---
title: "Understanding and overcoming the challenges of targeting students from under-represented and disadvantaged ethnic backgrounds"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-0fa94f97-a238-4e52-97f7-b44b72e422fd"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-0fa94f97-a238-4e52-97f7-b44b72e422fd"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-0fa94f97-a238-4e52-97f7-b44b72e422fd.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-0fa94f97-a238-4e52-97f7-b44b72e422fd.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND"
published: "2017-12-30"
---

# Understanding and overcoming the challenges of targeting students from under-represented and disadvantaged ethnic backgrounds

Buyer: HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-0fa94f97-a238-4e52-97f7-b44b72e422fd

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## Summary

The Higher Education Funding Council for England has initiated a tender titled "Understanding and overcoming the challenges of targeting students from under-represented and disadvantaged ethnic backgrounds." This project, classified under Research and development consultancy services, is set in the South West of the United Kingdom. The procurement method used is an open procedure, which is currently at the Award stage. The tender was published on 4th September 2017, and the submission period ended on 29th September 2017. The total contract value is £20,000, with a contract period from 23rd October 2017 to 30th April 2018.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for consultancy businesses focused on educational access, diversity, and social mobility research. Companies with expertise in engaging under-represented communities, particularly those experienced in conducting in-depth case studies and providing practical guidance for educational institutions, would be well-suited to compete. With the project aiming to improve practices and outcomes for disadvantaged ethnic groups, suppliers that can demonstrate a track record in similar projects will have a competitive advantage.

## Notice

The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) wish to place a contract for a principal investigator (PI) to undertake research and produce guidance regarding the targeting of disadvantaged and under-represented pupils from different ethnic groups through access, student success and progression activities. This is in order to improve OFFA and the sector's understanding of the challenges associated with this work, and provide practical solutions as to how these challenges might be overcome across the student lifecycle. The contract is for: * reviewing current practice across the sector and identifying examples of effective practice * carrying out in depth analysis of case studies identified from the sector review to champion examples of effective practice in the targeting of students from under-represented and disadvantaged ethnic backgrounds * identifying the key challenges institutions are facing in relation to this work and collating this in a final report * producing a written piece of practical guidance for the sector on how to effectively target students from under-represented and disadvantaged ethnic backgrounds, which will: o identify the key challenges institutions face in targeting their access, student success and progression activities at students of different ethnicities o develop possible solutions to these challenges o demonstrate the benefits to students and institutions in effective targeting of access, student success and progression activities. The long term goal of this project is to both challenge and support the sector to do more to address the differences in participation, outcomes and progression that persist between students from different ethnic backgrounds that can be masked by the overarching label of "Black and minority ethnic (BME)". Depending on the allocation of future funding, OFFA aims to develop a second phase of this project in which the developed methodology is piloted in institutions.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/ef2c3893-162e-4d93-b213-ee81028f932c |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure (below threshold) |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 30 Dec 2017 |
| Submission deadline | 29 Sep 2017 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 4 Oct 2017 |
| Contract period | 22 Oct 2017 - 31 Mar 2018 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £20,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £20,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND |
| Locality | STOKE GIFFORD |
| Post town | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS34 8SR |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England |
| ITL 3 | TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire |
| Local authority | South Gloucestershire |
| Electoral ward | Stoke Gifford |
| Westminster constituency | Filton and Bradley Stoke |
| Delivery location | TLK South West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACADEMY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

## Release History

- 30 Dec 2017 at 16:54 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/ef2c3893-162e-4d93-b213-ee81028f932c
- 4 Sep 2017 at 14:57 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/38eed47e-6831-45d9-9cda-37834ecd087e

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/ef2c3893-162e-4d93-b213-ee81028f932c
  30th December 2017 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/38eed47e-6831-45d9-9cda-37834ecd087e
  4th September 2017 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/ff347f8b-657e-446e-abf7-63b0f707bd4d
  Tender documents

## Provenance

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