Deadline Extended: Call for proposals for Expert Facilitators to lead CIRCULÉIRE’s 2021 Thematic Working Groups

CIRCULÉIRE is seeking quotes from suitably qualified and experienced consultants in the delivery of one or all of its three Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) for its CIRCULÉIRE industry network in the 2021 period on the following topics: 

1. Circular Design and Redesign

2. Circular Packaging and Resuables

3. Circular Plastics

Context

CIRCULÉIRE is the first cross-sectoral industry-led innovation network dedicated to accelerating the net-zero carbon circular economy in Ireland. CIRCULÉIRE is a €4.5m public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (Secretariat), and three Strategic Partners; the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and EIT Climate-KIC and 25 Founding Industry Members. 

CIRCULÉIRE’s overarching objective between 2020-2022 is to source, test, finance, and scale, circular manufacturing systems, supply chains and circular business models to deliver significant reductions in both CO2 emissions and waste across our Industry Membership over the programmes’ lifespan.  

The TWGs support this strategic objective by providing CIRCULÉIRE’s industry partners with: 

1. Expert knowledge, guidance, and support to ensure members are familiar with strategically important topics related to the Circular Economy and its implications for industry – outlined below. (Past Thematic Working Groups in 2020 focused on topics including Circular Bioeconomy; Industrial Symbiosis; and the Circular Procurement);  

2. Delivering well-designed, interactive online (or in-person COVID-19 permitting) meetings, workshops and webinars (including 2-3 Sprint/Ideation sessions to help industry members prepare and pitch innovation 5-10 project ideas which can be funded through CIRCULÉIRE’s ring-fenced network innovation fund dedicated to funding large scale systems-level innovation); 

3. Thought leadership and high-quality, engaging content based around the following key outputs: 

4. State-of-the-Art Review (SoAR) which incorporates a landscape review of relevant national and EU policy, industry best practice, key barriers and key enablers to scaling circular economy strategy or practice in Ireland (e.g 10-15 pages) (interim deliverable to inform / set the context for the ideation process)

5. Synthesis Report which incorporates insights of SoAR and outputs of Ideation Process (max 50 pages including appendices) (final deliverable)

6. High-Level Summary Report (max 15 pages) (final deliverable)

7. 1 page infographic or factsheet (final deliverable)

8. 2x Webinars (Network only & Public) (final deliverable)

Background information, Deadline for Proposals + Contact Details 

Further information about the Expert Facilitators can be found in the attached document available here.

Questions on this specification should come in writing (please complete and submit a financial assumptions template to aide evaluation). We will collect questions until 5pm, 25th March 2021.The application form to be returned to IMR is available here.  

Key dates on the Call for Proposal:

1. Q&As from IMR to submitting parties by 5pm Thursday 25th March 2021 

2. Deadline for RFP submission to circuleire@imr.ie 12am, Wednesday, 31st March 2021

3. Communication of winning proposal(s): Thursday, 1st of April 2021

4. Kick-Off Meeting with to Agree Timeline: W/C 6th of April

5. Invitation for Panel Participants Go Live:  Thursday, 1st April 2021

IMR Contact Person: Sophie Reynolds, Technologist – Circular Economy  E: sophie.reynolds@imr.ie