Member login

The British Council Award for Excellence in International Work

Guidance notes for application form

This year, applicants are invited to complete a bespoke application form for each Beacon Award. This form will give applicants the opportunity to address all the criteria that will be assessed which include the Beacon Award criteria, and the bespoke sponsor’s criteria that is tailored for each award.

AoC Beacon Awards criteria:

The Beacon Awards celebrate exemplary practice. In all applications you should evidence innovation, sustainability and impact, ensuring that you clearly show there are features which promote exemplary teaching and learning, and that the initiative has wider relevance and applicability. The application should demonstrate:

Bespoke evaluation/quality assurance to influence continuing development of the initiative
Regard to the promotion of equality and diversity in the delivery of the programme.
That there is clear evidence of impact and sustainability.
That it has features which actively promote exemplary teaching and learning
That it is of benefit for one or more groups of students, recipients or trainees
That it has wider relevance and applicability which makes it of significant value to other colleges as an example of outstanding practice or innovation.

British Council Sponsor’s Criteria:

The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide through arts and culture, education and the English language.

We work in two ways – directly with individuals to transform their lives, and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for the longer term, creating benefit for millions of people all over the world.

We help young people to gain the skills, confidence and connections they are looking for to realise their potential and to participate in strong and inclusive communities.

We connect the best of the UK with the world and the best of the world with the UK. These connections lead to an understanding of each other's strengths and of the challenges and values that we share. This builds trust between people in the UK and other nations which endures even when official relations may be strained.

We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2022–23 we reached 600 million people.

This award will celebrate a college’s outstanding activities in international cooperation and exchange. Assessors will look for effective and imaginative approaches to raise aspirations, share best practice and act as a catalyst for improvements in teaching and learning. Outcomes will be measured by evidenced improvements to key college objectives and learner outcomes through international work. International work is varied and so long as applications meet the criteria there is no requirement for international travel to have taken place.

“Our Beacon Award celebrates and promotes the value of international exchange for systems, organisations, staff, learners and the wider community.”

The British Council Award for Excellence in International Work application form