Local Democracy Reporting Service - 2025 Supplier Applications

Description

A key component of the BBC’s public purpose mission is to ensure that audiences can engage fully with major local issues, essential to democracy, keeping audiences informed and holding local authority to account. The BBC works with the local news industry to improve the provision of local journalism and is now conducting a competitive procurement for the reselection of 'Suppliers' for the Local Democracy Reporting Service across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, to deliver the recruitment of 165 journalists, employed by local news providers, across 118 Contract Areas. A ‘Supplier’ receives the free content generated through the Local Democracy Reporting Service, News Hub and Shared Data Unit, and employs one or more of the Local Democracy Reporters to report on local democratic institutions in the relevant Contract Area(s) including county councils, unitary authorities and metropolitan boroughs in the UK. IMPORTANT: It is a Condition of this Procurement that Bidder's MUST have achieved BBC LNP ‘Partner’ status to be eligible to submit a response to this ITT. The application process to become a Partner Organisation occurs on a rolling basis and further information with details how to apply can be found at https://www.bbc.com/lnp/partners/how-to-apply/ Organisations that do not currently hold ‘Partner’ status will need to have submitted their application to become a BBC LNP 'Partner’ via ttps://www.bbc.com/lnp/partners/how-to-apply/ by 3rd January 2025 at 14.00 UK Time and had this approved to be eligible to submit a response to this ITT by the Tender Response Deadline. Organisations which currently hold current ‘Partner’ status can submit their response to the ITT ahead of the Tender Response Deadline without having to re-apply to become a Partner for the purpose of this procurement. The ITT Tender Response Deadline is 16th January 2025 at 14.00 UK Time Lot 1 to 118: 165 local democracy reporters to report across 118 'Contract Areas' (118 lots) across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. Further details can be found at https://www.bbc.com/lnp/ldrs/