Closing soon3 days left · express interest by 11:59pm, Monday 16 November 2026

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 · Local or regional public body

In brief

British Council is looking for suppliers for postal and courier work (UK-wide).

It is a framework worth up to £7,000,000 excluding VAT: the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers, not one contract.

The contract runs for 3 years, up to 4 years with extensions, starting 1 January 2027.

It is split into 2 lots, so a supplier can bid for part of the work.

The buyer says it is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

This is the first stage: register your interest by 11:59pm, Monday 16 November 2026, and shortlisted suppliers are invited to bid.

Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.

Can I win this?

Key dates

Questions by: 11:59pm, Thursday 29 October 2026
Express interest by: 11:59pm, Monday 16 November 2026

This is the first stage. You register interest now, and shortlisted suppliers are invited to bid later.

How bids are scored

Social Value 10% · Technical & Operational Capability 20% · Service Level Agreement (SLA), Experience & References 20% · Commercial 50%

A balance of quality and price.

Competition

Usually high: a median of 6 bids per contract for this buyer (from 100 awards in the last 12 months).

Framework

Winning puts you on a list of suppliers the buyer can call on; it does not guarantee work. The £7,000,000 is the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers over the framework's life, not one contract.

Tender documents

Tender documents · PDF
Tender documents · Word
Tender documents · spreadsheet
Tender documents · PDF
Tender documents · spreadsheet

What the notice says

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.

Should I bid?

Tick what applies to you. Nothing is saved.

Can you prepare a good bid in 3 days?That is tight, especially for a first bid with this buyer.
Is a contract of about £7,000,000 a size you can deliver?Buyers often check that your turnover is comfortably larger than the yearly contract value.
Can you deliver in locations across the UK?Check the delivery locations in the tender documents.
Is one of the 2 lots a good fit?You can usually bid for one lot without bidding for the others.
Are you registered on the Central Digital Platform?You need to be registered to take part under the Procurement Act 2023.
The buyer says this suits small businesses.A good sign if you are an SME, but check the requirements.

How to bid

Read the full notice on Find a Tender, including any tender documents it links to.
Register your organisation on the Central Digital Platform (through Find a Tender) if you have not already. Suppliers need to be registered to take part in procurements under the Procurement Act 2023.
Follow the submission instructions in the notice; it does not name an e-tendering portal.
Send clarification questions before 11:59pm, Thursday 29 October 2026.
Register your interest before 11:59pm, Monday 16 November 2026. Shortlisted suppliers are then invited to bid.

Lots

Lot	Trade	Value
Provision of international courier services for British Council offices in Asia Pacific 1 January 2027 to 1 January 2030 What this lot covers 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.	Postal and courier	£3,768,718
Question Paper Distribution (QPD) and Confidential Materials Room (CMR) 1 January 2027 to 1 January 2030 What this lot covers 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.	Postal and courier	£3,200,000

Timeline

26 October 2026Tender notice · UK4, notice 100966-2026

About the buyer

British CouncilLast 12 months

Procurements

341

Awards

184

Suppliers it has used most for postal and courier

Fe LLC "BTS Express Cargo Servis"1 contract

All tenders and awards from British Council

Similar open tenders

All open postal and courier tenders

Closes 17Nov
Post Office Branch - Whitchurch
Post Office LimitedSouth WestPostal and courier
Closing soon4 days leftLow competitionSuitable for SMEs
£32kestimated
Closes 17Nov
Post Office Branch - Lockwood
Post Office LimitedYorkshire and the HumberPostal and courier
Closing soon4 days leftLow competitionSuitable for SMEs
£8,000estimated
Closes 23Nov
ATMP/IMP Courier Service for NHSBT
NHS Blood and TransplantSouth WestPostal and courier
Open10 days leftLow competitionSmall contract
£300kestimated
Closes 24Nov
Post Office Branch - Dalgety Bay
Post Office LimitedScotlandPostal and courier
Open11 days leftLow competitionSuitable for SMEs
£8,000estimated
Closes 24Nov
Post Office Branch - Mid Calder
Post Office LimitedScotlandPostal and courier
Open11 days leftLow competitionSuitable for SMEs
£8,000estimated

From notice 100966-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 26 October 2026. We last checked for changes on 26 October 2026.