EEA and Norway Grants digital annual report 2018 Terms of Reference for the proposed development of a digital annual report, EEA and Norway Grants www.eeagrants.org EEA and Norway Grants Financial Mechanism Office Boulevard du Régent 47-48 1000 Brussels, Belgium
1. Introduction The Financial Mechanism Office (FMO), secretariat of the EEA and Norway Grants, seeks to contract the development of a new digital annual report for the EEA and Norway Grants 2017-2018. 1.1. Background Through the EEA and Norway Grants, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway contribute to reducing disparities in Europe and to strengthening bilateral relations with 15 countries in Central and Southern Europe. The three donor countries have contributed to European cohesion efforts ever since the EEA Agreement entered into force in 1994. During the funding period 2009-2014 1.8 billion was set aside under the Grants. For the period 2014-2021, the funding has been increased to 2.8 billion. During the 2009-2014 funding period, the funds were channelled to over 7000 projects through 150 thematic programmes. The amount of programmes varies between countries, with the smallest countries having less than 10 programmes while the larger ones can have over 20 programmes. The last projects funded through these programmes closed during spring 2017, the reporting is however ongoing. The programmes for the 2014-2021 are still in the drafting stage, the final number of programmes is therefore not available at this time. The very first programmes are expected to be open for applications for funding in 2018, the others will follow from 2019 onwards. 1.2. Previous annual reports Each year the FMO produces a status report in English covering the previous year(s) of operation. The report includes overall developments, highlights results and best practices and provides an overview of the status of implementation in beneficiary states and priority sectors. Up until now, the reports have been available in hardcopy and online, most commonly as pdf files. Last year s annual report can be found here. The reports focuses on achievements and in upcoming opportunities in the respective beneficiary states. The reports also include an analysis of trends and developments in Central, Southern and Northern Europe, to place the Grants in a context, including key statistics, operational issues and budget/accounts. 1.3. Annual report in 2018 In order to increase the reach of the annual report and become more environmentally friendly, the FMO has decided to devote itself to a fully digital annual report in 2018. The annual report is to take the form of a mini-site which is to be embedded into the EEA and Norway Grants website. No printed version is to be produced. In order to make the report engaging and serve the needs of the diverse target audience, the report needs to provide a balanced mix of overall developments, results, statistics, facts and 1
figures and individual (personalised) accounts from the people the EEA and Norway Grants are serving. The FMO would like the annual report to be developed as an interactive mini-site which would include photo galleries, project videos, video interviews, animations, infographics etc. with links between sections and to relevant and attractively presented statistics. The FMO therefore challenges the tenderers to present a suggestion for such a concept. The FMO will provide the content (text and results/statistics) of the report and also select videos and photos. However, some photo search and advice might be needed from the contractor. The contractor must provide lay-out and structural work and any other work needed in a digital version. 1.4. Timeline of the Annual Report With regard to the timeline, tenderers should provide a realistic stage-by-stage action plan. The annual report needs to be finalised and published no later than 15 June. Due to the programmes reporting cycle, results which dictate the direction of the annual report will only be available in the beginning of March, but other elements can be produced earlier. Given the many stakeholders involved and the need to take into account external input at different stages, the selected tenderer need to also build in flexibility when it comes to the need for corrections and adjustments, even in text after it has been put into lay-out. The FMO is aware that this is not the optimal way to work and will strive to minimise such changes. However, it is important that the selected tenderer develops the overall concept and design before draft texts are ready. All text and the final report will have to be approved by the donor states through the ministries of foreign affairs of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The FMO will provide guidance, information and support to the selected tenderer in the development of the annual report. 2. Purpose of the project The project aims to create a user-friendly mini-site annual report for the EEA and Norway Grants. 3. Scope of the project The project includes the full design, development, and deployment of a mini-site for the 2018 annual report. The selected service provider should deliver the project through the following key steps: Develop a user-friendly structure and design in cooperation with the FMO. Implement and test the proposed solution based on the agreed design. Deploy the mini-site in cooperation with the service provider of the FMO s website 2
3.1. Requirements The annual report mini-site needs to meet the following requirements: Functionalities Design An intuitive navigation system based on a main menu with several thematic sections. An engaging display of key facts and figures through interactive charts and illustrations. Creative use of videos and photos. Summaries of key sections are to be downloadable as PDF files. Compatibility with Google Analytics Optimal response time. The option to do minor text changes after the launch of the mini-site needs to be made available for the FMO. User-friendly, intuitive and modern. Fully responsive and support all major web browsers. Meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). SEO friendly Social media friendly 3.2. Methodology Solutions based on widely used and sustainably supported CMS are preferred over customised programming. The wireframes and design of the mini-site are to be developed in close cooperation with donor representatives and the FMO and agreed upon in a design document. The implementation shall be in line with the agreed design document. The selected contractor shall conduct testing and make the annual report available to the FMO for review and acceptance testing. The mini-site will be hosted with the service provider of the FMO s website. The selected contractor will need to cooperate with FMO s service provider to ensure the successful deployment of the mini-site. 3.3. Team The selected service provider shall propose a team with previous experience on similar web based projects. 3
3.4. Budget and deliverables The maximum budget for the project is EUR 50 000. The main deliverable is the annual report 2017-2018 which should be deployed at www.eeagrants.org no later than 15 June 2018. In addition the selected contractor shall submit the following deliverables electronically: Design document and wireframes This document should describe the final functional design and layout. In addition it should reiterate the proposed technical architecture and licensing information. The document shall be delivered and agreed upon before implementation begins. Technical documentation This document shall provide a detailed technical description of the solution. The document shall be delivered during the Testing and deployment phase. 3.5. Invoice and reimbursement claim The Contractor shall submit the invoice after approval by the FMO of the services delivered/ in accordance with the provisions of the agreement. Unless agreed in writing after the Contract has been entered into, the invoice shall not exceed the maximum budget agreed to in the Contract for the services. If relevant, copies of receipts for any and all travel related to the services shall be submitted as part of the invoice and must be in accordance with EFTA regulations on travel, Daily Subsistence Allowances, etc., which will be provided as Annexes to the Contract. 3.6. Timeline A detailed timeline for all phases of the development (design, implementation, testing, and deployment) shall be provided with the offer. A kick-off meeting should be held at the FMO no later than two weeks after the signature of the contract. 4. Contact person Mala Wang-Naveen Senior Communication Officer mwa@efta.int 4
Annex I Organisational setup of the EEA and Norway Grants The EEA and Norway Grants represent the financial contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway towards reducing economic and social disparities in Europe and strengthening bilateral relations. The Grants are composed of two financial mechanisms; the EEA Grants financed by all three donor countries, and the Norway Grants, financed by Norway alone. The Grants are set up through funding periods of 5-7 years where funding is allocated to projects via thematic programmes (energy, environment, research, health, culture, etc.) in each of the beneficiary countries. Not all areas are supported in every country. Financial Mechanism Office (FMO): The FMO is the Brussels based secretariat of the Grants and reports to the foreign ministries of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The FMO serves as a contact point between the three donor countries and the beneficiary countries. National Focal Point (NFP): Each beneficiary country has an NFP which holds the overall responsibility for the implementation of the Grants in the respective country. Most of the NFPs are located within relevant ministries or public agencies that also have responsibility for managing EU funds. The NFP represents the beneficiary country in its relations with the donors. Programme Operator (PO): The POs are responsible for awarding funding to projects according to agreed criteria, monitoring project implementation and achieving results. The POs award funding by publishing calls for proposals online, which is followed by a selection process. Project promoter (PP): An organisation which has received funding and is implementing a project. 5