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– This opportunity is now closed –

  • Contact: [email protected]
  • Expression of interest by: Wednesday 26 October 2022, 23.00 BST
  • Reference: DIPP019

Summary of key information 

Aim: The purpose of the peer-learning network is to convene a cohort of organisations that are working to collect, share and/or use data for climate resilience and sustainability. Participants will have the opportunity to receive funding to enable them to participate in the peer-learning network, to learn from data experts and from one another in order to more effectively address the challenges they face through a better understanding of relevant data topics. 

Audience: Organisations working on climate resilience and sustainability challenges, especially those which support disadvantaged or underrepresented communities. The peer-learning network will be supported by organisations with expertise in the field of water resilience and the built environment, so organisations working on related challenges may find additional benefit in applying

Duration: Five months 

Value of award (excluding VAT): £20,000 per participant

Timeline:

  • Expression of interest by: Wednesday 26 October 2022, 23.00 BST
  • Call with ODI and Microsoft representatives: From week commencing Monday 17 October 2022 (upon receival of expression of interest)
  • Tender decision by: Friday 4 November 2022 17.00 GMT
  • Contracts awarded: Friday 11 November 2022 17.00 GMT
  • Kick off session to commence: Wednesday 16 November 2022 (time TBC)
  • Final work delivered by: 31 March 2023

Contact: [email protected]

Background 

As part of the third year of our partnership with Microsoft, we are running a peer-learning network that provides cohorts of organisations ready to improve data practice and increase data sharing with opportunities to connect with peers, receive guidance from data and sector experts, funding and other support. You can learn more about our peer-learning networks here.

The Microsoft and ODI partnership to date has focused on organisations using data to positively impact the climate crisis. Previous work from the partnership has focused on discovering priority areas within the climate space for increased access to data through data collaborations, or offered practical support to organisations with a focus on climate and sustainability.

One area which has not been explored thus far is to bring together peers with a focus on climate and sustainability to share knowledge and learn from each other. Our peer-learning network will explore this, by convening organisations that share common goals around climate and sustainability.

Within this peer-learning network, we will be supporting an initial cohort of up to eight organisations.

Awardees will have the opportunity to: 

  • receive  £20,000 for their time over the five months of the peer-learning network
  • connect with peers within the sector working on similar challenges
  • improve their understanding of topics such as data stewardship, the benefits of sharing data and data ecosystems, and why these are important for their work
  • meet experts from the world of data and the water and built environment sectors

Who are we looking to support?

  • companies, non-profits, research institutions or government entities which are addressing a specific social, environmental or economic challenge, in this case related to climate resilience
  • organisations interested in or experimenting with ways for collecting, sharing and/or using data more effectively in order to achieve their goal

Examples of organisations which have previously participated in peer-learning network cohorts can be found in the links below: 

We would like to encourage applications from diverse organisations, as set out in Microsoft’s Supplier Diversity Policy, as well as organisations committed to addressing challenges faced by disadvantaged or underrepresented communities through their work.

What are the key goals of the peer-learning network?

The peer-learning network is designed to convene organisations that recognise the value of improved data practice and increased data sharing to enable them to learn from one another to more effectively address the challenges they face. It is a vital part of our partnership’s goal of enabling organisations of all sizes to realise the benefits of data. 

To achieve this, the peer-learning network will provide: 

  • opportunities for participants to learn from one another about their different approaches, and find solutions to commonly faced challenges and issues
  • access to expert guidance and support. 

We will also use the peer-learning network as an opportunity to engage with existing ODI and Microsoft research and tools.

Awardees will benefit from the following support from the ODI and Microsoft: 

  • regular contact (calls and written communications) with the ODI team
  • matching participants with one another to exchange experiences and learnings, and to work on common activities
  • training sessions and workshops on relevant data-related topics
  • access to Microsoft and ODI expertise (the shape of which will be defined with participants ahead of the peer-learning network kick off)
  • introduction to relevant people, organisations and groups in the ODI’s and Microsoft’s wider network
  • promotional support (including opportunities to take part in events and wider public relations activities). 

How will the network be structured?

We have designed a programme of work that includes:

  • Roundtable discussions and workshops - sessions related to pressing issues and challenges for participating organisations
  • Knowledge transfer & peer-learning - sharing experiences and learnings from other organisations within the network
  • Networking & exposure - access to organisations in the ODI, Microsoft, and PLN participants network, and promotional opportunities via the ODI and Microsoft’s applied platforms
  • Resource development - co-development of resources to share insights, experiences and learnings with a wider data community

We will start off the peer-learning network with a kick off call, which will introduce participants to each other, provide them with more detail about how the network will run and when key events will occur in the timeline, and give them the opportunity to share more about their work and the challenges they face with their peers.

The core structure of the network will pivot around three to five sessions (roughly one a month) which participants will be required to participate in. These sessions will relate to relevant data topics, for example, data stewardship, the benefits of data sharing, and data ecosystems and how these relate to the challenges that participants are trying to address. The sessions may take the form of roundtable discussions or interactive workshops, depending on the needs of participants. 

We expect to carry out regular sessions with each organisation to provide access to support and guidance from the ODI, Microsoft and relevant data and sector experts throughout the period. 

Applicants should expect to dedicate time for three to five half-day sessions and regular check-in meetings over the funding period of November 2022 through March 2023. 

We will also encourage and facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration between participants through online tools, such as mailing lists, group chats, and other knowledge-sharing opportunities. 

How can the funding be used?

The funding provided to the participants will be used to compensate for the time spent by the participating team to engage with the network.

It will also include coverage for travel costs for one in-person session at the close of the network (details to be confirmed).

Terms of payment 

Payment of the agreed contract price will be made at two milestones: 

  • 50% at the halfway point  
  • 50% will be paid upon completion of the network, including satisfactory responses to all feedback from the ODI and Microsoft

Deliverables 

Key deliverables:

  • A short output based on one of ODI tools and/or methodologies, which will be explored through an interactive workshop as part of the structure of the network (to be published by 31st January 2023)
  • a short output outlining what they have learnt through their participation, to be delivered and published at the end of the funding period. We will not prescribe a format for this output, but rather encourage participants to be creative with what they produce (to be published by March 31st 2023)

We also require participants to: 

  • attend regular meetings to monitor progress and regularly be in touch with the wider group of participants
  • attend and actively participate in the core virtual sessions during the funding period
  • contribute to the development of any related ODI and Microsoft outputs, such as case studies, blog posts or press releases.

We encourage participants to:

  • attend and actively participate in any other peer learning events
  • talk regularly about their participation in the peer-learning network through social media and other forums

The ODI and Microsoft will provide: 

  • funding to the level agreed in the contract
  • additional advice and support as agreed with individual organisations
  • opportunities for peer networking and knowledge sharing amongst the funded participants and wider data community. 

How to apply 

Interested parties should submit a short (no more than three-pages) expression of interest in English to [email protected], which should include: 

  • An overview of the organisation, including goals, priorities, key project work relating to the challenge you are addressing
  • A description of your organisation’s support and training needs (challenges and gaps in your work that you hope to fill through peer learning)
  • A description of what you hope to bring to the peer-learning network (skills, knowledge or experience) 
  • A description of the team who will be involved, including biographies and relevant experience, and contact details, as well as indication of support for this work by a named, senior-level champion from your organisation.  

If you have any questions about the tender, please contact [email protected], quoting the tender reference DIPP019. The ODI reserves the right to both make anonymised questions and answers public, or share them with other organisations having stated their interest. 

Decision criteria 

All expressions of interest will be assessed as described in the ODI’s public procurement policy. In addition, for this procurement successful applications will be assessed against the following criteria: 

  • Alignment with the goals of the network, stated in this document
  • A clear and well-articulated expression of interest, indicating what the organisation’s work is about and how it would fit into the peer-learning network. 
  • A clearly articulated intended outcome from your engagement with the network. 
  • Demonstrated commitment to publishing outputs and working openly. 

We aim to ensure that the peer-learning network reflects both Microsoft and the ODI’s diversity, equity and inclusion commitments, and is representative of the wide range of global stakeholders involved in addressing climate and sustainability challenges, so we will consider this as part of our selection criteria.