The British Council is seeking proposals for consultancy services focused on international collaboration in higher education between Brazil and the UK to develop and deliver the activities described below.

The overall objective is to provide a comprehensive outline of existing UK-BR educational, research, and institutional collaborations in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). This comprises international education, joint research partnerships or institutional agreements leading to strategic implementation or joint project delivery. 

The research must take account of the British Council’s work in the country, as outlined in the Request for Proposals (RFP) linked below, and will also cover different subject areas, geographical regions, years, partnership formats, funding sources, sectors and institutions.

The research should follow, but not be limited to: 

Categorisation framework

It will define a taxonomy for UK-Brazil collaborations in STEM. It will categorise the type, scale and depth for the different types of collaborations to be mapped to allow further analysis.

Collaboration mapping

Using the categorisation framework, this mapping will provide an overview of UK-Brazil collaborations. It must allow for dynamic analysis along different axes (e.g. research topics, institutions, funding sources). It will provide insights into patterns of collaboration and identify trends.

Mapping timeframe

The timeframe of the research collaborations to be mapped should be part of the categorisation framework taking into account the availability of sources and their relevance in regard to the research questions.

Case studies

These will provide context for the data analysis, stories and good practices identified during the data collection process. They will provide examples of long-standing partnerships between the UK and Brazil, established agreements such as Memoranda of Understanding, actors involved (departments, academic and inter-institutional groups etc.), projects and programmes.

Analysis

The final deliverable will present the overall analysis based on the categorisation framework, collaboration mapping and case studies. It will include recommendations informed by the objectives of the British Council’s programme Going Global Partnerships and top- level conclusions summarising key findings of the research. It will also include an interactive matrix/heatmap (dashboard) to feature the strategic priorities of the UK and Brazil, highlighting areas of alignment and potential collaboration opportunities. It will include visual representations of intersection areas, major joint projects, initiatives, and milestones achieved over the years. Enhancements will include clickable elements for detailed exploration, visually appealing infographics and charts to simplify complex data, and clear colour coding and legends to improve readability and interpretation. 

The appointed supplier will be required to provide the services remotely to the British Council’s office in Brazil. 

The selected supplier will work under a six-month contract with a total value of up to GBP 20,000. If the appointed supplier is based in Brazil, the total value will be R$131,000.00. 

How to submit your proposal 

For background information, detailed service requirements and specifications for proposals please access the Request for Proposals (RFP) in the Downloads section below. 

For questions, clarifications, and to submit proposals please email the Project Officer Angy Herrera (angy.herrera@britishcouncil.org) by the deadlines below: 

Activity 

Date 

Deadline for clarification questions (Clarification Deadline) 

25 July 2024 

Deadline for submission of proposals by potential suppliers (Response Deadline) 

29 July 2024 

Final decision 

5 August 2024 

Contract start date 

19 August 2024