About RISE

RISE is Sweden’s research institute and innovation partner. In international collaboration with industry, academia, and the public sector, we contribute to a competitive business environment and a sustainable society. Our more than 3,000 employees drive and support all types of innovation processes. RISE is an independent, state-owned research institute offering unique expertise and 130 test and demonstration environments for future-proof technologies, products, and services.

For more information, please visit: http://www.ri.se

Assignment description

RISE is the lead partner of a large Interreg North Sea project, ACE Accelerate the Homecare Innovation Ecosystem of the Future in the North Sea region (ACE ACE | Interreg North Sea). The Steering Committee of the project has decided to subcontract strategic communication expertise for the last 15 months of the project to be able to focus on project sustainability, long-lasting impact, uptake and project legacy.

Strategic communication:
The final 15 months of the ACE project will involve the delivery of multiple key outputs and activities, demanding increased engagement from the Communications Manager and Steering Committee. Alongside the completion of the Sustainability Plan, two major campaigns will be rolled out: the WP3 Homecare Jobs of the Future campaign and the Final Closing Campaign to secure ACE’s long-term visibility and impact. 

To deliver a high-quality communications support to the consortium, we need support for the following specific services:
WP2: Pilot case studies – Developing pilot case studies in collaboration with solution providers and WP2 partners. 
WP2: Pilot videos – Supporting the production of promotional videos with pilot coordinators and solution providers, ensuring they align with the project’s desired impact. 
WP3: Homecare Jobs of the Future Campaign – Coordinating the campaign with activity leader Vesthimmerland and supporting partner ESN. Support will likely include visual design and copywriting. 
WP3: Strategy Deliverable (NSR Innovation Alignment) – Supporting activity leader Innovation Skåne and WP3 partners in producing a high-quality, professional deliverable for broad dissemination. Support will likely include visual design and copywriting. 
WP3: Action Plan – Adapting to the Future – Assisting Innovation Skåne and WP3 partners in developing a high-quality professional deliverable for broad dissemination. May involve visual design and copywriting. 
Website futureproofing - Revise key website pages to reflect project closure, ensuring outdated phrasing (e.g., "we aim to...") is removed. Conduct a final quality audit to ensure readability and visual appeal. 
Legacy story for the North Sea Blog - Develop and submit a feature capturing ACE's long-term impact for Interreg's North Sea Blog. Alternatively, support Interreg in crafting a story. 
 
Lasting impact and post-project continuity
To ensure the long-term visibility and uptake of ACE project results, a set of targeted communication and dissemination services is needed to support a strong legacy strategy. These services aim to highlight the project’s achievements, celebrate the contributions of its partners, and position ACE within broader European conversations on innovation and collaboration. We are also interested in your ideas to boost the impact of the project.

Lasting Impact of ACE major findings, and where we need support for: 
Dissemination at major external event – Support with getting ACE and its partners showcased in a major international event (e.g. in a panel discussion or workshop in a conference) to maximize the impact of the project outputs and to give a spotlight to the partnership for their achievements. 
Final event coordination support - Support planning of the project's final event, ensuring event materials (press releases, invitations, social media coverage) align with legacy messaging and provide ample visibility for project achievements. 
Press release on final results - Develop and distribute a press release summarising project outcomes and potential adoption by external stakeholders. Share the press release with relevant media, Interreg, and partner networks to amplify reach. 
Final news & LinkedIn closure - Publish a final news article summarising project achievements, impact, and lessons learned. Create and schedule a final LinkedIn post to highlight key project milestones and partners. The LinkedIn page will remain online indefinitely, but regular posting will conclude once the final campaign is considered complete. 
 

Post-project continuity
As the project approaches its final phase, ACE partners have expressed interest in exploring opportunities for continued collaboration beyond the funded period. While the Sustainability Plan provides a high-level framework for maintaining project outputs, there is a need for dedicated support to take a more proactive and structured approach to post-project continuity. This includes identifying shared ambitions, aligning them with relevant funding or collaboration opportunities, and facilitating a joint discussion on concrete next steps. 

The scope of these wanted services will include:
Initial analysis and opportunity scanning – Identify relevant opportunities that align with the ACE themes, particularly the future of homecare. 
Facilitation of future collaboration workshop – Design and conduct an interactive workshop to jointly explore future collaboration ideas, clarify shared priorities, and assess interest in concrete next steps. 
Recommendations – Produce a concise summary synthesising the identified opportunities, shared ambitions, and recommendations for post-project continuity. 
 
The consultant will be guided in the assignment, and will work closely with the current project management. We will hold regular meetings and also invite the consultant to certain project meetings to get more ideas about the context of the project.

Competency Requirements
SHALL Requirements
·The Consultant SHALL be proficient in both spoken and written English.
·The Consultant SHALL have a minimum of 5 years’ experience, with deep expertise and an established network within Interreg North Sea Region projects.
·The Consultant SHALL have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in projects related to health and care, technology, and collaboration from a quadruple helix perspective.
·The Consultant SHALL be available to start immediately.

Competence level 3
Knowledge: High competence in their field
Experience: 4-8 years as a consultant in the field, is a role model for other lower-level consultants. Has been at level 2 for at least 2 years.
Management: Takes responsibility for sub-area, can lead a small group
Independence: Can work independently

Duration towards project end: 15 months (from April 2025)
Project closure period: Additional 3 months after project end in June 2026, April 2025 – September 2026
Approximately 30 days during a period of 18 months. We will agree upon how to distribute the days depending on planned work for each month.

Documents to be included in the response to the request:
Consultant’s CV (in Word format)
Response to the MUST/SHOULD requirements (use the attached matching template)
Fixed price
Availability
Please provide a well-written CV tailored to the requirements and respond to the various MUST and SHOULD criteria.
Add your candidate to the ITC Portal as soon as possible.

As of April 2024, ITC Network is a framework agreement supplier to RISE, RISE RESEARCH INSTITUTES OF SWEDEN AB.