Mission

PIPA enables and empowers parents, carers and employers to achieve sustainable change in attitudes and practices in order to attract, support and retain a more diverse and flexible workforce. By working in partnership we raise awareness, find creative solutions and promote best practice in the UK Performing Arts.

PIPA's work benefits employers by providing clear, structured and collaborative solutions to the challenges of ensuring best practice in employing and retaining talented staff who are parents; for parents and carers working in the performance arts sector, PIPA is ensuring that consideration is given to the challenges of balancing caring responsibilities and working life. A successful dialogue between employers and employees will help build a more diverse, resilient and productive workforce.

Overview

Since its inception as a campaign in 2014, PIPA has grown to become a not-for-profit organisation, representing the interests and concerns of 37 strategic partner companies, spanning music, theatre and dance. PIPA has convened and built stakeholder relationships with performing arts sector leaders and institutions, and is working in partnership with strategic partners, ambassadors, funding and research partners to effect systemic change so that parents and carers have equality of opportunity and sustainable careers across the sectors.

This remarkable growth has been achieved through the work of the two co-founders, Anna Ehnold-Danailov and Cassie Raine, PIPA's part-time staff members, as well as advice, and practical assistance from partners, research bodies and board members.

PIPA's Board would like to commission the production of a business plan for PIPA's 2018 - 2023 activity, in order to service PIPA's growth, ambition, build financial and operational sustainability and take the company to its next exciting stage.

Background

PIPA began as a campaign, engaging with 18 organisations. In 2016, PIPA's co-directors felt able to manage the workload associated with the 18 partners. PIPA is now a not-for-profit limited company of national concern, with a growing PR presence and profile within the performing arts sector. PIPA currently has 37 strategic partners. 22 Theatre organisations are currently participating in PIPA's Arts Council funded Best Practice Charter Program, to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for the PIPA Best Practice Charter. PIPA is working with Birkbeck University to produce its first cross-arts research project, and has recently hosted its fourth partners' symposium. Through working with its partners, PIPA's work has a potential reach of tens of thousands of performing arts workers; PIPA also has traction and engagement with organisations supporting similar work across other industry sectors, parliamentarians and government agencies.

PIPA occupies a unique and vital position within the performing arts sector:

  • With a strong and sustained engagement with stakeholders of high profile and influence, PIPA continues to build unique data insights into the sector, which are of high value to music, dance and theatre organisations.
  • PIPA has a collaborative, cross-sector approach to redressing inequalities: working in partnership with the arts and cultural sector, including performance sector agencies with areas of overlapping interest (including Tonic Theatre, Act for Change, Swap'ra, Era 50:50 and Common), and also in dialogue with other industry sectors to explore best practice wherever it is practiced.
  • PIPA's focus and rigour around data gathering, and its potential to support business resilience, is a valuable and compelling offer to the wider cultural and creative industries sector.

Market Sector, and Sector Challenges

PIPA's work thus far has been with mid to large-scale, predominantly buildings-based organisations and sector umbrella organisations. PIPA's engagement with the 37 partners represents a fraction of the UK's largest performing arts institutions. PIPA has ambitions for continued growth, working in music and dance, and around SMEs, and sole traders.

PIPA's research and engagement with the performing arts sector has revealed widespread practices and behaviours that affect the sector's ability to attract and retain diverse talent. The scale of the challenge so far uncovered with just 37 strategic partners evidences the business case for a continued strong, sustained growth of PIPA as an organisation. PIPA's current capacity and business practices need to grow to engage effectively with the potential market.

PIPA's Goals

PIPA welcomes proposals that share fresh, creative thinking on how to best achieve PIPA's business goal of redressing inequalities affecting parents and carers. PIPA's current business practices include:

Business support to the performing arts sector

  • Providing research, resources and strategy to support performing arts organisations to develop business resilience through flexible, inclusive employment practices




Digital support to performing arts sector workers, and organisations

  • Developing and promoting an online resource for individuals and organisations, including signposting to existing resources

  • Building an interactive database that provides the wider arts sector with ongoing data and research that underpins and evidences diversity practices and behaviours.


Advocacy

  • Becoming the leading voice for parents and carers working in the performing arts

  • Ensuring the views and rights of parents and carers is represented and reflected in government policy and legislative practice.

We want your great new ideas to help us achieve our aims.

Current Operational Practice

PIPA currently employs 3 x part time staff, each of whom work remotely on a 0.6 working week.

35% of PIPA's income comes from Strategic Partners, 40% from Trusts and Foundations and 25% from Government Funding bodies.

More detailed information on operational practices will be shared with shortlisted candidates.

Scope of Work

PIPA's Board would like to commission the production of a business plan for PIPA's 2019 - 2023 activity, and welcomes imaginative and innovative proposals to help shape an organisation that is flexible, dynamic and responsive. The business plan will be created in consultation with the board, business owners and staff, and will:

  • Audit and evaluate current PIPA practices
  • Scope, articulate and advise on business priorities, in particular advising on PIPA's core offer, and areas of focus
  • Identify funding streams to support business development and sustainability
  • Identify and articulate strategies for income generation, and sustainability
  • Identify, and set out clear processes around project management
  • Create KPIs and a Milestone Plan - SMART objectives that can be readily monitored by funders, staff and board
  • Scope and plan the purpose, and capabilities of the proposed website development and/or online portal
  • Building financial income streams into business practice
  • Evaluate staffing structure and resource needed to deliver the business plan
  • Support the creation of job descriptions and staff specifications




The business plan will respond to key areas of PIPA's business interests, including

  • Partnership: how do we build in sustainability, and ongoing commitment beyond the current annual funding donations?
  • Tiered funding support: what is the appropriate level of financial support from partner and other organisations?
  • How is buy-in to a tiered support model best achieved? What level of financial contribution can PIPA expect from individuals?
  • Childcare: what are the parameters of PIPA support of childcare needs?
  • Parental leave - what role does PIPA have beyond advocacy?
  • Web support - what does this look like to individuals and the sector?
  • Business support - what does this look like to individuals and the sector?
  • Research - how is this maintained, developed and retained as part of PIPA's core business strategy?
  • Charter support - how best to share resources across the network?
  • Funding, and income sustainability


PIPA's contribution to the development of a successful Business Plan

PIPA staff team will agree with the management board documents, research, strategy and company financial documentation to assist the successful bidder in writing the business plan.

In addition to sharing documents as deemed appropriate by the board, PIPA staff will offer a total of 3 days (21 hours) to clarify any issues, and answer questions that the successful bidder may have. This may be in person, or via other communication methods as appropriate.

A PIPA staff member will communicate regularly (a minimum of once a week) to ensure that the development of the plan remains on target for delivery, and that the business plan creator has all that is required for successful delivery of the plan.

The successful Bid

The business plan is to be delivered in MS Word format; on completion and delivery of the plan, the plan will become the sole property of PIPA. Ownership of all and any research, software, programmes, and other content created to assist in the creation of the plan, will devolve to PIPA on delivery of the business plan. PIPA does not have fixed assets nor office space; the business plan producer will source and use PC and phone requirements. PIPA will not cover costs associated with the use or hire of PC, phone or other administrative costs incurred in the creation of the business plan.

Timescale for delivery

Activity Date due
Tender closing date 22.06.2018
Selection of successful tender; inform successful bid and applicants 29.06.2018
Consultation with PIPA staff From 02.07.2018
Consultation with board From 02.07.2018
First draft delivered to board 13.08.2018
Receipt of revisions from board 03.09.2018
Delivery of revised version to board 10.09.2018
Sign off from board 17.09.2018


Budget

PIPA welcomes bids of £4,000-£6,000, to cover research, consultation and production of the business plan; bids are to include a breakdown of how this fee will be allocated.

The fee will be paid in two installments, with 50% paid by BACS or bank transfer after delivery of the first draft of the business plan, and the final payment by BACS or bank transfer no later than 20 days after final completion, delivery, and handover of all related assets developed in the creation of the business plan.

Selection Criteria

Bids will be accepted from individuals or organisations. The successful applicant/organisation will combine creative thinking with great business acumen, and will demonstrate:

  • An understanding of the pressures on parents who are also carers and on employers retaining a skilled workforce
  • A desire to help PIPA really make a difference
  • An understanding of PIPA's work
  • Experience of prior business plan development and plan delivery
  • Experience of strategic development and delivery
  • Experience managing budgets
  • Experience of project management, and applying to funding agencies
  • Success in applying for funding from ACE or other funding agencies




To express interest:

The successful bid will articulate how the business plan will help PIPA realise its goals.

Please send CVs, detailing how you meet the selection criteria (maximum 1000 words) to

pipacampaign@gmail.com

For further information please contact Anna Ehnold-Danailov and Cassie Raine, PIPA co-founders at pipacampaign@gmail.com

Amanda Parker, Chair, PIPA