Deadline for Application: October 4, 2024

Term of Project: October 2024-September 2025

Location: Virtual

Organization Description

Health Care Without Harm (the fiscal agent for the grant that funds the Oregon Farm to Institution Collaborative) seeks to transform health care worldwide so the sector reduces its environmental footprint and becomes a community anchor for sustainability and leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice. Working closely with Health Care Without Harm, Practice Greenhealth is the leading sustainable health care organization, delivering environmental solutions to more than 1,700 hospitals and health systems in the United States and Canada.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) and Practice Greenhealth are committed to seeking and sustaining culturally and ethnically diverse organizations, and to the principles that promote inclusive practices. We are dedicated to not only building a diverse staff, but also a diverse set of consultants and partners with expertise and interest in serving the mission of the organizations in respectful ways. Health Care Without Harm believes that our work can only be transformed when a diversity of voices, perspectives, and lived experiences are a part of the movement for change. We strongly encourage consultants and organizations that represent BIPOC and LGBTQ communities to apply.

Project Description 

The Oregon Farm to Institution Collaborative (OFIC), of which Health Care Without Harm is a founding member, seeks to engage a communications consultant to support the building of a communications strategy, brand identity and communications assets and materials.

Background: Nationwide, tens of millions of people each day eat their meals outside of home at schools, colleges, hospitals, corporate cafeterias and government agencies. Each one of these institutions represents an opportunity for U.S. farmers, ranchers and food businesses to gain market share, earn a livelihood, forge ties with local residents, and improve community health and well-being through farm to institution efforts, in which local producers sell to institutions nearby. As institutional buyers purchase more local food they create business opportunities for farmers and keep a greater share of food dollars in a local food economy. 

For more than a decade, the Oregon Farm to Institution (F2I) movement has made significant impacts on institutional buyers and local farms and businesses. Efforts, funded for the most part by state and federal initiatives, have created a strong network of multi-sectoral partnerships and pilot projects to shift purchases from national sources to local ones. 

While successes have helped create lasting change in many institutions, the impact of these resources and partnerships has largely been focused on the Portland Metro Region, leaving gaps in a statewide movement, a lack of visibility of the benefits and success stories of farm to institution, and an inequitable impact on emerging Black, Indigenous, and other producers of color who are active in their communities. F2I is a complex system, and challenges remain on how to design a brand and communication plan that resonate with partners, food and farm industry groups, decision makers, funders, and the broader community. 

In October 2022, Health Care Without Harm was awarded a USDA Regional Food System Partnership Grant (RFSP) to bring together a broad-reaching group of NGOs, governmental agencies, private businesses, institutions and the agricultural community to take lessons learned at local levels to scale. 

In addition to the Organizing Team members (Health Care Without Harm, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Mudbone Grown/Feed'em Freedom Foundation, and Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Network), founding partners and advisors include: Ecotrust, Oregon Coast Visitors Association, Gorge Farmer Collective, Food Roots FarmTable, Umpqua Valley Farm to School, Oregon Food Bank, Multnomah County REACH, Oregon Health Authority, Oregon School Nutrition Association, Oregon State University Food Innovation Center, Kitchen Sync Strategies, and Portland State University. OFIC has grown to encompass a greater diversity of partners, including community-based organizations, producers, institutional buyers, government agencies, academia, food systems organizations, and more.

As a result, a state-wide multi-sectoral collaborative, the Oregon Farm to Institution Collaborative (OFIC), was established to create: 

• A shared vision for increasing local sourcing and farm to institution efforts in the state;
• Actionable and transparent strategies to create and sustain change within institutional purchasing systems; and 
• Shared metrics to evaluate our collective efforts towards establishing transparency and fairness in the local and regional supply chain. 

Scope of Work

Overarching goals: 

• Create a cohesive brand intended for internal and external audiences that articulates the values, purpose, goals, and essence of the Oregon Farm to Institution Collaborative
• Utilize communications deliverables as a recruitment tool to clearly indicate how to engage with the work 

1. Includes tools for food businesses/farms to share with institutions about supporting this initiative
2. Includes tools for institutions about promoting their procurement efforts 

• Outline the intangible and tangible power, value, and benefits of F2I 
• Prepare messages and stories that define the social, economic, environmental and health impacts of F2I

Communications/Marketing Strategy 

• Activities: 

1. Review existing visual, written, and digital communications of the project partners and key OFIC members to determine strategic direction 
2. Determine audience, key messages, and tactics to inform OFIC strategy to recruit new members, promote OFIC, disseminate lessons learned, share impact, etc. 
3. Conduct research (interviews with key stakeholders, focus groups), as needed.

• Deliverables:

1. Report and visual plan on communications strategy to be implemented, including:

- Audience personas and segmentation strategies

- Key messages

- Tactics for member recruitment, OFIC promotion, and impact sharing

Asset Design (Branding and Digital Presence) 

• Activities:

1. Review of other F2I collaborative branding 
2. Branding discovery process 

• Deliverables 

1. Branding & visual identity guide
2. Digital communication templates & best practice guidelines (e-newsletter, etc.)
3. Simple website, likely built on Google Sites that HCWH will host and manage 

Educational Materials 

• Activities 

1. Research existing F2I data and educational/promotional materials 

• Deliverables 

1. Create templates for outreach materials for different audiences (ex: institutions like hospitals, schools, and corrections; producers; food systems partners)
2. Infographics - on procurement steps and how to sell to institutions 

Reporting & Check-Ins
The OFIC Organizing Team will serve as the primary point of contact, including members from Health Care Without Harm, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Feed’em Freedom Foundation/Mudbone Grown, and Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Network. 

This will include a series of virtual calls including but not limited to: 

• Orientation to the project and work done to date
• Discussing approach to project and timeline
• Regular check-in calls with OFIC Organizing Team, OFIC work groups, and aligned initiatives
• Final deliverable review call

Process, Timeline, and Budget

The consultant will work with a core team from OFIC to complete the project by September 30, 2025. The allocated budget for the project is up to $30,000.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:

1. Demonstrated experience with digital communications, graphic design, branding, marketing, and web design & development.
2. Understand audience analysis, user experience, and user interface design principles.
3. Ability to effectively communicate design concepts and strategies to non-designers and stakeholders.
4. Strong eye for detail to ensure high-quality, error-free design work and a proven ability to carry a project from concept to completion.
5. Experience collaborating across different sectors, and/or work-styles.
6. Experience within food systems, institutional clients and/or food producers preferred.
7. Experience working on communications materials for diverse cultures and audiences utilizing a DEIBJ lens.

Submission Guidelines

Please submit your proposal no later than October 4, 2024 to contracts@hcwh.org. Your submission must include:

1. Names and curriculum vitae of individuals who will be involved in completing the services.
2. Qualifications – why and how you are best-suited to meet the deliverables. This should include an explanation of your qualifications for this work, past examples of similar work (including a list of former clients for similar services if able), and qualifications of key personnel who will be involved. Please include any relevant licenses, certifications, etc.
3. A completed conflict of interest form.
4. A written declaration that you can agree to the general terms and conditions included in this RFP.
5. Health Care Without Harm supports positive efforts to utilize small businesses, minority-owned firms, women’s business enterprises, and Labor Surplus Area firms. Please indicate whether or not you fall within one or more of these categories.
6. A proposed methodology and timeline for how you plan to meet the deliverables, with documentation of the development process, milestones, assumptions and expectations of HCWH staff.
7. A cost breakdown of this work, including a list of any staff that would be assigned to the project, their roles, and any subcontractors you plan to employ.
8. A timeframe of validity of your proposal (must be at least 60 days).

Criteria for the Assessment of Proposal

• The expertise of the proposal and experience of the organization or consultant and key personnel indicated in the proposal.
• Methodology, its appropriateness to the conditions and timeline set forth in the RFP.
• Financial considerations.
• HCWH is willing to award the contract to more than one service provider.

Inquiries
Inquiries can be made to Aliza McHugh amchugh@hcwh.org and Amber Hansen ahansen@hcwh.org. 

General Terms and Conditions for Bidders

Other terms and conditions will be included in an awarded contract

1. Contracts shall be made only with responsible contractors who possess the potential ability to perform successfully under the terms and conditions of the proposed procurement. Consideration shall be given to such matters as contractor integrity, record of past performance, financial and technical resources or accessibility to other necessary resources. In certain circumstances, contracts with certain parties are restricted by agencies' implementation of United States Executive Orders 12549 and 12689, “Debarment and Suspension.”

2. Awards shall be made to the bidder or the offeror whose bid or offer is responsive to the solicitation and is most advantageous to the recipient, price, quality and other factors considered.  Solicitations shall clearly set forth all requirements that the bidder or the offeror shall fulfill in order for the bid or offer to be evaluated by the recipient. Any and all bids or offers may be rejected when it is in Health Care Without Harm’s interest to do so.

3. Health Care Without Harm suppliers and contractors must demonstrate compliance with the following ethical principles. Any breach of these provisions shall disqualify the supplier or entitle Health Care Without Harm to terminate any agreements with the supplier immediately upon notice without any liability for the termination or any other liability of any kind.

• Contractors shall not directly or indirectly provide material support or resources, including financial support, in-kind support, technical or organizational assistance, or any other form of support or service, to individuals that are terrorists, that are associated with acts of terrorism, or that pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism.
• Contractors must comply with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws in the countries where it does business. Additionally, contractors understand and agree to comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, as revised, which generally prohibits the offer, promise, payment or giving of anything of value either directly or indirectly to any government official for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or any improper advantage. 
• Contractors shall not engage in any practice inconsistent with the rights set forth in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, including Article 32 thereof, which, inter alia, requires that a child shall be protected from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical mental, spiritual, moral or social development. Additionally, Contractor warrants that the Contractor is not engaged in the sale or manufacture of anti-personnel mines or components utilized in the manufacture of anti-personnel mines.
• Health Care Without Harm takes all appropriate measures to prevent sexual exploitation or abuse of anyone through its work. For these purposes, sexual activity with any person less than eighteen years of age, regardless of any laws relating to consent, shall constitute sexual exploitation and abuse of such person. In addition, contractors shall refrain from exchanging any money, goods, services, or other things of value for sexual favors or activities, or from engaging in any sexual activities that are exploitative or degrading  to any person.
• Contractors are expected to disclose to Health Care Without Harm any situation that may appear as a conflict of interest, and disclose to Health Care Without Harm if anyone under contract with Health Care Without Harm may have an interest of any kind in the contractor's business or any kind of economic ties between contractor and Health Care Without Harm.
• Health Care Without Harm will fully enforce applicable laws prohibiting harassment and discrimination by or against contractors, including harassment, and/or discrimination because of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, gender, age, or other status protected by applicable law, and to maintain a business relationship free of any such harassment and discrimination. Harassment may take many forms, including but not limited to:

i. Verbal conduct such as epithets, derogatory comments, slurs or unwanted sexual advances, invitations, innuendo, or comments. 

ii. Visual conduct such as derogatory posters, cartoons, drawings or gestures.

iii. Physical conduct such as assault, blocking normal movement or interference with work because of sex or another protected basis. 

4. Health Care Without Harm supports positive efforts to utilize small businesses, minority owned firms, and women’s business enterprises and Labor Surplus Area firms.

• Health Care Without Harm encourages contracts with consortiums of firms referenced above when a contract is too large for one of those firms to handle individually.

5. Contractor agrees to the acceptance, to the extent practicable and economically feasible, of products and services dimensioned in the metric system of measurement.

6. Health Care Without Harm requires, when practicable and economically feasible, for products and services that conserve natural resources and protect the environment and are energy efficient.