Prior information notice
This notice is for prior information only
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
British Council
58 Whitworth Street
Manchester
M1 6BB
UK
Contact person: Aung Thein
Telephone: +44 01619577162
E-mail: aung.thein@britishcouncil.org
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.britishcouncil.org
Address of the buyer profile: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/britishcouncil
I.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Other: Registered Charity
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
EOL AI Customer Chat Bot
Reference number: BC/03768
II.1.2) Main CPV code
48445000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
II.1.4) Short description
British Council English Online offers personalized language courses to help learners gain confidence and improve their speaking, pronunciation, and vocabulary skills. Our platform provides small group classes and private one-to-one sessions, allowing students to customize their timetable based on their goals and interests. We cater to all proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced.At any point during the student’s journey, they may need assistance and guidance for:Getting started and where to go next, how to navigate the siteGuidance through the sign up/registration processAnswering common questions on services, policies, offersBeing able to handle questions in different languages and to respond in that languageProduct suggestions based on history and user preferencesPersonalised promotions/discountsAllowing the user to provide feedback and to also include short surveysCurrent monthly website traffic: ~800,000 visitors
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
200 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
48445000
48481000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Last year the British Council led 9M new users to the English Online website. Users take longer to make their decision: While we are increasing conversion rate to transactions through A/B testing, we have seen an increase in time in which the users decide to purchase. Different cultures, different needs: We also concluded onsite surveys to understand what information users need and to adapt content accordingly. We realised that depending on where users are from, they might need different information on the website. Best practice is to provide language pages and using a chatbot to personalise information they need to make their decision (provide answers to different questions).Lack of attention: The attention span of a user has dropped down to 8 seconds and they are looking for quick answers to their questions.Quick solutions: In today's fast-paced digital environment, customers expect quick response to their questions. They do not really look at the FAQ pages (don’t look around to search for an answer) but rather want to be presented with an answer as quickly as possible. If they don’t, they move on to the competition.Therefore we are looking at how we can use AI powered Chatbots which can handle multiple inquiries simultaneously and allows for scalability. With personalized recommendations and responses based on user data and behaviour, to enhance overall customer experience
II.2.14) Additional information
If you are interested in expressing an interest and/or bidding for this project, please go to https://in-tendhost.co.uk/britishcouncil . You may then have to register your company before you can express an interest for this project and get access the documents.
II.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice:
07/02/2025
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
If you are interested in expressing an interest and/or bidding for this project, please go to https://in-tendhost.co.uk/britishcouncil . You may then have to register your company before you can express an interest for this project and get access the documents.In-Tend Project Reference: BC/03768Project Title: PIN: UK_446 - EOL AI Customer Chat Bot
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
07/02/2025