Projects for Nature · UK public procurement notice

Scope of Work<br/><br/>The supplier(s) will be responsible for the following key areas:<br/><br/>1. Platform Management<br/><br/>Operational Oversight: Ensure the smooth functioning of the online platform, including user experience, technical support, and data security.<br/><br/>Platform Maintenance: Oversee updates, troubleshoot issues, and work with partners to improve functionality.<br/><br/>Project Onboarding: Onboard screened nature projects. Update project owners on project status, business interest, and funding.<br/><br/>Donor Onboarding: Onboard successful donors to the platform. Facilitate donation to selected nature projects and represent funding on platform.<br/><br/>Monitoring and Reporting: Provide regular performance reports, including metrics on corporate engagement and funding raised, to provide transparency, to demonstrate high environmental standards and to measure impact. Collect and collate reports on project outcomes from nature projects, using frameworks provided by Defra to ensure the projects contribute to nationally strategic objectives.<br/><br/>Payment Mechanism: Enable a streamlined financial transaction process between corporate donors and nature recovery projects, ensuring a user-friendly, efficient, and transparent system that minimizes friction and builds donor confidence.<br/><br/>2. Business Engagement<br/><br/>Corporate Outreach: Engage businesses of various sizes to participate in the platform, tailoring messaging to align with their sustainability priorities.<br/><br/>Business Screening: Ensure businesses onboarded meet the business eligibility criteria provided by Defra, reducing the risk of greenwash and encouraging the mitigation hierarchy to be followed. The eligibility criteria will be adapted from the pilot, then may be updated with the agreement of Defra and the supplier, depending on changes in the regulatory and policy landscape.<br/><br/>Stakeholder Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with corporate donors, ensuring repeat contributions and long-term commitments.<br/><br/>Pipeline Development: Identify and secure new opportunities for corporate funding, including outreach to underrepresented sectors.<br/><br/>3. Digital Communications and Branding<br/><br/>Content Strategy: Develop and implement a strategy for digital content to promote the<br/> <br/>platform, including blogs, case studies, and impact stories.<br/><br/>Social Media Management: Create and maintain a strong presence on relevant digital platforms, such as LinkedIn, driving traffic and engagement.<br/><br/>Brand Development: Ensure consistent and professional branding across all communications to build platform credibility.<br/><br/>4. Project Management<br/><br/>Process Coordination: Ensure efficient coordination across all partners on matters of platform operations, business engagement, nature project delivery, and communications activities.<br/><br/>Governance: establish governance mechanisms for project, including establishing a steering committee alongside a delivery team.<br/><br/>Timeline and Milestone Management: Establish and track timelines, deliverables, and milestones for all aspects of the platform.<br/><br/>Risk Management: Proactively identify risks and propose mitigation strategies to ensure project success.<br/><br/>5. Funding and Payment Model<br/><br/>Public Funding: This contract does not include any public funding from Defra or associated ALBs, except staff resource. All operational costs must be covered by the supplier through the agreed funding model.<br/><br/>Revenue from Corporate Donations: The supplier may generate revenue by charging a fee on each corporate donation made through the platform.<br/><br/>Fee Structure: The supplier must propose a transparent and fair percentage fee structure that incentivises corporate participation while covering operational and management costs.<br/><br/>Justification: Proposals should include a rationale for the proposed fee percentage, demonstrating alignment with market norms and ensuring value for money for both donors and nature recovery projects.<br/><br/>Compliance and Transparency: The supplier must ensure the fee is clearly communicated to corporate donors and nature projects during the transaction process. Any changes to the fee structure will require prior written approval from Defra.<br/><br/>Sustainability of Operations: The supplier must demonstrate how the percentage fee will sustainably cover all aspects of platform operation, including management, engagement, communications, and reporting, while ensuring the long-term viability of the platform. Additional information: Projects for Nature is an initiative that aims to connect corporate donations to nature recovery projects screened by government, ensuring alignment with national environmental priorities. The initiative has been in pilot from December 2023 – March 2025, raising £700K from 3 corporate donors and engaging over 35 businesses. To ensure long-term sustainability and scalability, the government seeks an external supplier(s) to lead on platform management, business engagement, digital communications, branding, and project management.<br/><br/>Objectives for Project for Nature<br/><br/>The supplier(s) will ensure the platform’s effective operation, maintain alignment with national environmental priorities, and scale corporate engagement to maximize funding for nature recovery. The supplier(s) must deliver cost-effective solutions while maintaining high levels of stakeholder trust and public accountability.<br/><br/>The winning Supplier will be required to deliver the following:<br/><br/>Operational Platform: A fully functional and secure platform with measurable improvements in user experience and technical reliability within 3 months of contract start. The platform must enable financial transactions to happen between corporate donor and nature projects.<br/><br/>Engagement Reports: Monthly reports detailing corpo…