---
title: "Research Services - Overcoming the barriers to senior representation and leadership by black and minority ethnic people in FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-4eefa7b6-03d7-4449-a625-0d21aac27b68"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-4eefa7b6-03d7-4449-a625-0d21aac27b68"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-4eefa7b6-03d7-4449-a625-0d21aac27b68.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-4eefa7b6-03d7-4449-a625-0d21aac27b68.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "THE FINANCIAL REPORTING COUNCIL LIMITED"
published: "2021-11-29"
---

# Research Services - Overcoming the barriers to senior representation and leadership by black and minority ethnic people in FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies

Buyer: THE FINANCIAL REPORTING COUNCIL LIMITED  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-4eefa7b6-03d7-4449-a625-0d21aac27b68

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## Summary

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) in London has awarded a contract for research services aimed at addressing barriers to senior representation and leadership for black and minority ethnic individuals in FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies. The tender, titled "Research Services - Overcoming the barriers to senior representation and leadership," was published on 27th September 2021 with a deadline for submissions on 19th October 2021. The successful bidder is Cranfield University, and the contract, valued at £40,000, runs from 1st November 2021 to 1st March 2022. This procurement was conducted via an open procedure, allowing a broad range of suppliers to participate.

This contract presents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in research and development consultancy services, particularly those with expertise in diversity and inclusion initiatives. Companies that focus on organisational behaviour, workforce analytics, and equity in corporate environments would be well-positioned to leverage this contract's insights to grow their own offerings. Engaging in this kind of research not only supports the advancement of diversity within senior leadership but could also enhance a firm's capabilities and reputation in fostering inclusive workplace practices.

## Notice

***THIS OPPORTUNITY IS CLOSED. THIS IS A CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE*** The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) regulates auditors, accountants and actuaries and sets the UK's Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes. We seek to promote transparency and integrity in business; our work is aimed at investors and others who rely on company accounts, audit and high-quality risk management. As the Competent Authority for audit in the UK, the FRC sets auditing and ethical standards and monitors and enforces audit quality. The FRC is encouraging listed companies to increase the level of diversity at senior leadership levels. The market environment in which FTSE companies operate is increasingly diverse as a result of globalisation, increased participation in the workforce, and changing demographics. Companies need to consider how diversity and inclusion are relevant to the specific circumstances of their business, the markets they operate in, the workforce upon which they rely and the customers and communities they serve. In addition to its own monitoring of corporate governance and reporting, the FRC is interested in gathering evidence specifically on the challenges and opportunities that black and minority ethnic individuals may experience in progressing to the Boards of FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies, Executive Committee roles (the pipeline to Board positions), and the direct reports of members of the Executive Committee (also part of the pipeline). One of the principles of good governance is that Boards should be diverse in their composition. In the context of corporate governance, diversity is a broad concept, encompassing diversity of skills, experience, social background, personal strengths and mindset, as well as those protected characteristics included in the Equality Act 2010. This research will enable the FRC to better understand the following, with respect to companies in the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 (with some separate analysis for each group): 1. What are the barriers to black and minority ethnic people progressing to senior leadership levels? If so, are there consistent themes to those barriers? 2. Is there established best practice for increasing the ethnic diversity of FTSE boards? How effective is that best practice in terms of outcomes and black and minority ethnic people's real experiences in FTSE companies? 3. Does that best practice extend to ensuring a sustainable pipeline of ethnically diverse talent with the skills and knowledge, and presence in those "feeder roles", acknowledged as being desirable to successfully attain Executive and Board positions? 4. Can a set of good practices/procedures be defined, or refined, that supports the progress of black and minority ethnic people to senior leadership levels, and which might be applicable to the wider business community? Additional information: THIS OPPORTUNITY IS CLOSED. THIS IS A CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/12afae6a-92b9-46e0-9049-ebc930e8e197 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure (below threshold) |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 29 Nov 2021 |
| Submission deadline | 19 Oct 2021 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 22 Nov 2021 |
| Contract period | 22 Nov 2021 - 1 Mar 2022 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £40,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £40,000 |
| 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 | THE FINANCIAL REPORTING COUNCIL LIMITED |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | Central London |
| Postcode | EC2Y 5AS |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | City of London |
| Electoral ward | Bassishaw |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

## Release History

- 29 Nov 2021 at 11:54 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/12afae6a-92b9-46e0-9049-ebc930e8e197
- 27 Sep 2021 at 15:18 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/ea9d4160-8c47-49d4-bc24-f8723775ca95

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/12afae6a-92b9-46e0-9049-ebc930e8e197
  29th November 2021 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/ea9d4160-8c47-49d4-bc24-f8723775ca95
  27th September 2021 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/f9816d16-ba4d-4a4f-8205-bbda63c0fff1
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/2333c108-f516-48bc-8d23-a7ea931cae68

## Notice URLs

- http://www.frc.org.uk

## Provenance

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