The Institution of Environmental Sciences is seeking an independent contractor (or contractors) to support the production of online content for the Essential Environment news bulletin, following its successful relaunch earlier this year.

The contractor will be overseen by the IES Policy Lead and will work closely with the IES Policy and Publications Teams.

This is an exciting opportunity to be a leading voice in discussing the implications of policy developments for the environment and environmental professionals, for a bulletin with roughly 3,500 readers. It would suit a journalist with a background in science communication or an environmental professional with writing experience.

What the role involves

Essential Environment is an environmental policy news bulletin. The publication is a free service to all professional grade IES members and local authority members of the Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC).

The monthly bulletin consists of (a) a short list of links to changes to legislation, consultations, policy developments, and other announcements across several key environmental departments and similar news sources; and (b) 1-2 online articles discussing the implications of 1-2 of these developments (or other topical regulatory and policy developments).

We are looking for a contractor to support the production of this content. The contractor would be responsible for monitoring relevant government departments and news sources to maintain each month’s signposting list. The contractor would also be primarily responsible for writing each of the online articles. The contractor would not need to compile and publish the bulletin, as this will be arranged by the IES Publications Team.

Each online article is expected to be roughly 1,000 words long, addressing the implications of a particular regulatory development for environmental professionals. The IES Policy Team will work with the contractor(s) to identify relevant IES members who are willing to be contacted to provide context or quotes to support the research process for articles. Two examples of the type of article we are looking for are available here: https://www.the-ies.org/analysis/what-does-defra-reshuffle-mean and here: https://www.the-ies.org/analysis/essential-environment-future-generations

Who we are looking for

We are keen to receive expressions of interest from journalists (particularly those who have worked in environmental or science communication) or environmental professionals (particularly those with a background in policy). All applicants will be expected to have experience of producing high-quality written content of a journalistic nature.

While we do not require applicants to have technical expertise in environmental science, we expect the successful contractor to be able to work with environmental professionals to identify the implications of regulatory changes for their work. As the IES team will be able to support the successful contractor in identifying potential sources for interviews or quotes, applicants do not require their own contacts working in the environment sector.

Proposed budget

The proposed budget for this tender is a maximum of £480 per month, with the following breakdown:

• £200 per 1,000 word online article, with an expectation of either 1 or 2 articles per month
• £20/hour for up to 4 hours per month of news trawling for regulatory changes (to compile a list of updates for the bulletin)

The preferred payment method would be monthly via invoice in arrears, however alternative payment arrangements can be considered if needed.

We are open to receiving expressions of interest which deviate from the proposals above. Please note any expected deviation in your expression of interest. 

Format of Expression of Interest

We are seeking expressions of interest for this contract. Your EOI should include a CV and a statement (of up to 2 pages) containing the following information: 

• Contact information 
• Statement of capability, including relevant experience and technical expertise
• Links to examples of previous journalistic work where applicable
• Any expected deviation from the proposed budget above
• Details of references

After the closing date, we will contact expressions of interest to let them know whether they have been successful by the end of June 2025. We may arrange informal calls to acquire further information from potential contractors prior to making a decision.

Contact details

Any questions or expressions of interest should be sent to:

Joseph Lewis, IES Policy Lead
Phone: +44 (0)20 3862 7484
Email: joseph@the-ies.org

Closing date for expressions of interest

Please ensure your expression of interest is submitted by 11.59pm on Tuesday 27th May 2025 by e-mail to joseph@the-ies.org.

Background information

The Institution of Environmental Sciences (the IES) is a UK-registered charity at the forefront of uniting the environmental sciences around a shared goal: to work with speed, vision and expertise to solve the world’s most pressing environmental challenges, together. As the global professional membership body for over 6,000 environmental scientists, we support a diverse network of professionals all over the world – and at every stage of their education and careers – to connect, develop, progress and inspire.

Essential Environment is a news bulletin service designed to help businesses, local authorities and professionals keep track of developments in UK and EU environmental policy and regulation. It was produced by Environmental Protection UK (EPUK), a 125-year-old national charity which merged into the IES family in 2023, becoming the Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC). Following the merger, the IES has relaunched Essential Environment as a free service to all professional grade IES members and local authority members of the Environmental Policy Implementation Community.