How to write a good rebrand tender

Begin with the organisational context.

You might have introduced a new strategy, expanded your services, merged with another organisation or found that your current identity no longer represents who you are. Your audiences may misunderstand what you do, or different teams may describe the organisation in inconsistent ways.

Be specific about the problem. For example:

‘Our organisation has changed significantly since our current identity was introduced. We now work with a broader range of communities and partners, but our brand is still strongly associated with one area of our historic work. We need to clarify our proposition and create an identity that supports the next stage of our strategy.’

This is more useful than saying that the current brand feels dated.

It is understandable for colleagues to have views about colours, typefaces or logos, but these are rarely the most important starting points.

Explain what is not working at an organisational or audience level. This might include:

• Low awareness or recognition.
• Confusion about what you do.
• An identity that does not reflect your strategy.
• Inconsistent messages across departments.
• A complicated family of sub-brands.
• Difficulty engaging particular communities.
• A lack of accessible or practical brand assets.
• Staff lacking confidence in using the brand.

A good agency will use research and consultation to determine how the strategy, messaging and identity should respond.

The word ‘rebrand’ can describe anything from a visual refresh to a complete review of an organisation’s name, positioning and identity.

State which elements may be in scope. These could include:

• Research and brand audit.
• Audience and stakeholder consultation.
• Brand strategy and positioning.
• Purpose, proposition and values.
• Naming or renaming.
• Brand architecture.
• Key messages.
• Tone of voice.
• Visual identity.
• Photography, illustration or iconography.
• Brand guidelines.
• Templates and core applications.
• Internal launch and brand training.
• External rollout and implementation.

Be clear about what is confirmed and where you want the appointed partner to advise you.

Brands are shaped by people’s experiences of an organisation, not only by its communications team.

Explain which groups should contribute to the project. Depending on your organisation, this could include service users, supporters, members, volunteers, staff, trustees, commissioners, funders, clinical teams or partner organisations.

You do not need to decide every consultation activity in advance. Agencies should be able to recommend an inclusive and proportionate research plan.

It is also helpful to identify who will make decisions and who will approve the final work. Unclear governance can lead to delays, conflicting feedback and subjective decision-making.

A rebrand does not always mean replacing everything.

There may be elements of your current brand that hold recognition, trust or emotional value. You may need to retain your name, a symbol, a colour, an accreditation mark or a connection to a parent organisation.

Describe any fixed requirements, but distinguish these from internal preferences that can be tested through the project.

Provide access to relevant documents such as your organisational strategy, audience research, impact reports, equality and inclusion commitments, previous brand reviews and existing guidelines.

This helps agencies understand your direction and avoid repeating work unnecessarily.

It is equally useful to explain where evidence is missing. The project may need to test awareness, perceptions, terminology or potential names with audiences.

A charity or public-interest brand should work for the people it exists to serve.

Ask agencies to explain how they embed accessibility and inclusion throughout research, strategy, design and implementation. This should go beyond checking colour contrast at the end of the project.

Consider accessible consultation methods, inclusive language, readability, representation, alternative formats and how the identity will work across digital and physical settings.

A new identity only creates value when it is adopted consistently.

Explain where the brand will need to appear, such as your website, social media, reports, campaigns, signage, fundraising materials, uniforms, vehicles, presentations or partner communications.

You may not need the agency to redesign every item. However, they need enough information to create an identity that is practical for your organisation.

Consider what support staff will need, including templates, a Canva Brand Hub, training, launch communications or ongoing creative support.

A rebrand involving research, strategy, consultation, messaging and implementation requires a different level of investment from a visual refresh.

Publishing a budget or range allows agencies to propose an appropriate depth of work. It also helps you receive submissions that can be compared fairly.

State whether the budget includes implementation, website changes, printing, photography, research incentives, travel, VAT and ongoing support.

A meaningful rebrand needs time for listening, analysis, creative development, testing and organisational decision-making.

Avoid squeezing the process into an artificial deadline or allowing too little time for consultation and approvals. Tell agencies about fixed milestones, but invite them to propose a realistic project programme.

Remember that internal rollout and implementation may continue after the core identity has been approved.

When reviewing agencies, look beyond visual style.

Assessment criteria might include:

• Understanding of your organisation and context.
• Strategic approach.
• Relevant sector and audience experience.
• Consultation and co-design methods.
• Accessibility and inclusive practice.
• Quality of creative work.
• Project management and collaboration.
• Implementation support.
• Value for money.

Strong creative work should be supported by strong reasoning. Ask agencies to show how insight informed their recommendations, rather than judging portfolios only by personal preference.

Speculative design asks agencies to create an answer before they have undertaken the research needed to understand the problem.

It can lead organisations to choose the most immediately attractive concept rather than the strongest strategic partner. It may also exclude smaller, specialist agencies that cannot absorb substantial unpaid work.

Instead, ask for relevant case studies, methodologies, team information and examples of how agencies have responded to comparable challenges. Where a creative task is essential, it should be tightly scoped and paid.