It is not just about getting contracts. As I said, contracts usually involve just transportation of passengers or contraband. Which, gets pretty repetitive after some time, and it doesn't have much monetary outcome as well. Not many people would be interested in logging such a ship, when they can either get more money while on a trader, or get PvP experience/fun while in a dread or some other BS. So, to keep the in game activity kicking, there could be new forms of RP, in game events, dynamic diplomacy or something similar.
An example of a new type of RP, that can be played both in game as well as in the forums would be to have a ship moving service. Lets say, there is a Renzu with docking mods and maybe a large cloak (for situations involving treading into hostile territory). You can start a ship portal service in the forums which you can continue in game as well, when people want their ships to be moved from one part of the space to another, without being spotted by anyone. This would be something that is new for OSC members.
I know this example is not that polished or anything, but I guess you can catch my drift. Innovative ideas is what might propel activity in factions like OSC, where trading/smuggling and PvP is done only for RP benefits and not for any monetary benefits. (if people wanted either of those, there are factions/ships better than what OSC might offer).