The GC Business Growth Hub (the Hub) wishes to appoint a single service provider to enter into a contract for the delivery of a full service marketing and copywriting services (Marketing), including specialist marketing and communications activity.

There will be a requirement to work with other Hub agencies, suppliers and third-party partners, including contracted suppliers for website design, copywriting, public relations, videography, photography and print services. The appointed agency will be required to be creative and proactive, and provide services listed under (but not limited to) the following categories:

(a) brand strategy and development;

(b) design services;

(c) digital marketing services;

(d) campaign planning, development and execution.

The specific responsibilities of the successful marketing services provider must include, but will not be limited to the responsibilities outlined below:

(a) brand strategy and development

Specifically, the agency will be required to:

• build on and make proposals for improving the existing visual identity, including development of brand, assets and tone of voice,

• refer to, and maintain consistent levels of quality when implementing/using, the existing brand guidelines across all design and creative activity,

• proactively seek to develop brand profile and positioning (nationally, and within Greater Manchester/the North West), amongst identified stakeholders including targeted B2B and public sector markets,

• develop core messaging that reflects the strategy and resonates with key targeted B2B groups and identified stakeholders nationally, and within Greater Manchester/the North West,

• provide a copywriting service where it relates to brand strategy or design services,

• delivery, execution and evaluation of specified projects,

• ongoing service provision for brand strategy and development, as needed;

(b) design services:

Specifically, the agency will be required to:

• provide design services from conceptual work through to artworking of existing and new templates, for use both digitally and in print,

• key materials will include, brand guidelines, brochureware, leaflets, adverts, digital assets, direct mail, electronic direct mail, reports, whitepapers, infographics, storyboards, surveys, exhibition stand artwork, merchandise artwork and presentation/pitch decks,

• design a wide variety of digitally branded assets for online publications and for use on social media (see Digital marketing below),

• create concepts and designs for end-to-end campaigns (campaign design styling and brand guidelines), including all materials listed above;

(c) digital marketing services

Digital marketing may include, either individually or in combination:

• digital strategy support,

• social media management, both paid-for and organic,

• pay Per Click (PPC) advertising,

• content marketing (including copywriting, if required),

• email marketing,

• search Engine Optimisation (SEO),

• analytics, including online segmentation,

• campaign evaluation,

• the ability to provide a social listening/monitoring service or tool would also be beneficial but is not essential;

(d) campaign planning, development and execution

Specifically, the agency will be required to:

• attend relevant internal and external meetings, including although not limited to relevant partners,

• deliver creative, original and effective marketing campaigns,

• undertake campaign planning,

• undertake customer journey mapping (including monitoring relevant trends),

• undertake creative development, both online and offline,

• create content (providing a copywriting service or utilising copy provided by the Hub or a third party, as directed),

• end-to-end.

It is estimated that for the core element of the contract the approximate spend per year will be in the region of GBP 100 000 (excluding VAT) although the actual spend could be considerably less.

Skills for Growth is a 2-year contract and we anticipate a spend of GBP 160 000 over the 2 years, with a maximum spend of GBP 200 000 across that timeframe.

The maximum spend on this contract will not exceed GBP 650 000 (excluding VAT).