Brand Proposition Development

We are looking for an agency to develop a name, narrative and visual identity for the Nature Cities & Towns (working title) partnership initiative.

The initiative brings together 3 founding partners - the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Natural England, and the National Trust. Together, the partners will offer cities and towns across the UK the tools and support that they need to take ambitious action for nature, and for their populations. It is our intention to grow a network of key partners, starting with Natural England's sister agencies in the devolved nations.

Working together with local authorities and cross-sector partners, the programme aims to make sure everyone has access to quality natural spaces a few minutes' walk from home and is able to spend time outdoors in nature every day. Community needs and engagement will be at the heart of the changes made to achieve this. And the towns and cities emerging will be better connected, more resilient to climate change, naturally flourishing, growing greener economies and jobs.

This partnership builds on, and expands, the Future Parks Accelerator partnership between the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Trust. This programme worked across 8 places in the UK to rethink the role urban green space can play in building a sustainable future for towns and cities.

Over the first 3 years, the programme will: • Bring together a collaborative network of ambitious places • Equip the network with tools and support to make change happen • Run a capacity-building grants programme for ~20 recipient places • Launch an accreditation scheme so places can verify their progress and assure funders and investors • Attract external investment in places and develop wider incentives for long term change

This contract will be delivered in two stages: • Stage 1: April to July 2024 - research and development of the brand name and narrative, to bring us to a "soft launch" moment planned for July • Stage 2: July 2024 - Jan 2025 - developing and testing visual identity routes including logos, alignment with existing partner identities, graphics etc

Please see the full brief for this commission for further detail.

Submission process The tender response should include details of the following (scoring in brackets): • Outline of your proposed approach to brand development - including how you would approach the phasing, and partnership aspects (35%) • Description of your relevant experience, including examples of at least two pieces of similar work (35%) • Proposed budget breakdown (30%) • Details of any matters or concerns not covered by this brief. Proposals should not exceed 10 pages in length. Submitting a proposal more than 10 pages will automatically result in the rejection of the proposal. Please submit proposals by email before the deadline of 12 April 2024 to the following contact: Rachel Jeffcoat, [email protected]