Marketing services for Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme

Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein (IB.SH), acting as Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat of the EU funding Programme Interreg Baltic Sea Region, hereby invites full-service marketing agencies to submit an offer for marketing and hosting and maintenance services. IB.SH intends to conclude a framework contract with a suitable marketing agency from May 2026.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are looking for an agency with proven experience in elaborating corporate brands that can provide all strategic consultancy, modern design, video production and web programming in-house and has an approach towards sustainable and green communication. We expect a proven record of handling accessibility of websites and documents, managing multi-editor websites and a proven record of working with EU Interreg funding programmes or equivalent, in particular on core activities of this tender such as brand development and website management.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The agency’s core staff must befluent in English and be able to communicate confidently in German, both in writing and in speaking. We expect the agency to be capable of providing and applying technical solutions to collaborate and communicate remotely with IB.SH staff and to attend physical meetings in Rostock or other places in the EU upon request.

Interreg Baltic Sea Region is an EU funding Programme co-financed from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). We offer more than money: we bring together cultures, perspectives and expertise to get the best ideas and joint solutions. With our support, projects drive the transition to a green and resilient Baltic Sea region. Partner organisations working in projects come from nine countries (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Programme is implemented by two bodies, the Monitoring Committee and the Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat (see www.interreg-baltic.eu/contacts). The countries involved in the Programme have designated IB.SH (www.ib-sh.de/en) at Kiel/Germany, a publicly owned, non-profit making, regional development bank, as joint Managing Authority (MA) and host of the Joint Secretariat (JS). The MA/JS is responsible for the day-to-day management of Interreg Baltic Sea Region. The official Programme language is English. For more information, please visit www.interreg-baltic.eu.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme belongs to the Interreg community of 86 programmes (see www.interreg.eu), which pursues one common brand, both in terms of its visual features (see annex 3) and in joint narrative (see annex 4).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interreg programmes are arranged in the programming periods of seven years, corresponding to the Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union. The current funding period lasts from 2021 until 2027, and the next funding period lasts from 2028 until 2034. At the moment, we are at the peak of the current Programme’s implementation, putting a stronger emphasis on promoting project results and Programme achievements, as well as on offering support to ongoing projects actively maintaining their project pages hosted at www.interreg-baltic.eu/projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soon, however, we will step into a transition phase from one funding period to another. During this transition phase, it is the MA/JS’s task to ensure that the existing marketing infrastructure, namely the Programme’s website (www.interreg-baltic.eu) and the project library (www.interreg-baltic.eu/projects) are publicly accessible and maintained, while necessary amendments and preparations for the launch of the new Programme are ongoing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The current contracts for the maintenance and development of the website, project library and matchmaking platform will end by the end of February 2026. The agency will take over the maintenance and development of the Programme websites to ensure continuity in Programme communication and support to projects managing their project pages. Website reviews and developing other marketing activities for the new Programme (e.g. brand book, basic marketing material, kick off of the Programme) are foreseen from 2027 onwards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The objective of the assignment is to receive professional, continuous and comprehensive support in reaching the Programme’s communication aims. The annual marketing budget amounts to about 60,000€ on average. It will be adjusted according to the needs of the Programme. The total volume of the contract shall not exceed 800,000 € for a maximum duration of this framework contract by end of 2034.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The contact people at the MA/JS for the marketing agency are currently two communication officers and a communication assistant. The working language is English for all communication between the Joint Secretariat/Managing Authority and the agency, as well as the products. To facilitate cooperation, the agency shall name one project manager and one substitute project manager who will serve as the main contacts for the MA/JS. Communication between the MAthe agency shall take place by e-mail, phone and online via tools offered and secured by the agency as part of the project management. The agency shall also provide suitable software for planning, jointly implementing and reviewing marketing jobs (for online and offline products). This should include a solution for the transfer of large files in both directions. We expect some physical meetings and training to take place in Rostock, where the MA/JS is based, and in other places, upon request.