What is the opportunity?
Germany’s classrooms are becoming increasingly multilingual, multicultural, and shaped by complex migration histories. English, as a core subject in state schools, occupies a unique space in this landscape: it is both a global lingua franca and a site where issues of equity, access, and representation are contested.
The British Council’s Research and Insight team is inviting proposals from qualified researchers to conduct research and stakeholder engagement on the topic of Equity in English Language Teaching in German State Schools, and specifically looking at the Intersectionality of Policy and Practice with Language and Migration, Multilingualism, and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy.
Key Research Questions
The research will address the following themes:
- Language and Migration: How do school policies and practices mediate access to English language learning for newly arrived and/or multilingual students with a migration background?
- Multilingualism: What kinds of teacher attitudes, competencies, and training are necessary to support newly arrived and/or multilingual students with a migration background in English language classes?
- Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pedagogy: What forms of professional development best support teachers in adopting inclusive, equity-oriented ELT practices?
- Policy and Structural Contexts: How do national and state-level education policies in language education intersect with migration, and multilingualism?
- Student Voice and Agency: What do multilingual leaners with a migration background say about their experiences learning English in German schools?
Timeline & Outcomes
|
Activity |
Date / time |
|
RFP Issued to bidding suppliers |
29 September 2025 |
|
Deadline for clarification questions (Clarification Deadline) |
20 October 2025 |
|
Deadline for the British Council to respond to clarification questions |
24 October 2025 |
|
Deadline for submission of Proposals by potential suppliers (Response Deadline) |
27 October 2025 |
|
Final Decision |
30 October 2025 |
|
Contract concluded with winning supplier |
10 November 2025 |
|
Contract start date |
17 November 2025 |
|
Delivery of detailed workplan |
November 2025 |
|
Delivery of interim report |
Mid-January 2026 |
|
Delivery of draft of report |
Mid-February 2026 |
|
Feedback from advisory committee shared with authors |
Mid-March 2026 |
|
Delivery of final report |
End of March 2026 |
How to apply
Full details (Tender ID – RFP1028159) 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 MyProcurement https://tap.tcsapps.com/tap2/#/bc-supplier-registration by 20 October 2025.
The British Council will respond to clarification questions by 24 October 2025.
Your proposal and other supporting documents must be submitted to MyProcurement https://tap.tcsapps.com/tap2/#/bc-supplier-registration by 27 October 2025.
If you face any technical issues regarding access or using the MyProcurement portal, please contact gsd@britishcouncil.org.