Evaluator: frequently asked questions

Below are a list of general and scheme-specific FAQs for potential evaluators of British Academy schemes.

Tender clarification questions

Tender clarification question deadlines are as follows:


Innovation Fellowships scheme: 12pm, 07/02/2025

Innovation Fellowships scheme invitation to tender

Please follow the link below to ask a tender clarification question:

Evaluator question form

General FAQs

Are you open to proposals from sole traders?

These calls are open to sole traders. We are also open to collaborations between sole traders or combinations with consultancies, if that is felt appropriate by the applicant.

Is there a word limit for the word/pdf proposal submissions and are you happy to have this from us in our own template?

There is no word limit, or a template for invitations to tender (ITTs), and proposals in the bidder’s preferred format are welcome.

Do you have a required format for the final report?

The final deliverable is a report, which can be in the format of a word/PDF document. In both cases, it is expected that a written executive summary in Word/PDF is provided (max two pages), and a methodology section should be included. Select case studies that may be used for external strategic communications should be included where appropriate. The rest of the structure is dependent on the findings with respect to the agreed evaluation questions and is left to the engaged consultancy to determine appropriate presentation. The final report is expected to be no longer than 25 pages long, with additional annexes allowed.

Do you have a draft services agreement for our legal team to review?

Yes, there is a draft services agreement that can be sent should your team require it. Please email [email protected] to request a copy.

Do you have any specific requirements regarding the number of catch ups with the British Academy team?

There is no prescribed arrangement, and bidders are invited to make suggestions for each project. For guidance, if catch ups are not included in a bid, we usually start at suggesting a catch up every two weeks, and then adjust based on the milestones.

To what extent is a regional presence important for the evaluations? 

A regional presence is not required, and it is anticipated that the evaluation activity can all be addressed remotely. For companies not based in the UK, an international data sharing agreement bespoke to the situation will need to be arranged which may increase the time from award or tender to kick-off by a week.

Who are the primary audience(s) for each of the evaluations?

The Academy will use the findings as part of an evidence base for government funders, non-government funders, and internally to improve programme delivery and design. Please see the respective scheme ITT you are interested in for the funding body/ies associated with the evaluation.

Is consultation with award-holders required as part of the evaluation, and if so, what scale of consultation do you anticipate as sufficient? 

It is unlikely that monitoring data that the British Academy provides will be sufficient to perform a full evaluation, therefore it is anticipated contractors will need to consult award-holders to meet the evaluation questions. The scale and type of contact with previous award-holders is left to the discretion of the bidder.

Will the British Academy facilitate connections between the relevant award-holders and the evaluator?

The British Academy will facilitate connections between the evaluator and relevant award holders, in line with GDPR best practice.

Are award-holders and applicants aware they might be evaluated?

Potential interviewees should be notified that they may be evaluated prior to evaluation. The British Academy can help facilitate this.

Do award-holders need to submit monitoring data?

Schemes will either require award holders to submit a final report or an interim report and a final report.

Scheme Specific FAQs

Innovation Fellowships

Clarification questions specific to the Innovation Fellowships Evaluation will be published here once all clarification questions have been reviewed.

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