We are seeking proposals for the development and launch of a new, future-focused and compelling brand.

The Natural Step Canada (TNS) is seeking proposals for the development and launch of a new, future-focused and compelling brand to accompany its recent partnership with Smart Prosperity Institute (SPI), which will serve as an umbrella for the initiatives within the partnership. This RFP represents an exciting opportunity to help ideate, create, and launch this new brand identity and story that embodies the present and long-term future of TNS-SPI and advances the mission of the partnership. 

We invite interested parties to submit a proposal by March 11, 2022 that includes timeline, cost, and deliverables, with more details that outline our criteria for selection available in the full accompanying RFP document. The RFP includes a background of our organization and describes the purpose of the rebrand, key deliverables, and specific requests relating to the proposal. 

The Challenge 

Over its 25-year history, The Natural Step Canada has proven itself to be a leader in advancing innovation and strategic leadership, through the engagement of leaders from industry, academia, government, and civil society. Its labs and initiatives tackle some of our country’s most pressing problems, including the Energy Futures Lab (EFL) which is advancing the energy future of Alberta; the Canada Plastics Pact (CPP) which is working to end plastic waste; and Circular Economy Leadership Canada (CELC), which is accelerating the transition to a low-carbon, circular economy in Canada. Over the past decade, Smart Prosperity Institute has established itself as a preeminent think-tank at the cutting edge of environment-economy research and policy in Canada. These two organizations, The Natural Step Canada and Smart Prosperity Institute, are coming together in partnership to have greater impact together, by fostering a strong and inclusive economy that thrives within nature’s limits. 

As we all grapple with how we rise to meet our most pressing challenges - climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, inequality, and economic uncertainty - the TNS-SPI Partnership offers evidence-based and bold solutions. At a time when there is division and separation in our echo chambers, the TNS-SPI Partnership brings together leaders with disparate viewpoints and finds common ground and new thinking that are necessary to create the economy of the future.

This exciting and ground-breaking partnership requires a bold, future-focussed, and undeniably compelling brand that can serve as an umbrella for the initiatives within the partnership. Beyond the brand, the partnership also requires a powerful narrative that tells the story of the whole partnership, as well as its dynamic, high-impact initiatives and the relationships between them all. This RFP represents an exciting opportunity for an agency to help ideate, create, and launch this new umbrella brand and narratives that captures the imaginations of key audiences - namely leaders from industry, government, media, academia, foundations, and civil society - and spurs them to use their influence to create the positive change we need for a prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive future.

Project Scope 

The scope of this project is to develop and support in launching a new, partnership-wide umbrella brand across all platforms, with a brand identity and story that embodies the present and long-term future of TNS-SPI and advances the mission of the partnership. TNS itself will be rebranded as the umbrella brand, while the brands of SPI, EFL, CPP, and CELC (and possibly other brands in the future) will retain their current brands in order to focus attention on those distinct brands and target key constituencies in those issue spaces. The selected agency will strategically develop the shared story and messaging of TNS-SPI as a whole, with TNS specifically being rebranded to serve the unifying role across the partnership, while clearly developing the respective brand identities, messages, and stories of all TNS-SPI brands, how they fit within the larger umbrella brand, and their relationships to one another.  

Beyond the scope of this rebranding project, there is potential for extensive future work with this growing partnership of brands. There is also a concurrent RFP for a website redesign, and agencies with excellence in both rebranding and website development are encouraged to bid on both projects. 

Please click below to view the full rebrand RFP document with all relevant project information, including organizational background, full project scope, deliverables, timelines, required proposal content, selection criteria and next steps:

• VIEW THE FULL REBRAND REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 

Contact Information 

We request that you submit a proposal to Alice Irene Whittaker (alice@naturalstep.ca) by March 11, 2022. Agencies bidding on this RFP are strongly encouraged to set up a briefing conversation with Alice Irene to discuss the project in advance of submitting a proposal. 

Inquiries on this RFP may be directed to: Alice Irene Whittaker, Director of Marketing and Communications, at alice@naturalstep.ca.