The pilot projects will be carried out in cooperation with small cultural events in Northern Ostrobothnia. The total budget for consultancy work is €41,000 (including VAT). Proposals must be submitted by November 2, 2025.
Background
The Oulu Cultural Events Association is running the EU-funded Saavuta – Equal Access to Cultural Events project, which aims to improve the accessibility of cultural events in Northern Ostrobothnia.
In spring 2025, the project reviewed the current state of accessibility of nine third sector cultural events. The reviews examined, among other things, physical accessibility, communication, social accessibility, and access in terms of language.
The review phase increased understanding of the accessibility of events, and the work was found to be useful and inspiring. The events selected for the pilot phase are continuing their accessibility work with an open mind.
The project is now moving on to the pilot phase.
The aim of the pilot phase is to develop the accessibility of cultural events on a practical level, to gain concrete experience of measures to improve accessibility, and to share lessons learned widely within the event sector in Northern Ostrobothnia. As the events participating in the project are small cultural events in the third sector, the actions and development work must be such that the events can continue their accessibility work even without the support of the project.
During the review phase, various challenges were identified in terms of event accessibility, such as:
- Unfamiliarity with the art form and preconceptions
- Physical accessibility of event venues and communication about it
- Lack of multilingual communication and reaching immigrants
- Identifying and reaching target groups
- Challenges related to the location of events and solving them digitally.
Solutions to these challenges will be sought through pilot projects.
Finnish version of the review reports can be viewed in advance. Reading access can be requested by emailing minea(at)oulunjuhlaviikot.fi.
Budget
A total of €41,000 (including VAT) has been allocated for consultancy work during the pilot phase. Offers and proposals for measures should be made in proportion to the available budget. The budget will be divided between the pilot projects, but not necessarily equally. The budget covers expert work such as planning, implementation, reporting, and possible participation in presentation events. The budget does not include separate translation or interpretation costs, possible purcases, advertising costs, or event production costs.
Events and pilot ideas
Below is a list of plans for each event. The final scope and content of the projects will be specified based on the proposals. If necessary, the plans can be modified, condensed, or prioritized.
1. Elävä Iijoki river canoeing and rowing
- Planning and communicating of a more accessible and shorter rowing route.
- Piloting social media collaboration.
- Lightweight contribution to website accessibility planning.
The pilot will plan and carry out a shorter and more accessible rowing route that also allows participation for those for whom the length or intense physicality of the whole route is an obstacle. The task is to produce a concrete description of the more accessible route and prepare its practical implementation. The pilot will also test social media influencer collaboration to support communication about the more accessible route with a suitable community or influencer. Option: It is hoped that the expert will also take a light consulting role from an accessibility perspective in the design of the event’s improved website. The event is held annually at the turn of June and July.
2. Oulunsalo Soi
- Development of audience development.
- Piloting social media collaboration.
The purpose of the pilot is the audience development of the Oulunsalo Soi chamber music event. It involves planning specific audience development around the event, forming a group that attracts people who do not normally attend cultural events and communicating the process to the public. The project may consist of, for example, three meetings within the group (an initial meeting and a preliminary task, visiting the event, and a debriefing meeting). It is hoped that the group’s activities and the experiences and insights gained there will be visible, for example, on the event’s social media. The pilot can also be combined with planning possible social media influencer collaborations and related practical tasks. The aim of the pilot is to improve the ways of audience engagement of the event and to break down preconceptions about the art form. The event is held annually in August.
3. Oulu Pride
- Developing the physical accessibility of the event on a practical level.
- Creating guidelines for a more autism-friendly event.
- Collaboration and workshop activities with event participants.
The pilot project will develop the collection of accessibility information for the side events of Oulu Pride, as well as the description and communication of a shorter, more accessible route for the parade. In addition, the autism and sensory friendliness of the event will be developed in collaboration with experts by experience and the audience. Measures may include, for example, producing pictorial instructions, sensory accessibility information, or a social story about the event. The aim of the pilot is to make the Oulu Pride event more accessible from several perspectives. The event is held annually in August.
4. JoJo – Oulu Dance Center’s OuDance event and Flow Productions’ Flow circus
- Planning and communicating of a series of two relaxed performances.
- Collaboration with target groups.
The pilot will implement a series of relaxed performances of contemporary dance and contemporary circus and guidelines written based on practical experience. Special performances can be planned, for example, taking into account sensory sensitivities and/or the needs of people with hearing or visual impairments. Possible dates for the relaxed performances are February or October 2026. The aim of the pilot is to collect and test good practices that help lower the threshold for the audience to participate in contemporary dance and circus performances.
5. Language and communication pilot for nine cultural events
- Compiling general information about the events, planning a digital communication campaign and implementing the finished communication material (for this part of the pilot we are looking for e.g. a communications or marketing agency).
- Distribution of the finished material, contacting the target group, and outreach (for this part of the pilot we are looking for e.g. an audience worker).
The pilot aims to reach people who have immigrated to Finland and who have different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and to communicate to them about the cultural events included in the project in English and plain Finnish during the spring and summer of 2026. The pilot consists of two parts: a digital marketing campaign, and outreach to the target group. The aim of the pilot is to make third sector cultural events more familiar to immigrants, to provide basic information about the events in different languages, and to offer the events understanding and tools for reaching the target group.
Expert work required
We are looking for experts with expertise in accessibility, event production, communications, audience development, or accessibility. We hope that the experts will participate in practical development work and produce, for example, communication materials to support the accessibility of events as part of their work.
The work will be carried out in collaboration with event staff and the Saavuta project coordinator.
We welcome offers from diverse working groups, companies, or individuals. We also hope that the work will involve diverse target groups.
Contents of the offer
The format of the offer is open. Present what you, your organization, or your company has to offer for the pilot phase of our project and how you would go about meeting our needs. Tell us why you would be the best person to participate in the pilot with us – for example, do you have previous experience in the cultural or event sector, or have you successfully solved similar challenges? You can include references to your previous work or expertise in your proposal.
The proposal must include:
- your expertise and references
- a description or plan of your working methods in the pilot
- a description of how you will utilize the target audience and experts by experience in your work
- the price of expert work per pilot project or package; you can also offer partial implementation from a specific perspective
- the pilot project or projects, for which you are offering your expertise, clearly specified.
The offer should also include light reporting on the pilot project and a presentation of the work in a webinar or seminar open to all. We can work together remotely, but we also hope you’re willing to travel to Northern Ostrobothnia at some point during the pilot project if the pilot requires it. Please let us know in your offer if travel expenses are included in the price.
We may ask for more info or details about the offers.
Schedule
Work will begin after the offers have been approved at the end of 2025. The planning of the pilot projects will take place in spring 2026. Most of the events will be held in summer 2026, but the schedule may vary depending on the event.
Selection criteria
- Price
- Expertise and experience
- Knowledge of the target group and cultural field.
The procurement will be based on an overall assessment, in which several experts will be selected as implementers to ensure a wide range of expertise and experience. The purpose of the procurement is to provide insights and tools for developing accessibility to a wider group of event organizers.
Submitting a bid
Client:
Oulu Cultural Events Association
Hallituskatu 7, 90100 Oulu
Send your bid by email no later than November 2, 2025, to minea@nulloulunjuhlaviikot.fi.
Further information and contact details
We are happy to answer any questions you may have, so please do not hesitate to contact us.
Minea Taivalaho
Saavuta Project Coordinator
minea(at)oulunjuhlaviikot.fi, tel. 044 970 3334 (unavailable October 22–26)
This request for proposals may be shared within your own networks.