ADD2564 Press support services for sustainable development

1.1. Approval was granted in January 2018 for contracting press support services to support the London Sustainable Development Commission (LSDC) and the Better futures programme for a three-year period under ADD2202. That contract ends on 31 March 2022; therefore, approval is sought to procure similar services under a fresh contract, following a new competitive tendering process.

1.2. Similar approval was also granted in January 2015 for contracting Press Support services to support the LSDC for a three-year period, under ADD260. The contract granted on the basis of ADD260 concluded on 31 March 2018.

1.3. As an external body providing independent advice, the LSDC does not receive comms support internally from the GLA. The GLA Press Team have been consulted and agreed that the LSDC procuring external press support services was the appropriate mechanism for an entity providing independent advice such as the LSDC.

London Sustainable Development Commission (LSDC)

1.4. The LSDC is responsible for advising the Mayor on making the capital an exemplary sustainable world city. First established by the Mayor of London in 2002, the LSDC comprises key representatives from London’s economic, social, environmental and governance sectors, who give their time voluntarily. The LSDC is supported in its work by a small secretariat provided by the Strategy and Green Recovery Team within the Greater London Authority (GLA).



1.5. The LSDC is resourced by the GLA Environment Team with a secretariat and programme budget.

Priorities for the LSDC are set by the Commission in partnership with the GLA. Current areas of focus include:

• The Just Transition: exploring what an equitable transition to a zero-carbon economy will mean for Londoners.

• Social Value: The Commission are exploring how social value can be delivered as part of London’s regeneration and development processes, working to create an inclusive, equitable and social-value-rich city.



• Cleantech and Innovation: This strand of work focusses on how to speed up the growth of London’s low-carbon goods and services sector, which led to the development of the Better Futures and Better Futures + projects

1.6. The LSDC is seeking to focus its efforts particularly in areas that have the potential to be transformational and scalable, to demonstrate additionality in its work, raise ambition and to promote exemplary practice. Further information can be found on the LSDC website.

Better Futures Project

1.7. The Better Futures project was born out of a LSDC report titled ‘Better Future: A Route Map to Creating a Cleantech Cluster in London’ which recognised that while London has the UK’s greatest concentration of green business, it is growing at just over half the global rate at the time. One reason for this is that the cleantech sector is currently scattered across the capital, meaning that is not gaining the well-known benefits of ‘clustering’. The Better Futures project acts to provide support and build a network between green business in the capital. Support includes, paid short term internships, grants, events, workshops and masterclasses.

1.8. Building on the success of the established Better Futures Programme, 2020 saw an expansion to the programme, called Better Futures + (now in Phase 2) designed to offer further support London’s vibrant Cleantech small and medium enterprises (SME’s), especially as London builds back from the Covid-19 pandemic, as part of the wider GLA’s Green New Deal to help contribute to the doubling of the green economy by 2030. The programme is delivered in partnership with leading delivery partners at Imperial College London, Sustainable Ventures, Imperial College Consultants (ICON), West London Business and OPDC.

1.9. The Better Futures programme is ERDF (MD2536 and GND funded (MD2708 and MD 2879), including staff members who are based within the GLA Environment Team. Phase 1 of the Better Futures Programme was ERDF funded, whereas subsequent iterations of the programme are funded by the Mayor’s Green New Deal Fund. The Better Futures programme projects have communications requirement, to maximise success, help recruit businesses and promote the businesses connected to the projects.

2.1. The successful consultants will support the development and delivery of the LSDC’s communications strategy, providing press engagement services to help raise the profile of key LSDC activities in the context of its role to advise the Mayor and exist as a well-known, objective, and authoritative voice on priority sustainability issues for the capital. This includes communications support for the Better Futures programmes.

2.2. Services delivered under this contract would include:

• Supporting the contract manager in the development of an overarching communications and engagement strategy by the LSDC. This will help to raise awareness of the LSDC and its activities through issuing press releases, identifying opportunities for LSDC members to speak at relevant events and created a tailored media list to support engagement.
• Maximising the profile of the Better Futures programme through the development of communications strategy, appropriate press engagement and advising on media angles. Strategic media advice will also be provided to SMEs to support business development and media promotion.

2.3. Dedicated communications, increasing the profile of both the LSDC and the Better Futures Programme will contribute to delivering on the Mayor’s Green New Deal programme, which aims to tackle some of London’s key environmental challenges, especially through the creation of green jobs and skills and supporting a just transition to a low-carbon circular economy.

3.1. Under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the GLA must have ‘due regard’ of the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation as well as to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not.

3.2. The services awarded under this contract will support the work of the LSDC, whose Terms of Reference outline a clear commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusivity in its core principles.

3.3. The successful consultant would be expected to make themselves familiar with these core principles, and to apply the principles of the Equality Act as they apply to public bodies such as the GLA.

3.4. As well as the LSDC’s overall, core commitment to the principles of equality, diversity, and exclusivity, several of its workstreams have explicit reference to improving the representation of groups currently underrepresented in particular sectors. For instance, the LSDC’s work on the Just Transition strives to ensure an equitable transition to a zero-carbon economy for all Londoners, reflecting the diversity of the city.

3.5. The Better Futures programme of work will be marketed to a diverse range of entrepreneurs and early-stage cleantech SME’s. The programmes specifically target and engage female cleantech entrepreneurs and BAME community members, where there is clear under-representation in those who go on to form start-ups.

3.6. In procuring and managing the consultant, the GLA will look to encourage equality and diversity, in line with the Responsible Procurement Policy. Specific efforts will be made to ensure that the procurement process is open to the whole of the PR support community (including Small and Medium Enterprises operating in this space), and applicants will be asked to demonstrate how they promote equality and diversity in their own organisations.

Key risks and issues

4.1. Failure to receive approval would mean the LSDC would be unable to access independent and proactive press support services to support its remit and the aims of the Better Futures project. This would ultimately have a negative impact on delivery.

Links to mayoral strategies and priorities



4.2. The LSDC and the Better Futures project support delivery of the Mayor’s statutory duty on sustainable development. As such, they link into the majority of the Mayor’s priorities and strategies.

Consultations and impact assessments, including data protection (as per the GLA’s requirements under GDPR), health and safeguarding where relevant

4.3. The approach to procure independent, external communications support for the LSDC and Better Futures Programmes has been discussed and agreed by press and comms teams from within the GLA. The provision of comms support from an external provider, will both help to maintain and position the LSDC as an independent advisory body to the Mayor and provide the capacity needed to fulfil the comms brief for the LSDC and the Better Futures Programmes.

5.1. £45,000 is required to award a contract for the provision of Press Support services for the LSDC and Better Futures projects.

5.2. The contract will be in place over three consecutive financial years, April 2022 – March 2025 in which £15,000 is expected to be paid each year. The contract will include a break clause after the first year following an annual review.

5.3. Over a three-year period, the Authority’s London Sustainable Development Commission budget will provide £30,000 alongside £15,000 from the Better Futures project – both of which are contained within the Environment budget.

5.4. Annually £10,000 will be assigned from the LSDC budget to support the work of the Commission, whereas £5,000 will be available annually to support the Better Futures Programmes. This will be reviewed on an annual basis, as there is a yet no confirmed funding for the Better Futures Programme after March 2023.

5.5. As this expenditure relates to future financial years it will be subject to the annual budget setting process. The forementioned break clause which will be included in the contract can facilitate the early termination should the GLA’s budget prioritisation process not allow for future funding and or the Better Future match funding not be available.