1. Overview of the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We build connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. Last year we reached over 80 million people directly and 791 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive a 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government. www.britishcouncil.org
2. Introduction
Cultural and Creative Hubs Vietnam is a project co-funded by the European Union and the British Council and implemented by the British Council in partnership with the Vietnam National Institute for Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS). The project aims to enhance capacity, build a network and provide legal and policy assistance for cultural and creative hubs across Vietnam. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the sustainable development of a network of cultural and creative hubs in Vietnam. This in turn means continuing support for independent artists and creative practitioners, nurturing of freedom of artistic expression and creativity, and offering a diverse cultural life for Vietnamese people.
To learn more about the project please visit our webpage Cultural and Creative Hubs Vietnam 2018–2021.
3. A Partnership Proposal
As Cultural and Creative Hubs Vietnam will conclude all activities by the end of March 2021, and the project officially close by the end of June 2021, we wish to collaborate with a suitable partner who will take the lead in continuing one of the key legacies of the project: the Vietnam Creative Hubs Initiative (ViCHI) network and resource site, as recorded on www.creativehubs.vn
Developed as over three years by the British Council, VICAS, ViCHI, and a network of cultural and creative hubs as well as independent artists and creatives in Vietnam and Europe, www.creativehubs.vn is a bilingual website offering the following key functions:
- Online Learning Platform: currently offering 13+4 online learning courses covering a while range of disciplines from visual arts to dance, art therapy, creative writing, arts management, and intellectual property. Launched in June 2020, this online platform so far has reached over 30,000 people and produced completion certificates to close to 5,000 successful learners. This platform has the potential to be further developed and continue to benefit many more people who are either already working in the arts, culture and creativity, or are interested in joining the sector. Visit this online learning platform here.
- A Vietnam Creative Hubs Directory: currently featuring around 300 profiles of hubs – or independent, micro to small organisations working in the arts, culture, and creativity across Vietnam. These offer an overview of the arts and culture landscape in Vietnam: who are currently working in the sector in Vietnam, who they are, what they do, and where to find them. It is a resource that helps to connect people and enable more artistic and creative collaborations in the sector. This site has been designed in a way that allows users to create their own account to manage their online profile. Learn more about this function here.
- Others: Other functions of the site include Resources, aiming to provide useful resources for artists, creatives and managers, a News and Events section, and a Jobs and Opportunities section. All these three sections are currently under-developed but have great potential to benefit the network of cultural and creative hubs in Vietnam in long term.
We are looking for a partner who is interested in developing a vision and a plan, and to implement this plan to best manage and promote this resource site for the arts, culture and creativity in Vietnam over the course of the next three to five years. Ideally, the partner would be one of the hubs with expertise and experience in communications and digital technologies, including digital learning.
Please note that this partnership will involve extensive data management which will need to comply with the British Council’s Information Governance and Risk Management policy. It will also need to respect Intellectual Property terms and conditions that are applied to all existing content. Details of these will be discussed and reflected clearly in the partnership agreement in due course.
4. Timeline
We are looking to engage a suitable partner following this timeline:
| Activity (subject to agreement with supplier) | Date/Time |
| Call for partnership | 26 March 2021 |
| Deadline for inquiries | 9 April 2021 |
| Deadline for responses by potential partner | 16 April 2021 |
| Interview | 19–23 April 2021 |
| Information to successful candidate | 29 April 2021 |
| Grant award start date | 2 May 2021 |
| Grant completion date | three to five years from the grant award start date |
5. Grant Award
We will offer a maximum grant of VND200,000,000 (approximately €7,500), inclusive of all applicable taxes, for the management and promotion of this resource site over the next three to five years. We do not expect this grant amount to be used for development of new content for the site. However, we welcome candidates with a vision for further development of new content using funding from other sources. This amount should include technical costs such as domain, host, and maintenance of existing content over three to five years.
6. Award Criteria
Responses from potential partners will be reviewed and awarded based on an assessment of the vision and management plan for the resource site as proposed by potential partners, considering the following criteria:
- Benefits to the arts, culture and creative sector in Vietnam, particularly in terms of:
(i) innovative ideas for the management and promotion of the site content
(ii) extensive communications and reach to the key target audiences, which are artists, creatives and young people who are interested in working in the arts, culture and creativity
(iii) attention to deliver benefits to young, emerging artists and practitioners, and harder to reach groups, such as women, girls, rural and semi-rural population, ethnic groups, etc.
- Value for money – how the grant award will be used to achieve the intended purpose of best possible management and promotion of the resource site.
- Relevant expertise and experience of the potential partner.
7. Instructions for Responding
All interested hubs are invited to express their interest using the provided form and send to vnarts@britishcouncil.org.vn by 23.59 Vietnam time, 16 April 2021.
8. Clarification Requests
All clarification requests should be submitted to vnarts@britishcouncil.org.vn before 9 April 2021.