Request for Tender for Creative Agency

Background: 

We are currently inviting Tenders for a creative agency to provide strategic guidance, campaign planning, design and copywriting services to support our Individual Giving, including Direct Mail, Donor Care and Donor Acquisition, and our Major and Corporate Giving programmes. In addition to providing strategic campaign support for our Fundraising Department, the chosen agency will be tasked with meeting the design needs of our Advocacy Department. This includes collaborating on the design of quarterly reports and other communication materials essential for our advocacy efforts.

Threshold is a national housing charity based in Ireland, committed to preventing homelessness and protecting the rights of tenants primarily in the private rented sector. For over four decades, Threshold has been a cornerstone for tenants, offering advice, legal representation, and advocacy to ensure fair and sustainable housing solutions. The earlier people:

• become aware of their rights and responsibilities in the private rental sector;
• know how and where to access support and;
• take the action of accessing the support available, the more likely they will be prevented from suffering from the consequences associated with housing issues such as: poor mental & physical health, relationship issues, performance issues in the workplace, relocation or accessing emergency housing services.

Thanks to the support of our generous donors, 45,095 people were supported in 2023, with 3,731 households being prevented from entering homelessness. A donation of €340 is enough to save a family from entering emergency accommodation, which is in contrast to the cost to the state of €30,000 when a family becomes homeless. Our direct mail programme is a crucial medium to connect our donors to the stories of those we help, and to convey the tangible role they play in homelessness prevention.

Agency supports required:

We are looking to arrange a partnership with an exceptional creative agency with a donor-centred focus across communications and a commitment to value for money.

The creative agency should understand Threshold’s goals, mission and values, with a clear commitment to enhancing donors’ impact on tenants at risk of homelessness. They should be able to showcase clear examples of success in donor retention, acquisition and Return on Investment.

The timeline for the partnership will be from May/June 2024.

The Creative Agency will:

• Provide strategic campaign support to the fundraising team to plan and deliver on five / six annual donor-centred warm and cold individual giving campaigns, including direct mail appeals and donor newsletters
• Provide copywriting support for letters across a range of campaigns
• Develop direct mail campaigns with a strong focus on storytelling, including carrying out client interviews, developing lifts, identifying stock photography
• Supporting with data segmentation, reporting and analysis
• Proactively support the fundraising team to develop and deliver campaigns in line with available budgets
• Liaise with the fundraising team on an on-going basis
• Ensure all learnings from campaigns are collected and distributed through the necessary methods and communicated back to the fundraising team
• Demonstrate the capacity and professional ability to deliver the partnership, by showing a track record of similar partnerships and providing references
• Have robust Quality Assurance Procedures
• Have full regard to the budget pressures of a charity such as Threshold and the vital need to maximise Return on Investment
• Ensure work facilitates consistency, clarity, and that the partnership reflects the culture and values of Threshold
  
  Note: The following will not be required:
   
• Selection and project management of print agencies
• Digital support

Tender Submission

The submission should include a table of contents, a summary of the applicant’s previous experience and qualifications, contact details of referees, and details of costs, value for money considerations (see section on “Budget” below) and relevant appendices.

All submissions must be made to fundraising@threshold.ie

Tender assessment will be based on the following:

• Applicant’s ability to demonstrate a clear understanding of the tender request.
• Applicant’s understanding of Threshold, the NGO sector as an employer, and the need for relevant stakeholder consultation
• Experience of having previously conducted similar partnerships.
• Quality of the tender document submitted, which clearly demonstrates the range of support and skills.
• The project’s value for money and price competitiveness

Timeline:

The deadline for receipt of applications is May 17th 2024 . The contract will begin on June 10th.

Budget:

A full breakdown of costs associated with the different elements of the partnership should be provided together with the proposal, including VAT where relevant. The fees will be inclusive of all costs (for example administrative costs, VAT and travel). Price increases during the term of contract will not be accepted. Please include two references from a similar recent partnership. All enquiries should be directed to fundraising@threshold.ie

GDPR

All parties agree to hold confidential all information, documentation and other materials received, provided or obtained arising from their participation in this process.

All the information requested from you and collected by Threshold during this Tender application process is necessary and relevant to the performance of the process. Threshold will treat all information you supply with the utmost confidentiality and in line with current data protection law.
If you have any questions about the use of your data during the Tender process, or wish to know how your data will be treated if you engage in this process with Threshold, please contact our Data Protection Officer at zak.murtagh@threshold.ie (data protection queries only).