About the request
The City Expert Support Facility (CESF), through NetZeroCities / Climate-KIC, are requesting proposals to support the City of Zaragoza in the preparation of an external Communication Strategy and supporting the improvement of internal communication activities between different departments of the city for the successful implementation of the City Climate Contract.
Zaragoza has set ambitious objectives in its Climate City Contract (CCC). However, effective participatory communication approaches remain a challenge, both internally and externally. Limited engagement from citizens, key community actors and private entities presents a significant barrier to implementation.
To overcome these challenges, the city is seeking strategic support to develop a communication framework that will actively connect the EU’s Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission with its citizens and stakeholders. The aim is to foster distributed co-leadership and co-create spaces for local action. The strategy should focus on making the mission relatable and actionable for different target audiences, including municipal departments, private sector organisations, and civil society. It will also lay the foundation for a cohesive narrative that fosters cooperation and enhances coordination between municipal departments, strengthening the coherence of messaging to the public and building trust and a sense of shared responsibility among all stakeholders.
Objectives
The overarching goal of this assignment is to support the City of Zaragoza in turning its Climate Mission into a shared civic journey. This will be achieved by empowering citizens and fostering co-leadership, while also improving institutional communication to reinforce this collective effort and support the implementation of climate actions. To this end, the City is seeking a contractor to support it in two main areas:
- Prepare a comprehensive external Communication Strategy that will enhance the visibility and understanding of the EU Mission and the CCC among citizens and stakeholders, activate local action, and build trust across sectors.
- Support the city in strengthening its internal communication mechanisms to enhance alignment and cross-departmental collaboration within the municipality. Ensure that municipal narratives and citizen-facing messages are consistent and effective.
These services should be provided within the 8-month period.
The service provider’s overall role is to provide expert guidance, facilitate participatory processes, foster collaboration and help embed a long-term vision of collective climate leadership. They should also ensure that the city’s efforts are strategically focused, well-coordinated and resilient to challenges.
Please find all further relevant information including key tasks, foreseen timeline, full detailed scope, out of scope, milestones, and all related information below.
Timeline and additional information
Interested parties are invited to submit their proposals by 8 July 2025 to Luisa Carretti and Mateusz Hoffman [CESF@netzerocities.eu]. Proposals should include and address all specific requirements related to the request which can be found below.
