Brussels, 13 May 2014 - In the context of HCWH Europe’s policy and advocacy work on sustainable and healthy food, HCWH Europe seeks offers to research information on sustainable and healthy food practices in EU hospitals and on legislative frameworks at the EU and national levels facilitating the implementation of sustainable and healthy food practices in the EU healthcare sector. HCWH Europe also seeks offers to write a snapshot report collating information on best practices and proposing policy recommendations to disseminate and implement sustainable food policies in European healthcare.

Content of the Consultancy Services

The Consultant will provide the following services to HCWH Europe:

A. To proceed with the research in collating good sustainable food practices in European Healthcare institutions and with the carrying out of the survey, the consultant will:

1. Carry out desk research on the sustainable food legislative and policy frameworks in place in the different EU countries, if any, and at the EU level.
2. Carry out a survey including desk research, the sending of a questionnaire, telephone interviews, and spot visits (whenever possible) to healthcare institutions implementing sustainable food practices in the EU (target: 15-20 institutions).

B. To proceed with the writing of the snapshot report the consultant will:

1. Draft and send a questionnaire to help with collating information when making contacts by email, via telephone interviews and spot visits.
2. Draft the snapshot report according to the following outline:

-  Introduction: the benefits of sustainable food sourcing: environmental, health and economic, social and cultural benefits (5 pages).

-  Chapter 1: The Regulatory Framework in the EU and at national level for sustainable food (5 pages).

-  Chapter 2: Sustainable and healthy food initiatives in European hospitals (by country) including lessons learned (15-20 pages).

-  Chapter 3: HCWH Europe’s policy recommendations (4 pages).

-  Chapter 4; HCWH Europe’s food pledge initiative including preliminary results (4 pages).

This project will allow the establishment of a sound research into sustainable and healthy food practices in EU hospitals. By sustainable and healthy food HCWH Europe means food that is fresh, organic or produced with integrated pest management methods, locally produced, and containing a higher level of vitamins, mineral and essential fatty acid.

Timeline:

-       20^th May 2014 – project starts

-       23^nd May 2014– final questionnaire ready

-       31^st May 2014 – presentation of first research results

-       26^th June 2014– presentation of complete research results.

-       7^th July 2014 – first draft of snapshot report

-       23^rd July 2014 – second draft of snapshot report

-       1^st August 2014 – final report

Interested consultants should send their CV, including references of similar reports written by them and a budget for their work by e-mail to grazia.cioci@hcwh.org by Monday 19th May 2014. Please indicate as the subject of the email: “Consultancy Offer for Sustainable Food Research and Snapshot Report”.