Consultancy to Design and Deliver Tailor-Made Training on Public Speaking
Background
The British Council is implementing the SPARK project, a youth-focused initiative that supports university students and emerging educators to develop project ideas, strengthen their leadership and communication skills, and contribute to positive change in their communities. The SPARK project engages participants in designing innovative solutions in areas such as peacebuilding, ecolinguistics, and artificial intelligence, and supports them through training, mentoring, teamwork, and public presentation opportunities. In this context, the British Council seeks to procure the services of an experienced individual consultant or consultancy company to design and deliver a tailored training that strengthens participants’ oral communication, presentation delivery, pitching skills, and confidence in public speaking.
Purpose of the consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to engage a suitably qualified and experienced consultant or company to develop and deliver a tailor-made training for the SPARK project participants, combining face-to-face and online modalities. The assignment will support participants to communicate clearly, present confidently, pitch ideas persuasively, and manage stage fright effectively. The consultancy will be commissioned and managed by the British Council as part of the SPARK project.
Objectives
The specific objectives of the consultancy are to:
- Strengthen participants’ public speaking and presentation skills.
- Build confidence in structured pitching and persuasive communication.
- Improve clarity, voice, body language, and audience engagement.
- Support participants in managing anxiety, nervousness, and stage fright.
- Provide practical tools for both live and online presentations.
- Help participants deliver concise, compelling, and audience-focused messages.
Scope of work
The consultant/company will be responsible for:
- Reviewing available background information on SPARK participants and their training needs.
- Designing a tailored methodology, training agenda, and learning approach.
- Preparing all necessary training materials, handouts, exercises, and digital resources.
- Delivering interactive face-to-face training sessions for SPARK participants.
- Delivering complementary online sessions for follow-up, practice, coaching, or reinforcement.
- Ensuring that the training is practical, participatory, and adapted to the profile and needs of the participants.
- Incorporating activities such as individual speaking practice, group work, pitch simulations, peer feedback, and short recorded presentations.
- Covering, at a minimum, the following themes:
- Principles of effective public speaking.
- Structuring a presentation or pitch.
- Voice, pace, intonation, and clarity.
- Non-verbal communication and stage presence.
- Storytelling and audience engagement.
- Handling questions and difficult audience situations.
- Coping strategies for stage fright and confidence building.
- Assessing participant progress and providing concise recommendations.
Expected deliverables
The consultant/company will be expected to provide the following deliverables:
- An inception note or short methodology paper.
- A draft and final training agenda.
- Training materials and resources.
- Delivery of the agreed face-to-face training sessions.
- Delivery of the agreed online training sessions.
- A concise final report summarizing the training delivered, participant feedback, key achievements, and recommendations.
Duration and modality
The consultancy will take place from October 2026 to March 2027. Exact dates to be agreed with the British Council. The assignment will include both face-to-face and online delivery, with the exact number of sessions, duration, and schedule to be confirmed upon contract award. The consultant/company is expected to remain flexible and responsive to the needs of the SPARK participants and the project timetable.
Reporting arrangements
The consultant/company will report to the designated British Council project focal point. The consultant will be expected to maintain regular communication, submit draft materials in a timely manner, and incorporate feedback from the British Council prior to finalizing the training package and final report.
Required qualifications and experience
The consultant/company should demonstrate:
- Proven experience in delivering public speaking, presentation, communication, or pitching training.
- Experience working with youth, students, teachers, or emerging professionals.
- Strong facilitation skills and the ability to engage participants in interactive learning.
- Experience designing and delivering tailored training in both face-to-face and online formats.
- Excellent communication skills in English.
- Experience in confidence-building, performance skills, or stage presence training would be considered an asset.
- Prior experience with international organizations, education programmes, or donor-funded projects would be an advantage.
Language requirements
The working language of the consultancy will be English. The consultant/company is expected to demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English and to deliver all training, facilitation, materials, and reporting in English.
Pricing approach
Applicants are required to submit a clear and competitive financial proposal as part of their application. The financial proposal should include:
- A daily rate or equivalent fee structure for consultancy services.
- A breakdown of costs for preparation, delivery of face-to-face sessions, delivery of online sessions, development of materials, and final reporting.
- Confirmation that the pricing is exclusive of VAT or other applicable taxes, unless otherwise required.
- A brief explanation of the pricing approach and how it represents value for money
Evaluation criteria
Applications may be assessed against the following criteria:
- Relevant experience and qualifications.
- Quality and relevance of the proposed methodology.
- Quality of similar assignments completed.
- Value for money.
- Availability and flexibility to deliver both in-person and online sessions.
Application requirements
Interested candidates should submit the following:
- A CV and/or company profile.
- A brief technical proposal.
- A proposed methodology and agenda outline.
- Examples of similar work.
- A financial proposal.
- Contact details of at least two referees.
Deadline for the applications submission is June 30, 2026, 23:59 CET.