PR, Media, Public Affairs and Crisis Management Services

Background

Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT) is one of the largest not-for-profit multi-academy trusts in England. The aim as a charity, alongside the schools, is to help provide local children with a great education. The trust educates over 30,000 pupils across five OAT regions in over 40 schools – currently 32 secondary schools, six primary schools, four alternative provision schools and one special school. OAT is one of the longest established trusts and have been sponsoring academies since 2009. Its sole purpose is to provide OAT pupils with excellent learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom.

The aim of the contract would be to secure expertise and capacity in press, public affairs and crisis management for the trust, supporting all schools and the central (head office) team.

The trust has a very small marketing and communications team that supports our teams and schools with external communications, internal communications, design, marketing campaigns, events, online presence (websites) and social media. The role of this provider would be to supplement the team’s offer (as an extending communications team) with senior level expertise, advice and support, with a flexible response that would not be cost-effective to provide in-house. They will know and have worked within the education and skills sector (at a high level) and maintain good working relationships with government and wider.

Scope of Service

Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT) is considering making use of a specialist supplier to support in the following areas

• National Impact
• Corporate Marketing and Management
• Crisis management
• School Support

OAT anticipates suppliers will have:

• Extensive connections across government and wider with specific expertise and experience working within education and skills sectors.
• Ability to manage the media proactively and reactively to ensure reporting is fair and accurate.
• Ability to support organisations to achieve impact goals through media and public affairs activity.
• Crisis management that successfully defuses situations in the media and on social and delivers clear and timely communications in a volatile environment.
• Strong relations with local, regional and national media and stakeholders in relevant parts of the country for OAT schools that builds reputation and support for organisations within their immediate and wider community.

Our initial proposal is a contract duration between 3 to 5 years.

Suppliers are asked to complete the Supplier Engagement Questionnaire attached and return to [email protected] by 5pm UK time on 10th March 2023.