1. Context
This consultation is published by Plan Bleu, French association founded in 1977 and Regional Activity Center of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), based in Marseille, France. The MAP is one of the main components of the Regional Seas Programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It has a legal instrument: the Barcelona Convention and relies on six regional activity centres (“RACs”) responsible in particular for promoting the implementation of the various protocols attached to the convention. Plan Bleu is one of the six centres mandated by the twenty-one countries Parties to the Barcelona Convention and the European Union (Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention). Plan Bleu acts as an observatory of the environment and sustainable development in the Mediterranean, and conducts thematic, systemic and prospective analyses to enlighten decision-makers of the region on the environmental risks and the challenges of sustainable development.
Plan Bleu is a partner and leads WP2 Transfer within the Dialogue4Nature (D4N) project, a seven-year governance project (2023-2029) funded by the Interreg Euro-MED programme. D4N is part of the Natural Heritage Mission (NHM) set up by the Programme which focuses on protecting, restoring and valorising the natural resources of the Euro-Mediterranean area. The project collaborates closely with Community4Nature (C4N), the other governance project part of the Mission. The NHM is currently made up of 16 Thematic Projects (TPs) which are studying, testing and transferring concrete methodologies, tools and solutions to address thematic issues related to nature conservation.
The Natural Heritage Mission seeks to establish an ongoing and direct dialogue on policies that integrate technical knowledge and innovative solutions into effective and transformative governance. This approach aims to foster collaboration, improve governance, and facilitate the transfer of best practices among stakeholders both within and beyond the Mediterranean community. A cornerstone of this effort is the organisation of Annual Institutional Dialogue events, designed to create a platform for exchange and cooperation between policymakers, scientists, and civil society. Moreover, D4N supported by C4N set up four thematic Working Groups (WGs): Area-based Conservation (IUCN-MED, WG1), Climate change Adaptation (MedCities, WG2), Evaluating the socio-economic value of Biodiversity (Marine Institute, WG3), Ecosystem Restoration and Nature-based Solutions (Plan Bleu, WG4). WGs engage with a Community of Practice as well as external actors with the aim to create a space for networking, capacity building and producing knowledge such as policy papers and briefs zooming in on specific EU, Mediterranean and international issues. Two WGs webinars are organized per year to work with the members.
2. Tasks description
The objective of the present call is to select an expert to support the preparatory work and to facilitate two key events of the NHM which are:
- Facilitation of working sessions during the 2nd WG webinar which will take place on 29th October, 2025 online (Zoom) in order to collect and consolidate key messages and policy recommendations on terrestrial ecosystems restoration (forests, wetlands, freshwater ecosystems) emerging from the Mission’s thematic projects.
- Facilitation of working sessions during the Annual Institutional Dialogue event which will take place on 25-26th November 2025 in Barcelona (see venue) and finalise the policy recommendations for terrestrial ecosystem restoration as well as key achievement of this event.
Special attention will be paid to proposals including interactive and participatory methodologies for facilitating online and physical events.
WG webinar – 29 October:
The WG webinar will feature the following sessions:
- A session with TPs about the Institutional Dialogue event and other key international events to discuss the potential opportunities for the NHM to promote its work and advocate for policy change.
- A session on the legal study carried out by Region of Sardinia supported by external experts which looks at the links between legislative processes at different governance levels affecting the adoption of nature conservation policies
- A working session with TPs on the policy recommendations focusing on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.
To this end, the expert will be expected to take part in the following steps for the WG webinar.
1. Prior to the meeting:
- To support the preparatory work by supporting the finalisation of the agenda, support setting the overarching target of the event, develop the methodology of each session
- To attend the organisation and coordination meetings with the D4N team to agree on the objectives of each session, the targeted questions that each session should address, as well as the outcomes expected from each session.
- To call for meetings with the speakers to prepare for the sessions and for their interventions content, to ask them for material to be sent beforehand and help extract key messages to be developed during the event and considered in the final report. This part should include activities such as:
- Contacting the speakers and setting bilateral meetings to fine-tune the session content,
- During this part the consultant will extract key messages from the speakers for communication purposes and will advise the event’s communication team on relevant social media posts.
- To support the communication team with inputs to support framing PPTs, social media posts to be linked to the communication strategy.
2. During the event: Facilitate all the sessions of the event.
3. After the event: Draft a report summarising the main achievements of the event and capturing the key messages and draft policy recommendations with the support of minutes provided by the NHM team. The draft policy recommendations will serve as a basis to be consolidated during the Institutional Dialogue event in November in Barcelona
Institutional Dialogue event – Barcelona 25-26 November:
Several high-level and impactful policy processes will take place in Autumn 2025 and offer a unique opportunity for the NHM to inform and influence the policy agenda in the region in the coming years. This includes the revision of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD), the New Pact of the Mediterranean, or the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Roadmap.
The Annual Institutional Dialogue will take place just prior to the UfM Regional Forum, from November 25th to 26th in Barcelona. It will maintain its focus on ecosystem restoration, supported by the recent adoption of the EU Nature Restoration Law (NRR) and the ongoing development of National Restoration Plans by Member States. Building on the 2024 edition, which focused on marine and coastal ecosystems, this year’s dialogue will address terrestrial ecosystem restoration, with a particular emphasis on forests and wetlands including freshwater ecosystems. On 28 November, during the Day of the Mediterranean, the UfM will hold its 10th Regional Forum. This represents a unique opportunity for the NHM to bring to the table the importance of nature conservation and restoration in promoting human well-being, fostering peace and stability, enhancing climate resilience, and generating fair employment. The NHM can advocate for a more equitable and sustainable society that respects the intrinsic value of all forms of life.
During the NHM in person coordination event in Athens (2-3 July), the D4N partners organized a working session to build the mission’s key messages to be conveyed to government officials attending the UfM Regional Forum in Barcelona. All representatives of the 16 thematic projects, along with all partners of both governance projects, were involved in this process of collective reflection.
In this context, the expert will be expected to perform the following tasks:
1. Support the preparatory work for the institutional dialogue event by attending the organisation/coordination meetings and developing the tasks described above
2. Support in identifying speakers and follow up with speakers to prepare for each session and extract the main messages from each session (for the concluding session and the report).
3. Participate in the event in Barcelona (25-26 November 2025) and facilitate working sessions.
a. On 25th November: The expert will be expected to take notes during the Institutional Dialogue event.
b. On 26th November: The expert will be expected to facilitate working sessions with the Community of Practice of the NHM related to policy recommendations for terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.
4. After the event, draft a targeted report summarising the event achievements including the notes of the Institutional Dialogue event (25th November), the consolidated policy recommendations for terrestrial ecosystems to be addressed during high level policy events such as the Barcelona Convention COP24 (Cairo, Egypt 2–5 December).
The selected expert will be provided with relevant materials, reports and documents to carry out the main tasks, including:
- The study on legal instruments and policies (D3.2)
- The policy recommendations for marine and coastal restoration developed in 2024 in collaboration with the Community of Practice from the NHM and key external stakeholders
- Background documentation for the organisation of both events, including agendas, lists of participants, main speakers lists, access to shared drives, etc.
The total duration of the contract is 20 days spread between the end of September/early October and mid December, including half a day on 29 October and two full days for the Annual Institutional Dialogue event on 25-26 November in Barcelona.
The layout of the final report will be handled by D4N Partner Marine Institute, according to the visual identity of the Interreg Euro-MED D4N project.
Travel costs to the event will be covered by the D4N project and do not need to be considered in the economic proposal for this consultancy.
The tasks to be developed under this activity should be coordinated with the NHM communication activities planned for these events that are developed under the joint lead of Marine Institute (D4N) and iRRADIARE (C4N) supported by a communication working group. Each of the above described steps will be validated by the D4N team. Regular calls and meetings with Plan Bleu and D4N partners will be planned during the assignment to ensure a smooth development of the tasks and that the results are adapted to the needs. The consultant will have to exchange with all D4N partners/organisations when necessary.
3. Timeline of services and deliverables
Timeline of services is presented in the table below :
4. Work assessment
The Consultant will be supervised by Plan Bleu’s Dialogue4Nature team:
- Arnaud Terrisse, Biodiversity Programme Officer, [email protected]
- Alice Wittevrongel, Biodiversity Project Officer, [email protected]
Coordination and regular communication with Dialogue4Nature and Community4Nature partners will be expected.
5. Budget
The available budget for this consultancy is 8000 euros VAT included and proposals should not exceed this amount.
6. Selection criteria
This mission is open to consultant consortia and individual consultants. Candidates qualified for this mission must meet the following criteria:
Experience :
- Masters or PhD or equivalent degree in policy and/or environmental studies
- Previous relevant experience in preparing and facilitating events through interactive and participatory methodologies
- Previous relevant experience on nature/biodiversity conservation issues
- Experience in the Mediterranean region is strongly desired, and a good knowledge of actors and governance processes in Mediterranean countries
- Knowledge of the D4N Interreg Euro-MED project and the architecture of the Programme is strongly desired.
- Strong conceptual and synthesis ability combined with good English writing and communication skills
- Ability to mobilize information and existing knowledge in an efficient way
- Relevant project and publication references
- Fluency in English as well as proven technical writing skills is required.
7. Consultant selection
The selection of the expert will be based on the evaluation of their technical offer (proposed methodology of action and detailed skills in relation to the qualifications required as described above and the proposed approach of the call) and an evaluation of the most economically advantageous offer.
8. Contractual, Financial, and Practical Conditions
The acceptance of the selected offer implies acceptance of the terms and detailed schedules outlined in these Terms of Reference, including the following payment schedule (negotiable) :
- 30% of the contract amount will be paid upon signature of the contract
- 70% of the contract amount will be paid upon validation of the final deliverables
A properly issued invoice will be required for the scheduled payments, containing the following mandatory details:
- Full name + address of the service provider
- SIRET number (France) or tax number (for non-France)
- Invoice issuance date
- Invoice number
- Service description (e.g., name of the deliverable)
- Amount excluding taxes (HT), VAT, and total amount (TTC), in the currency specified in the contract
- For individuals not subject to VAT (France): include the mention “TVA non applicable, article 293B du code général des impôts”
- Payment due date
The payment term for invoices will be by bank transfer within 15 days after the invoice date. The tax legislation in force at the time of acceptance of the offer will apply.
9. Application procedures
Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents:
- A technical offer, including a letter of interest and a resume showcasing relevant experience and making reference to the Terms of reference
- A financial offer in euros (VAT included if needed)
The application files must be submitted no later than Friday 19th September via www.planbleu.org and by email to the attention of [email protected] and [email protected].
For more information, please contact: Arnaud Terrisse, [email protected] and Alice Wittevrongel, [email protected]
