Call for Applicants
Mae’r ddogfen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg / This document is available in Welsh
About the programme
The local food partnerships in Bridgend, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taf and the Vale of Glamorgan are collaborating on a project to scale-up a year-long, place-based food literacy programme developed by Slade Farm’s Fieldwork Studio CIC. This project will run from July 2026-June 2027.
The programme will involve a series of seasonal visits from a chosen year group or learner cohort (one class at a time) across the academic year, alongside a visit from the farmer/facilitator into the school or community setting to help embed learning within everyday school life and culture.
The project builds upon an existing programme developed by Slade Farm’s Fieldwork Studio CIC, which explores food, farming, ecology, wellbeing and local food systems through immersive, hands-on learning experiences. You can find out more about the project, including case studies, here.
Brief
Working closely with the chosen contract supplier and the participating Food Partnerships, the appointed coordinator will act as the primary operational contact for participating schools and growers throughout the programme; coordinating communication and logistics between schools, growers, delivery partners and local food partnerships to ensure that visits and related activities are well organised, efficiently managed and delivered in line with project timelines, safeguarding requirements and participant needs.
By the end of the commission, the successful coordinator will have helped establish smooth, positive relationships between participating schools, growers and delivery partners, ensuring that visits and events are delivered efficiently, communication is timely and effective, and participants feel well supported throughout the programme. The coordinator will contribute to a positive participant experience, enabling delivery partners to focus on educational content while maintaining accurate records and supporting the overall success of the project.
Role Details:
Budget: Up to £11,000, to include:
- VAT (where applicable)
- Expenses (travel and subsistence)
Timeline: Contract to begin in September 2026; with all deliverables to be completed by 28th February 2027 (please note these timescales are fixed due to grant requirements)
Location: Home based, with expectation to travel across the region where necessary
Reporting to: Respective food partnership coordinators
Key responsibilities
- Act as the main day-to-day contact for participating schools.
- Schedule visits in collaboration with schools and growers; coordinating a calendar of agreed dates and timings, coordinating transport arrangements and ensuring any other information is communicated.
- Confirm attendance and maintain participant records.
- Respond to enquiries from schools.
- Support schools to understand programme expectations.
- Gather information relating to accessibility requirements.
- Act as operational contact for participating growers.
- Maintain up-to-date contact information.
- Coordinate communication regarding programme changes or cancellations
- Support organisation of School Leadership Community of Practice meetings
- Support the monitoring and eval partner e.g. distributing surveys, scheduling visits, delivery of toolkits and final report
Skills and experience
Essential
- Experience coordinating multi-partner projects.
- Excellent organisational skills.
- Strong communication skills.
- Ability to manage competing priorities.
- Experience working with schools and/or community organisations.
- Experience organising visits or events.
- Confident using Microsoft Office and online meeting platforms.
- Experience maintaining accurate records.
- Ability to work independently.
Desirable
- Experience working in education.
- Experience working with farms, food projects or environmental education.
- Understanding of safeguarding when working with children.
- Welsh language skills.
- Knowledge of the Curriculum for Wales.
- Experience supporting grant-funded projects.
How to apply
Please send through a brief proposal (max 2 pages) to foodpartnership@bridgend.gov.uk by 2 September 2026, including the following details:
- Contact details
- A brief proposal outlining how you meet the required skills and experience (please see assessment criteria below)
- A proposed timetable and allocation of time.
- A budget summary, detailing: who would be delivering the work, their day rate, how many days the funding would cover and any additional costs anticipated e.g. expenses, and the total (inclusive of VAT where applicable).
- A declaration of any potential conflicts of interest
All applications will be reviewed by our panel, and the successful applicant will be notified by 10 September.
Assessment Criteria:
Relevance and quality of proposed approach (35%)
- Clear understanding of the brief and context
- Feasibility and adaptability of the proposed methodology
- Appropriateness of proposed approach
- Realistic timeline
Experience and expertise (35%)
- Demonstration of required skills and experience.
Value for money (20%)
- Realistic budgeting and use of resources
- Clarity on day rates, roles, and any in-kind contributions
Engagement and collaboration approach (10%)
- Willingness to work adaptively with programme partners