Scope
Reference
ITT1030720
Description
The British Council is seeking one supplier to support the design, planning, management and delivery of a new arts programme in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The supplier will work closely with British Council teams and with UK and local artists, cultural organisations and institutions to deliver activity under two core strands:
1. Capacity-Building Programmes and
2. UK Artist Residency Programmes.
The supplier will also support communications and visibility and monitoring, evaluation and learning across all activity, ensuring strong partner coordination, clear documentation and timely reporting.
The British Council is delivering this programme to strengthen cultural collaboration and long-term exchange between the UK and the Gulf. The British Council is committed to building trust and enduring connections between aspiring young people, professionals, and institutions in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UK.
The supplier will be responsible for:
• Supporting the design, management and delivery of the programmes.
• Working with UK and local partners in Saudi Arabia and or Bahrain to plan and deliver activity, ensuring effective coordination and delivery readiness.
• Managing delivery logistics, including venues, travel, schedules, accommodation where required, and support for participants and artists.
• Supporting communications and visibility in line with British Council guidelines and approvals processes.
• Leading monitoring, evaluation and learning, including proportionate data collection, learning capture and reporting.
• Coordinating closely with British Council teams throughout delivery, including regular updates, risk management and issue escalation.
• Providing documentation, delivery summaries and final reports as required.
The British Council will be responsible for:
• Setting the overall programme direction, priorities and delivery requirements.
• Approving programme plans, schedules, events and residency arrangements.
• Managing and maintaining partner relationships at strategic level where required and supporting supplier access to key stakeholders.
• Paying the agreed management fee and approved delivery costs in line with the Framework Agreement and call-off arrangements.
• Setting safeguarding and EDI requirements and monitoring compliance.
• Approving communications activity and outputs, including all public-facing materials.
• Approving the monitoring, evaluation and learning approach, tools and final reporting outputs.
Contract 1. The Proposed contract is a framework and the use will be on demand and the British Council has no commitment to a level of spend towards the service provider, and the value mentioned in the notice is a top ceiling of the contract
Supplier
Contract value
- £900,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
19 February 2026
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
19 February 2026
Standstill period
- End: 2 March 2026
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
3 March 2026
Contract dates (estimated)
- 3 March 2026 to 1 March 2028
- Possible extension to 28 February 2029
- 2 years, 11 months, 29 days
Description of possible extension:
The Contract will be awarded for a duration of 24 months with an option for an extension for up to an additional one period of 12 months
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 72224000 - Project management consultancy services
- 79952000 - Event services
- 80500000 - Training services
- 92312000 - Artistic services
Contract locations
- BH - Bahrain
- SA - Saudi Arabia
Information about tenders
- 8 tenders received
- 8 tenders assessed in the final stage:
- 8 submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- 0 submitted by voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
- 1 supplier awarded contracts
- 7 suppliers unsuccessful (details included for contracts over £5 million)
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Supplier
BLR WORLD LTD.
- Companies House: 09546985
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PNTQ-3889-PTDQ
Unit C, Block A Book House, The Lexicon, 261A City Road
London
EC1V 1AH
United Kingdom
Email: jessica@blr-world.com
Website: http://WWW.BLR-WORLD.COM
Region: UKI43 - Haringey and Islington
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): Yes
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 1. The Proposed contract is a framework and the use will be on demand and the British Council has no commitment to a level of spend towards the service provider, and the value mentioned in the notice is a top ceiling of the contract
Contracting authority
BRITISH COUNCIL(THE)
- Companies House: RC000060
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PHTN-1551-GCQH
1 Redman Place, Stratford,
London
E20 1JQ
United Kingdom
Email: MENAProcurement@britishcouncil.org
Website: http://www.britishcouncil.org/
Region: UKI41 - Hackney and Newham
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government