Scope
Reference
UK_1149
Description
The British Council is commissioning an externally facilitated review of the effectiveness of its Board of Trustees, sub-committees and Senior Leadership team (SLT).
The review should consider the recommendations of the UK Charity Governance Code and should include an assessment of:
1. the effectiveness of the Board as a whole
2. the effectiveness of the Chair, the Deputy Chair, and individual trustees
3. the mix of skills, experience and knowledge of the trustees, and whether the current Board fulfils the requirements of the British Council at the present time
4. adherence to the Code of Conduct for Trustees and Committee Members
5. the effectiveness of the Board's approach to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion in its own practice
6. how the current position compares with that of previous years
7. whether and how the British Council's values are being met by the Board
8. how the Board works together as a unit, and key board relationships such as Chair-Chief Executive, Chair-Trustees and Chair-Company Secretary
9. the general quality of information provided on the company and its performance
10. processes for identifying and reviewing risks
11. how the board communicates with, listens and responds to key stakeholders
12. the structure, size, membership, performance, chairing and terms of reference of the sub-committees
13. how the SLT interacts with the Board, and whether communication between the two is efficient and effective
Total value (estimated)
- £36,000 including VAT
Below the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 27 April 2026 to 30 August 2026
- Possible extension to 30 October 2026
- 6 months, 4 days
Description of possible extension:
The Contract awarded will be for a duration of four months, to cover the research, writing, adjustments and contractual elements, with an option for an extension for up to an additional two months.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 79410000 - Business and management consultancy services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Participation
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
9 March 2026, 2:00pm
Tender submission deadline
23 March 2026, 10:00am
Submission address and any special instructions
The documents that must be submitted to form your tender response are listed at Part 2 (Submission Checklist) of Annex 2 (Supplier Response) to this RFP. All documents required as part of your tender response should be submitted to brian.dmello@britishcouncil.org by the Response Deadline, as set out in the Timescales section of this RFP. Suppliers must include the reference "UK_1149" in the subject line of the email when submitting their tender response. Emails not clearly marked may not be processed in time.
Clarification questions
All clarification requests should be submitted to brian.dmello@britishcouncil.org by the Clarification Deadline, as set out in the Timescales section of this RFP. To receive clarification responses please email brian.dmello@britishcouncil.org
The British Council is under no obligation to respond to clarification requests received after the Clarification Deadline. All clarification requests must include "UK_1149" in the subject line. Queries not clearly labelled may not be logged.
Please see this website for details about the British Council www.britishcouncil.org
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Award criteria
Responses from potential suppliers will be assessed to determine the most economically advantages tender using the following criteria and weightings and will be assessed entirely on your response submitted:
Criteria Weighting
Quality 25%
Methodology and Approach 25%
Social Value 10%
Commercial 40%
Procedure
Procedure type
Below threshold - open competition
Contracting authority
BRITISH COUNCIL(THE)
- Companies House: RC000060
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PHTN-1551-GCQH
1 Redman Place, Stratford,
London
E20 1JQ
United Kingdom
Contact name: Brian D'Mello
Email: brian.dmello@britishcouncil.org
Website: http://www.britishcouncil.org/
Region: UKI41 - Hackney and Newham
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government