Five Years On: Mapping the Culture-Based Climate Action research and evidence landscape from COP 26 to COP 30

What is the opportunity?

The British Council’s Research and Insight Team is inviting proposals from qualified suppliers to conduct a study titled ‘Five Years On: Mapping the Culture-Based Climate Action Research and Evidence Landscape’. This study seeks to take stock of global research and evidence on Culture-Based Climate Action Research (CBCA) between COP26 and COP30. It will synthesise, analyse and compare what has been learned about the relationship between culture and climate action, identify evidence gaps, and provide recommendations to strengthen policy, practice, and partnerships. 

Objectives

The objectives of this research are to: 

• Map and synthesize: Bring together and analyse existing research and evaluation on CBCA since COP26 — including British Council reports and key external studies — to create a consolidated evidence landscape aligned with the British Council’s strategic priorities.
• Identify gaps: Identify strategic knowledge gaps that limit the effectiveness of current evidence and practice, as well as the diverse MEL approaches taken to capture impact and change. 
• Assess and compare: Review the strength, credibility, and impact of British Council CBCA programmes, comparing approaches, evidence and outcomes with other leading international organisations working in the culture and climate field and validating their success. 
• Analyse the impact of cultural relations approaches: Analyse the impact of the relationships built, the opportunities created, and the specific value of the locally grounded and context-specific cultural approaches to climate action supported by the British Council, situating our work within the global landscape to explore if and how such approaches can create meaningful impact.
• Generate insights and recommendations: Develop clear, actionable recommendations to inform future research, partnerships, and programming in the culture and climate sector over the next five years (2026–2030) for all key stakeholders.
• Position and communicate our impact: Provide robust evidence that will allow us to better curate and present the work of the British Council and our partners in the culture and climate sector, focusing on our role and leadership in supporting and convening this work. This will support impact stories that reflect diverse voices and contexts and strengthen our visibility as thought leaders in this space. 

Outputs and deadline

The outputs that we envision include:   

• External-facing report: An analysis and synthesis of existing research and evidence on CBCA since COP26, to be published on the British Council website. This should include an overview of CBCA, the impact of British Council CBCA programmes, the evidence for the specific value of a cultural relations approach to CBCA, and overarching insights and recommendations on programming, partnerships and evidence needs for the development of policies and practice. The report should be visually engaging and reader friendly, bearing in mind the range of different stakeholders outlined above.
• Internal validation report for British Council audiences: A validation of evidence available from British Council CBCA programmes related to our climate strategy, outcomes, and indicators. This should include a judgement on our success in this area in the past 5 years, identification of evidence gaps, and action-oriented recommendations to inform future British Council strategy, including best practice from other organisations operating in this field. This report will arrive at a critical time as we review our programmes and partnerships and look at how our climate programming, research and MEL priorities can be shaped most effectively.
• British Council insight and advocacy brief: Presenting the strongest evidence across British Council arts programmes, highlighting how the British Council specifically supports climate action through its arts and culture work. This will highlight British Council evidence that culture makes a difference in addressing the climate emergency. It will be used by the British Council for engagement and strategic communications with funders, policymakers, and other stakeholders, establishing the organisation’s relevant track record of delivery and thought leadership in this area.
• A short video or animation: One short (3-5 minutes) video with project overview, key findings, and recommendations. The video is expected to bring the data to life – the suppliers can propose creative format ideas in the proposal. The final format will be agreed with British Council commissioning team in line with existing Marketing and Comms content. It should be in line with our Brand guidelines.
• Presentation slide deck: A slide deck summarising the content and key findings and recommendations in the above outputs, for presentation to internal and external stakeholders.  The focus and format will be mutually agreed with British Council during the project.

How to apply

Full details (Tender ID – RFP1029642) are in the tender documents accessible on the British Council MyProcurement portal https://tap.tcsapps.com/tap2/#/bc-supplier-registration. 

All clarification requests should be submitted on https://tap.tcsapps.com/tap2/#/bc-supplier-registration by 2nd December 2025 and British council will respond to the clarification questions by 5th December 2025.

Your final proposal and other supporting documents must be submitted to MyProcurement https://tap.tcsapps.com/tap2/#/bc-supplier-registration by 15.00 UK time on 15th December 2025.

Please send an email to gsd@britishcouncil.org in case you face any technical issues regarding access or using MyProcurement portal.