We are seeking an experienced editor to manage the production and publishing of the Dive In – a quarterly newsletter dedicated to strengthening participation and democracy across Europe and beyond.
It focuses on the democratic participation priority of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programmes, serving as a shared space for reflection, exchange and inspiration among National Agencies and their partners.
This call is organised SALTO Participation & Information (SALTO PI), a European Resource Centre hosted by the Estonian Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Agency, operating under the Education and Youth Board of Estonia (HARNO).
Context
The Dive In newsletter brings together news, stories and resources from across all programme sectors (school education, vocational education and training, higher education, adult education, youth) as well as from relevant European partnerships such as, but not limited to, New Power in Youth, Democracy Reloading, Europe Goes Local and PEACE. Its goal is to enhance cooperation, visibility and knowledge-sharing around participation and democracy-related initiatives.
Each issue combines original insights, including interviews and stories, with curated content from trusted platfoms and institutions such as SALTO Resource Centres, ALDA, the Council of Europe, the European Youth Parliament, the EU–Council of Europe Youth Partnership and others. It also features contributions from National Agencies and youth-led, education-focused or democracy-focused organisations working to make democratic participation meaningful and visible.
By weaving together perspectives from policy, practice and lived experience,
Dive In keeps National Agencies informed, connected and inspired to engage in democratic processes.
Please get acquainted with the latest edition of the newsletter: dive in democratic participation newsletter | Issue 3・Winter 2025
Purpose
DIVE IN’s purpose is to make democratic participation visible, accessible and alive. Each edition intends to:
- Inform: highlight projects, resources and events across Europe.
- Inspire: share personal stories, reflections and insights from the field.
- Connect: foster exchange between sectors, networks and institutions.
- Support learning: provide tools, research and policy updates that strengthen everyday practice.
By blending original and curated content in each edition, Dive In will create a snapshot
of what democracy looks like in practice and through the eyes of those shaping it.
Tasks
We are seeking an experienced newsletter editor to manage the end-to-end production:
- Issue calls for submissions, review and edit external contributions, and author original thematic articles.
- Assembly each edition according to structural guidelines, ensuring consistent tone, length, and narrative flow across all pieces.
- Select visual assets, and design basic graphics if needed, in line with our established design identity.
- Manage distribution via Mailchimp and analyse performance metrics after each issue to refine content strategy.
- Partner with the SALTO PI team to expand reach, enhance dissemination, and drive subscriber growth.
Requirements
The ideal candidate will have:
- Work experience with practicing democratic participation principles and a strong understanding of the field.
- Proven experience in creating content for target audiences of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes.
- Excellent command of English grammar, punctuation, and style.
- The ability to write clearly, concisely, and engagingly, with experience adapting tone of voice for different audiences.
- The ability to organise and curate content from diverse actors with varied goals, ensuring the newsletter respects diversity.
- Previous experience in creating, formatting, and sending newsletters using Mailchimp.
- Familiarity with design tools like Canva (or similar software) for visual enhancements.
- A clear understanding of how to incorporate images, infographics, and video links effectively into newsletters.
Working conditions and payment
- Work is carried out and completed online.
- The working language is English.
- Updates are expected in written format or through online calls. Sync communication meetings with the SALTO team will take place during office hours (10:00-17:00 EEST/EET).
- As participation and co-creation are core values of SALTO PI, the editor will work closely with our team, accommodating regular feedback loops and input collection throughout the production process.
- The contract offered will have a duration of 16 months, from September 2026 to December 2027, covering six quarterly newsletters.
- Services will be compensated at the hourly rate specified in the accepted service offer, payable against documented timesheets. Payments will be made on an agreed regular schedule (e.g., upon publication of each newsletter issue) and finalised prior to the end date of the contract. If applicable, SALTO PI will cover VAT or reverse VAT separately.
Submission requirements
Interested parties are requested to submit:
- A curriculum vitae (CV) in English, addressing relevant experience and qualifications mentioned under “Requirements”, as well as providing links to previous works (minimum 1, maximum 3 examples)
- A mockup of an envisioned Dive In newsletter issue containing six proposed news items. Each item must include at minimum: title, introductory text, illustrative visual, and source link. Please accompany the
mock-up with a concise statement outlining your editorial logic and choice of topics.
- A clear breakdown of costs stating the hourly rate (in EUR) and the anticipated number of hours required per issue, broken down by individual tasks. Applicants should specify if they will provide the service as an individual person or a company/legal
entity.
Interested applicants are entitled to receive a document package that contains more details regarding the concept, structure and visual identity of Dive In.
Please contact [email protected] with the request.
Submitted documents should be sent to [email protected] email address with the subject line: Call for Dive In Newsletter Editor by 18 August 2025, 23:59 EST.
Evaluation and selection
The submitted offers will be evaluated by two SALTO PI employees on a 1-10 point scale as follows:
- Relevant experience & qualifications (40%): Evaluated via the CV and portfolio samples based on the candidate’s alignment with the Requirements section.
- Quality of content proposal & mockup (30%): Evaluated via the submitted Dive In sample and accompanying statement based on editorial logic, topic relevance, engaging writing, visual formatting, and structural completeness.
- Hourly rate (15%): Evaluated via the proposed hourly rate in EUR based on overall value for money and alignment with industry standards.
- Operational plan & work-hour breakdown (15%): Evaluated via the task-and-hour breakdown based on the clarity, feasibility, and accuracy of time allocated across individual production tasks.
Total scores will be calculated by adding up the scores of all the evaluation categories.
Timeline
The procurement timeline is as follows:
Procurement call release date: 5 August 2026
Submission deadline: 18 August 2026, 23:59 EST.
Evaluation and selection period: 19 – 24 August 2026
Notification of the winner of the call: latest by 25 August 2026
Preliminary timeline for the newsletter publishing
October 2026 – publishing of Q3 edition
December 2026 – publishing of Q4 edition
February 2027 – publishing of Q1 edition
May 2027 – publishing of Q2 edition
September 2027 – publishing of Q3 edition
November 2027 – publishing of Q4 edition
The publication schedule is provisional and subject to modification upon mutual agreement.
For any questions, please contact [email protected].