Call for Offers: Media Partnership and Advertising Services in the EU Policy Sphere

Background

FES SOE seeks to strengthen the outreach of its analytical and policy-relevant work towards key audiences in Brussels and the wider European policy community. To this end, FES SOE intends to establish a service agreement with a media outlet capable of providing high-quality sponsored content placement, targeted advertising, and measurable audience reach.

Scope of Services

The selected service provider will be expected to deliver a package including, but not limited to:

• Production, support, and publication of sponsored or stakeholder articles related to priority themes selected by FES SOE
• Placement of at least one long-form article or equivalent high-visibility feature
• Newsletter advertising targeting EU policy stakeholders
• Website display advertising (e.g., dynamic banner placements)
• Social media amplification of published content
• Provision of performance metrics (impressions, reach, engagement, readership)
• Optional editorial support services (if requested by FES SOE)

Services must be delivered in English and targeted primarily at EU-level policymakers, stakeholders, researchers, and journalists.

Expected Deliverables and Duration

• Estimated contract value: up to EUR 30,000 (excluding VAT)
• Indicative implementation period: upon contract signature until mid-December 2026. Content must remain accessible online for a minimum of 12 months after publication.
• FES SOE reserves the right to adjust quantities within the overall budget ceiling.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• Be a legally registered media organisation or publishing entity
• Demonstrate editorial independence and non-partisan standards
• Show proven experience covering EU affairs and/or Southeast Europe
• Demonstrate substantial reach among EU policy audiences
• Provide evidence of previous comparable partnerships or campaigns

Selection Criteria

The contract will be awarded  using the following weighting:

• Price – 60%
• Quality of the media outlet profile – 40%, including:
  • Audience relevance and policy reach (15%) 
  • Demonstrated audience size and engagement (10%)
  • Editorial environment and credibility (10%)
  • Implementation quality and service offer (5%)

Only offers meeting the formal requirements will be evaluated.

Application Requirements

Interested providers are requested to submit:

• Financial offer (EUR, excluding VAT) clearly itemised
• Media kit and audience statistics
• Description of proposed service package
• At least two references of similar work
• Confirmation of editorial independence
• Contact details of the responsible person

Submission Procedure

Offers must be submitted electronically to info.soe@fes.de and ema-dzejna.smolo@fes.de no later than March 25th 2026, 13:00 CET. Late or incomplete submissions may not be considered.

Contractual Conditions

• Cooperation will be formalised through a service agreement
• Payments will be made as specified in the service contract
• FES SOE reserves the right not to award the contract
• No costs incurred in preparing the offer will be reimbursed

In case of any questions or clarifications, please contact us at ema-dzejna.smolo@fes.de no later than the deadline indicated above.