship opportunities

15 (c) Existing context In 2013, the European Union launched the Erasmus+ programme, the EU's programme for education, training, youth and sport. The programme's higher education components have a strong international focus, and offer a range of EU-funded higher education opportunities. These include scholarships and grants for higher education mobility inside, into and out of Europe, as well as funding for inter-university cooperation. Alumni of past European higher education programmes such as Erasmus Mundus and programmes with US, Canada and other industrialised countries have played a key role in disseminating information about higher education opportunities in Europe over recent years. This role will continue under Erasmus+, and their insight, experience and practical advice can be instrumental in boosting understanding and awareness of Europe as a study destination. Tenderers will be expected to work with alumni in a number of the components of this contract Objectives of the proposed activities Overall objectives To help strengthen the profile of the entire range of European higher education on the world stage, and of EU-funded opportunities, making these more visible and accessible to mobile learners and academics. This will in turn assist the international dimension of the key role that higher education plays in the EU's strategy to become a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. Specific objectives To improve the availability of targeted information on study and research opportunities in European Programme Countries 4, presenting its quality and diversity as a study destination. To strengthen the promotional expertise among European higher education institutions and agencies, and offer additional promotional opportunities for all European study destinations. 4 Under Erasmus+, Programme Countries contribute financially to the Programme and have a National Agency to implement it. At present, these comprise 28 EU Member States and other countries that have signed an agreement to take part: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey. All other countries throughout the world are Partner Countries. 15

16 3.3. Results to be achieved The project seeks to meet these objectives through a range of activities, which should result in the following: 1. Organisation of study fairs with a clear European profile, involving institutions and promotional agencies from Programme Countries. 2. Advise on the update and maintenance of a Study in Europe portal to guide potential students towards more specific information about studying in a Europe, and studying in a particular European country; strategically link this to other sites. 3. Develop promotional tools and messages for higher education at European level, following a review of existing materials and market needs 4. Develop on-line resources using social networking platforms to promote opportunities and link into Fairs 5. Develop guidance and support for EU promoters in Partner Countries Objective of the contract The above activities require a range of targeted expertise, experience and presence in the higher education market, a range of specific skills and competences, and substantial financial and human resources. It is therefore proposed to package these activities within a contract to be concluded following this call for tender. General objective of the contract To provide the Commission with the expertise and resources to promote European higher education and EU higher education programmes in the world. Specific objectives of the contract The contractor will, in consultation with the Commission, design, implement, monitor and assess a range of components to enhance and support the promotion of European higher education abroad (see below) 3.5. Results to be achieved (i) Organisation of study fairs with a clear European profile, involving institutions and promotional agencies from Programme Countries. Organisation of ten higher education fairs to promote European higher education opportunities. Countries for the fairs will be approved by the Commission on the basis of the countries proposed in the tenderer's offer. These locations should reflect key markets for 16

17 potential student visitors to Europe, and should be complementary (and avoid overlap) with other education fairs organised under European Commission funding, or from other sources. These events may be accompanied by illustrative events such as workshops. Tenderers may also consider a "mini-road-show" approach in which: two or more editions of the same fair take place in different venues in the same country, or separate Fairs are organised back-to-back in countries in the same region to take advantage of the presence of European exhibitors and the academic calendar. Tenderers should provide a description and costing for the Fairs, and a justification for the countries chosen. Tenderers are invited to consider the following geographic zones in their offer: Japan and South Korea, North America, Latin America, European Neighbourhood countries, Southern Africa. The contractor will also be responsible for drawing up the branding of the Fairs in close cooperation with the Commission, and with attention paid to the existing Study in Europe brand. They should ensure there is optimal complementary use of other marketing activities for the fairs such as social media, and that these activities are inter-linked. A key role can be played by alumni. In addition to these Fairs organised under this contract, the European Commission will also continue fund an EU presence in the form of an information stand at other fairs organised by other operators (private sector, EU Delegations etc) in a number of countries. The focus of this stand is more on EU-funded opportunities, but the branding should be the same as that developed for the Fairs implemented under this contract. The stand will be set up by another contractor working under the Commission's framework contract. The contractor selected under this call for tender will therefore liaise with this other operator on the visual identity for this stand. The Commission will ensure both parties are aware of each other's events planning. To ensure complementarity between this project and other study fairs (funded by the Commission or others), the contractor will monitor and map key study fairs worldwide and provide the Commission with regular updates of this schedule. (ii) Update content for a Study in Europe portal site to guide potential students and researchers towards more specific information about study and research opportunities in Europe, and/or in a particular European country The portal should include a 'European layer' which guides users towards information on European programmes, and towards other existing European tools which can provide studyrelated or other practical information of help incoming students (U-Multirank, European Immigration Portal, Ploteus, Euraxess). The Commission will provide the Contractor with guidance and templates for the organisation of the information, in line with the Commission's corporate approach to communication. At national level, European Programme Countries are in general active in promoting their higher education offer. The tenderer will develop the content for a portal website that can 17

18 guide students towards this existing information. It should be possible to guide users towards similar content existing in European Programme countries on: The higher education system in the country Institutions and courses available and scholarships Practical information on moving to / living in the country. The contractor will monitor the existing national portals that provide this information on national higher education offer, and propose the correct addresses or additional information to feature. The Commission will also advise on this through its contacts with national promotional agencies. The portal pages will be housed on the Europa server, and closely linked to Erasmus+, the EU's own programme for mobility to and from Europe. The structure and style will therefore have to be in line with that used by Europa. (iii) Promotional tools and techniques for higher education at European level Information and promotional material for end-users A number of tools can help promote the European brand for higher education either targeted directly at potential students, or more for use by third parties (Delegations, other promoters) as part of a wider promotional strategy. These will include printed information materials and audiovisual outputs both types of material can be used for the social networking strategy and events, as well as by the higher education promoters network. The tenderer should consider materials and branding produced to date, and propose the best options for continuing/amending the types of tools to produce, as well as the types of services to be promoted. The main platform for this information will remain the internet, as it is the most flexible vehicle for providing information and monitoring its reception. However, the following elements should be included and made available for fairs, campaigns on social media: Promotional video clip Student testimonies: 20 testimonies from students covering a range of countries and languages. These should be available individually, and a compilation version produced. The contractor should also consider re-using existing materials produced under national campaigns that could be used (individually or with other national products) to promote Europe as a destination. Leaflet (printed and e-format) Brochure (printed and e-format) Apps for mobile use Prezi and powerpoint presentations Poster Promotional gadgets (pens, T-shirts, caps, USB keys etc). It would be desirable to link these gadgets to the concept of travel, and where possible to include an educational aspect related to Europe. 18

19 Note that this is not an exhaustive list, and tenderers should demonstrate evidence of new thinking on linking newly-available and popular media as means of delivering information, along with a readiness to adapt to a fast-changing environment. For these outputs it is strongly recommended to involve the experience of alumni of national or European schemes. Here the Erasmus+ Student and Alumni Association will be wellplaced to provide input. Information and guidance for promotion agencies These promotional tools and resources should be delivered and kept up to date via a webbased platform, which can also provide an on-line venue for training webinars. At least one webinar should be organised for HEIs and one to provide a peer education opportunity for promotion agencies from Programme Countries. (iv) Develop on-line resources using social networking platforms to promote opportunities and link into Fairs Tenderers should devise and implement a strategy for the promotion of European Higher Education offer through social media. The strategy should focus on complementing existing social media strategies used at national level, as well as the EU's promotion of EU-funded opportunities such as Erasmus+. The outputs will be the setting-up and animation of a programme of social media marketing of the European HE brand. The Commission will provide the Contractor with guidance for the organisation of the information, in line with the Commission's corporate approach to communication. (v) Develop guidance and support for EU promoters in Partner Countries 5. One-off events and a strong on-line presence can be combined very effectively to inform potential students about higher education opportunities. But there is also a role for a more person-to-person type of contact, tailored more to local needs. For this reason, tenderers are asked to consider the most effective options for providing stakeholders in partner countries with informed information and advice about study opportunities in Europe, and propose a way of delivering these through a mix of use of 5 Under Erasmus+, Programme Countries contribute financially to the Programme and have a National Agency to implement it. At present, these comprise 28 EU Member States and other countries that have signed an agreement to take part: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey. All other countries throughout the world are Partner Countries. 19

20 existing facilities and capacities, and guidance or training for individuals who could perform this role. While the role they might (be able to) play will vary greatly between them, potential "promoters" in Partner Countries might include national HE exchange agencies in partner countries, cultural promotion organisations, embassies, EU Delegations, local universities' international offices, university associations, EU Centres and alumni organisations or representatives. Tenders should present an approach to: Analyse experiences of initiatives to date, undertaken as part of the Erasmus Mundus programme and under the Global Promotion Project Propose a model for engaging promoters / advisors in strategically significant countries outside Europe. The model should identify o A profile for potential individuals who could play this role o Existing and new infrastructures and opportunities that these individuals could use o Exploit ongoing activities by national promotion agencies in non-european countries to provide information on the opportunities available at the European level, and within other European countries o Consider the support materials (both information materials and guidance), resources and training that would be needed to keep the promoters Test the model in at least five key markets, to be agreed with the Commission. The tenderer should set out its own proposals and the reasons for their choice in the tender document; Propose a cost-effective model and recommendations for rolling out these activities in other countries / markets. For these activities it is strongly recommended to involve the experience of alumni of national or European schemes. Here the Erasmus+ Student and Alumni Association will be wellplaced to provide input Commission meetings with national promotion agencies As mentioned in paragraph 3.1., the Commission will be organising a series of meetings with national promotional agencies. The objectives of these meetings are: To exploit synergies and build on existing successful cooperation by Agencies when promoting the European Higher Education Area and its offer alongside the promotion of their national/regional offers. To foster peer learning and exchange of best practice in promoting Europe as a study and research destination in Partner Countries throughout the world. To consider the key messages and values to reflect this European promotion, and explore the best platforms and tools for delivering them. These meetings will be briefed on the activities being undertaken under this contract, and the Commission will keep the contractor informed on the cooperation resulting from these meetings, in order to develop synergies and complementarity between activities at European and national level., 20

21 3.7. Contract duration and renewals This contract is conceived as a three-year contract. 4. CONTENT, STRUCTURE AND GRAPHIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE FINAL DELIVERABLES 4.1. Content Inception report An inception report with a work programme including a description, analysis and timetable of the tasks to be carried out and outputs delivered should be submitted no later than 6 weeks after the start of the contract. This will be followed by an inception meeting with the Commission, resulting in an agreed scope and timing for the work of the contract Interim reports Twice a year the contractor will submit a progress or interim report. Each of these reports will include: - Detailed information about the work carried out on contract activities during the period in question; any key questions for discussion with the Commission during the follow-up meeting. - Any difficulties encountered in providing the services agreed, or adhering to the timetable agreed following the inception meeting; - A plan for the next phase of the project, flagging up any departures to the approach or timing agreed. The second interim report should also contain a new work-plan that may contain new activities proposed by the national agencies. - an abstract of the above in no more than 200 words and an executive summary of maximum 4 pages; Interim reports submitted at the end of Year One and the end of Year Two will also include a request for payment. The Commission will report on progress and interim reports within 20 working days of their receipt. A follow-up meeting will be arranged to discuss these Final report The draft final report must be submitted in the final month of activities. It will comprise: 21

22 Executive summary. This summary will set out, in no more than five pages, the main activities conducted and the concrete outputs to which they have given rise; Main report. This must contain a description of the activities conducted; the concrete outputs to which they have given rise; an assessment of the impact of activities; recommendations for future follow-up work in the area addressed by the contract. Technical annexes. These must include a catalogue of all services provided, products produced and events organized, notably studies and analyses, visual materials and graphics, website, promotional video-clip, social media work and its monitoring, documentation such as leaflet, brochure, poster; details of the network of promoters; materials and equipment from the higher education fair The report must enable the reader to gain a clear understanding of: the purpose of the contract; exactly what activities were carried out during the contract; how the activities were designed and conducted; to what experience and outcomes the activities have given rise; what conclusions can be drawn on the basis of these activities; what substantive recommendations, in particular for any future continuation and if necessary extension of the activities, are being made on the basis of these experiences; what the outcome of the internal and, if applicable, external evaluation of the activities has been; how the contractor would recommend disseminating the outcomes of the work accomplished Planning The following table outlines a possible approach for the preparation of outputs, for the main project meetings and for reporting over the 36 months of the contract. Tenderers should provide a planning table that includes these elements within their tenders. Month (n+ ) Contractor activity Meeting Reporting 1 Inception report 2 Kick-off meeting 3 4 Portal plan 5 Social media on line Coordination meeting 6 Production of promotional materials Progress report 1 7 Discussion progress report Higher education fairs Interim report 1 22

23 Month (n+ ) Contractor activity Meeting Reporting 13 Plan for promoters test in country1 Discussion interim report Promoters test 2 & 3 Progress report 2 19 Discussion progress report Higher education fairs Interim report 2 25 Discussion interim report 26 Promoters test 4 & Progress report 3 31 Discussion progress report Higher education fair Draft final report 35 Wrap-up meeting 36 Final report 4.2. Graphic requirements All final deliverables produced for the European Commission and Executive Agencies shall conform to the corporate visual identity of the European Commission by applying the graphic rules set out in the European Commission's Visual Identity Manual, including its logo 6. 6 The Visual Identity Manual of the European Commission is available upon request. Requests should be made to the following address: comm-visual-identity@ec.europa.eu 23

24 5. ANNEXES The following documents are annexed to these Tender Specifications and form an integral part of them: Annex 1 : Tenderer Information Annex 2 : Declaration on Honour Annex 3 : Economic & Financial Capacity Annex 4 : Price Annex 5 : Draft Contract 24