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Provision of international courier services for British Council offices in Asia Pacific and Question Paper Distribution (QPD) & Confidential Material Room (CMR) for Pakistan

British Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

26 Oct 2026 at 12:21

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The British Council is seeking courier providers to support its examination operations through two separate services. One lot covers international transport of confidential examination materials from locations across Asia-Pacific to destinations worldwide, including collection, transport, customs-clearance support, tracking and proof of delivery. Delivery locations include Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. The other lot covers domestic courier and logistics in Pakistan: secure distribution of question papers from the Confidential Material Room to examination venues in different cities, and collection and return of confidential materials. Both are courier and logistics services (CPV 64100000). Suppliers can tender for either lot or both; the British Council will assess each lot separately.

The British Council invited tenders through a competitive flexible, selective procedure. The enquiry deadline was 29 October 2026 at 23:59 UTC; the expression-of-interest deadline was 16 November 2026 at 23:59 UTC. The intended award decision date was 7 December 2026. Both lots have a stated contract period from 1 January 2027 to 1 January 2030, with possible extension to 1 January 2031; renewal is performance-based. Lot 1 is valued at £3,768,718 excluding VAT (£4,710,898 including VAT); Lot 2 at £3,200,000 excluding VAT (£4,000,000 including VAT). Each lot is evaluated on commercial terms (50%), technical and operational capability (20%), service levels, experience and references (20%), and social value (10%).

This opportunity suits courier and logistics businesses able to handle confidential examination materials securely and meet tight, time-critical delivery requirements. For the Asia-Pacific lot, suppliers need international shipping capability, dependable collection and delivery, customs-clearance support where applicable, shipment tracking, proof of delivery, customer service and incident management. Strong security controls, documented chain-of-custody procedures and contingency arrangements are central. The Pakistan lot calls for domestic coverage across cities, sufficient staffing and transport capacity, secure handling and storage, and tracking and monitoring throughout distribution, collection and return. Providers bidding for both lots must demonstrate distinct capability, experience and operational capacity against each lot’s requirements. Small and medium-sized businesses are considered suitable for both lots. Competition is assessed on service quality and commercial offer, so relevant operational track record, references and service-level performance matter alongside price.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of international courier services for British Council offices in Asia Pacific and Question Paper Distribution (QPD) & Confidential Material Room (CMR) for Pakistan

Notice Description

The British Council seeks to appoint suitably qualified and experienced courier service provider(s) to support its examination operations through two separate lots, covering international courier services across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and domestic courier services within Pakistan. Suppliers may submit a tender for Lot 1 (International Courier Services - APAC), Lot 2 (Pakistan QPD and CMR Services), or both lots. Suppliers applying for both lots must clearly demonstrate their capability, experience, and operational capacity to meet the specific requirements of each lot. Each lot will be evaluated separately against its respective requirements.

Lot Information

Provision of international courier services for British Council offices in Asia Pacific

This lot covers international courier services for the secure, timely, reliable, and cost-effective transportation of confidential examination materials from APAC locations to destinations worldwide. The services shall include collection, international transportation, customs clearance support where applicable, shipment tracking, proof of delivery, customer service, and incident management. Given the sensitive nature of the materials, the supplier must demonstrate robust security controls, chain-of-custody procedures, and contingency arrangements to meet strict examination delivery timelines.

Renewal: It will be based on performance.

Question Paper Distribution (QPD) and Confidential Materials Room (CMR)

This lot covers domestic courier and logistics services within Pakistan, including the secure distribution of Question Papers (QPs) from the Confidential Material Room (CMR) to examination venues across different cities in Pakistan, as well as the collection and secure return of Confidential Materials to the CMR, where applicable. The supplier will be required to demonstrate appropriate staffing, transport capacity, geographical coverage, secure handling and storage facilities, tracking and monitoring arrangements, and robust chain-of-custody procedures to protect examination materials throughout the collection, transportation, delivery, and return process.

Renewal: It will be based on performance.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-079006
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100966-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

64 - Postal and telecommunications services

CPV Codes

64100000 - Post and courier services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£7,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£6,968,718 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Oct 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 1 Jan 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
British Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
E20 1JQ
Postcode Area
East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI41 Hackney and Newham
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England), TLN Northern Ireland
Local Authority
Newham
Electoral Ward
Stratford Olympic Park
Westminster Constituency
Stratford and Bow

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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