OPEN CALL FOR PROCUREMENT OF COMMUNICATION SERVICES

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

• Contracting Authority

The contracting authority is the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) Executive Office, Skopje.

• Beneficiary

The beneficiary is the Balkan Civil Society Development Network, specifically its Executive Office in Skopje.

• Relevant Background

The Balkan Civil Society Development Network is a network of 10 civil society organizations from the wider Balkan region, with a mission to protect and expand civic space. It was established as an informal network in December 2003 and formally registered in 2009.

Since its inception, BCSDN has been a pivotal force in strengthening civil society and advocating for an environment conducive to its growth across the Balkans. At its core, BCSDN aims to ensure the sustainability and functioning of democracies in the region by fostering a robust and independent civil society. BCSDN achieves this through a multi-faceted approach centered on collaboration, the development of specialized monitoring tools, and evidence-based advocacy. This has enabled BCSDN not only to establish but also to actively promote recognized standards for an enabling environment for civil society development. A key aspect of this work is rigorously monitoring the impact of policies from governments, the European Union, and other donors on the development of civil society throughout the Balkans.

A cornerstone of BCSDN’s efforts is its annual monitoring of the enabling environment for civil society organizations (CSOs) in the Western Balkans and Turkey. This critical activity has been consistently undertaken since 2012. This comprehensive monitoring is underpinned by a robust methodology that evaluates the fundamental principles and standards essential for a country to effectively support the operations and overall development of CSOs. Each year, this process culminates in the production of seven individual country reports and one overarching regional report. These reports offer an in-depth analysis of the policy and legal frameworks governing civil society, highlight key findings pertinent to each country, and, crucially, provide actionable recommendations primarily directed at governments within the region for improvement. To enhance comparative analysis and track progress in policy and legal frameworks across countries, a scoring system was integrated into the methodology in 2018.

This extensive body of work positions BCSDN as a leading authority on civil society development in the Balkans, with a wealth of evidence and insights crucial for informing targeted communication efforts aimed at various stakeholders, including policymakers, civil society actors, donors, and the wider public.

In light of this and the critical need to elevate the discourse on the indispensable role of civil society, BCSDN seeks to develop and implement a targeted communications campaign. The objective is to proactively engage key stakeholders at national and regional levels, counter pervasive negative narratives about CSOs, and unequivocally reinforce the profound importance of a genuinely enabling environment for civil society as a bedrock of democratic development.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

This communication campaign should align with the BCSDN’s overall strategy and advocacy plan, and be grounded in foundational principles that directly address the challenges and capitalize on the BCSDN’s strengths, ensuring that messages resonate with target audiences and achieve the desired outcomes.

This communication campaign should address growing public distrust, disinformation, and political attacks on civil society, highlighting how civil society organizations directly improve people’s daily lives, strengthen democratic institutions, and advocate for citizens’ rights. The campaign must connect values with lived experiences, encompassing local environmental action, support for vulnerable groups, and public services, as well as anti-corruption efforts, legal aid, and holding power to account. All messaging should reflect BCSDN’s vision of an open, democratic, and participatory society where civil society is an active, trusted, and essential actor.

The Campaign should be based on the following pillars:

1. Civil Society Changes Lives: demonstrate how CSOs provide tangible benefits to people, including better schools, cleaner air, access to healthcare, protection of workers’ rights, support for victims of violence, and free legal advice. Use human stories, community-level impacts, and real-life examples that highlight how CSOs step in when institutions fail or are too slow.
2. Evidence-Based Advocacy & Truth-Telling: identify, collect, and synthesize relevant data on CSO contributions e.g., economic impact, social services provided, democratic reforms supported and messages and materials would be rooted in these facts, presenting data in accessible and compelling ways e.g., infographics, case studies, testimonials – countering myths and showing CSOs’ value in a way that people understand and relate to.
3. Safeguarding and Expanding Civic Space as a Non-Negotiable: Translate the abstract concept of “civic space” into daily freedoms, including the right to speak, organize, protest, volunteer, and access help when the state falls short. Explain why shrinking this space is dangerous not just for NGOs, but for everyone’s rights and safety.
4. Civic Space Is a Public Good: Emphasize that when civic space is under attack, the ones who lose the most are ordinary people, especially marginalized groups. Frame CSOs not as political players but as community allies who stand up when no one else does.
5. Promoting Accountability and Genuine Transparency (vs. Weaponized Scrutiny): Show how CSOs monitor budgets, expose corruption, improve local services, and empower communities to ask questions and get answers. Demystify terms like “watchdog” and “governance” by demonstrating everyday accountability that begins locally: clean water, safe buildings, and functioning schools.
6. Regional Specificity and the “Chilling Effect” on EU Accession.

The Campaign should meet the following expectations:

• Should have a 360-degree approach (website, social media channels, digital, mainstream media, and local influencers) – tailored to different audiences.
• Innovate and directly counter disinformation and false narratives regarding NGO funding and activities by consistently presenting undeniable data and factual analysis – Shift focus from defensive messaging (“we’re not foreign agents”) to positive stories of care, community, and courage. Proactively tell the story of how civil society works with people, for people.
• The MM should be one of the central products for promotion and should be positioned as a tool for citizens, not just policymakers. It should be one of the strongest tools for dismantling baseless accusations and demonstrating the legitimate and transparent nature of civil society work, providing robust, comprehensive, and scored data on the enabling environment for CSOs. Use it to explain how citizens can see what’s working and what’s not in their country when it comes to freedoms and participation.
• Every communication piece should be grounded in  the (findings of) the Monitoring Matrix, positioning BCSDN and the member organizations as the voice on civic space in the region.
• While grounded in regional data and trends, every message should feel local, with adapted language, dialect, visuals, and examples that are grounded in the local context.
• Reframe the narrative from NGOs as “problematic” or “lobbyists” to indispensable actors crucial for democratic development, good governance, and successful EU accession in the Western Balkans.
• Highlight stories of CSO impact and empower the audience by using humor, comparisons, and analogies to make the information more relatable and engaging. Equip audiences to recognize and reject harmful and false narratives.
• Motivate stronger protection and expansion of civic space, positioning it as a fundamental European value that must be upheld both within the EU and, critically, in candidate countries.
• Communication pieces for actively opposing initiatives that threaten civic space, stressing that consistency in upholding democratic standards is vital for the progress of societies.
• Clear plan for media advertising (radio and social media), including media buys where trust is strongest, not just high-reach platforms.

We’re seeking a partner to develop a campaign that truly delivers results. This means they’ll focus on:

• Creating a polished product: They’ll ensure that the campaign concepts are thoroughly reviewed and refined, so our message is always clear and strong.
• Connecting with our audience: Feedback from the target audience to ensure our campaign resonates and is effective.
• Learning and improving: After the campaign, they’ll help us analyze its success and gather insights to make future efforts even better.

  Deliverables

1. Creative Concept & Campaign Materials Development.
2. Communication pieces (videos, infographics, creatives, visuals, ads, reels, testimonials, printed materials, etc.)
3. Implementation Readiness with a detailed Campaign Implementation Plan.

 SELECTION CRITERIA

• Legal entity/individual expert(s) with a minimum of 3 years of relevant working experience, i.e., capacity to design, develop, and implement communication deliverables as listed in the description of the assignment;
• At least three similar projects have been successfully accomplished in the past two years.

The proposals received will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Relevant work experience (minimum 3 years): 30 points
• Experience in developing similar communication services: 50 points
• Price Offer (Financial Proposal): 20 points.

  DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

• Starting period

The tentative start date is scheduled for July 2024.

The contracting authority will officially notify of the actual commencement of the assignment.

• Foreseen finishing period or duration

The service provider should complete the activities and provide the deliverables by December 2025.

The creative concepts for the campaign and the campaign outline should be presented to the contracting authority in the second half of August 2025.

HOW TO APPLY

The service provider is expected to submit both a Technical and a Financial Proposal.

In order for the application to be considered complete, the applicants should submit:

1. A technical proposal comprised of:

• Portfolio of previous work on communications services, a description of the experience, and a short biography of the company/ expert(s);
• Reference list with prior similar engagements;
• Proposed methodology and timeline.

1. The financial proposal should include a detailed budget breakdown, including costs for advertising for the campaign period.
2. Official registration document in line with the legislation of the country of the establishment of the legal entity/ company (only applicable for legal entities and not to individuals).

The applicants must submit the required documents by midnight on June 26, 2025, to the following email address: executiveoffice@balkancsd.net, with the subject line “Communication Services.”