Bifrost Impact Bifrost Impact

For embassies – create decisive commercial value for the companies you serve

European representations are uniquely positioned to help their companies achieve commercial impact. Their information, network and access can make a decisive difference for the companies they serve. Conversely, the market-based understanding, activity and investments of the companies contribute to the diplomatic effort. This is a crucial tool both in increasing national exports and economic activity, and in strengthening bilateral commercial relations.

Bifrost Impact helps embassies understand the commercial logic of companies and how to engage them to create commercial value. It ensures that embassies conceptualise, communicate and execute their commercial support in a way readily understandable, and attractive, to the companies they serve.

Illustrative examples

Global strategy alignment and execution

Leading the conceptualisation and execution of global economic diplomacy strategy so the diplomatic effort is relevant to and reinforced by company engagement. Putting the right framework, concepts, resources and tools at the disposal of individual representations to ensure the quality and relevance of their efforts.

High-stakes market engagement

Contributing to national economic diplomacy strategy in key markets. Acting directly on the ground with the teams at the representation, developing strategy and concepts and executing efforts directly with companies and local stakeholders.

Hands-on capacity building

Working directly with selected Heads of Mission, Heads of Trade or specialist advisors to translate commercial logic into the embassy context, upskilling key staff to ensure both commercial and diplomatic impact.

Method

The ADDIE approach

Across interventions, Bifrost Impact applies the ADDIE method. Originating in military training and education, it ensures impact in a step-wise approach.

ADDIE method — the five stages of a Bifrost Impact engagement Five circles arranged along a shallow upward arc from left to right: Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate. Each circle shows an icon representing the stage, with its name and a one-sentence description below. ANALYSE Clarify the objective, actors, and leverage points. DESIGN Shape the intervention and define the roles. DEVELOP Build the tools and artefacts needed to execute well. IMPLEMENT Execute hands-on with a practical grasp of how the work lands. EVALUATE Assess the value created against the agreed KPIs.
  1. Analyse Clarify the objective, actors, and leverage points.
  2. Design Shape the intervention and define the roles.
  3. Develop Build the tools and artefacts needed to execute well.
  4. Implement Execute hands-on with a practical grasp of how the work lands.
  5. Evaluate Assess the value created against the agreed KPIs.

Commercial diplomacy is judged by the concrete impact it has for the client, against the objectives they identify.

About

Bifrost Impact is led by David Schjerlund.

David Schjerlund

Through eighteen years in diplomacy, and in particular four years as Global Director for Exports, Innovation and Global Public Affairs, I have observed both best practices and where companies and diplomatic representations fail to find common understanding. With a deep passion for tangible results, I created Bifrost Impact to ensure the enormous potential of this public-private collaboration is realised in practice.

All Bifrost Impact efforts are led by me. When the project requires it, I engage in select partnerships with practices with deep experience in competence development of diplomatic missions, public affairs strategy and execution, and business development.

Contact

Get in touch.

If your objective is to increase the impact of how your company uses embassy networks, or of how your embassy supports the companies it serves, get in touch.

Email david@bifrostimpact.com
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/dschjerlund