The Foundation Practice Rating (FPR) is a sector wide initiative established in 2020 by a group of independent UK funders to drive improvements in funding practice. It assesses foundations annually across three dimensions:

• Diversity of those who make funding decisions
• Accountability to the people and communities funders aim to serve
• Transparency in how decisions are made, what is funded, and what has been learned

Over its first five years, the FPR has generated a unique dataset and has influenced practice across the UK foundation sector. The commissioning funders now seek an independent evaluation of the FPR’s operation and possible impact to date. The aim is to inform how the FPR develops in the future to better support philanthropy in UK.

We are inviting proposals from suitably qualified evaluators or evaluation teams to undertake a comprehensive review of the impact, influence, and value of the Foundation Practice Rating from 2020-2026.

The available budget for this evaluation is up to £40,000 inclusive of VAT.

• Interim report October 2026 to inform the 2026 analysis
• Full outputs December 2026

• Foundation Practice Rating website, including methodology and five years of published data
• Evaluation brief, outlining scope, questions, deliverables, and budget parameters

We’re holding an online briefing with the commissioning partners to allow you to pose any questions you may have:

• Date: 1 June 2026
• Time: 12:30pm
• Format: Zoom

Please submit the following materials:

• A proposal of no more than 1,500 words outlining your approach, methodology, and understanding of the brief. This should be in plain English and in an accessible font. Submissions in other formats (video/ audio) are permissible.
• Details of your team, relevant experience, and track record.
• A proposed timeline and budget.
• Your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy/ approach.
• Two references for similar work.

Deadline: 5pm, 10 June 2026
Submit to: danielle@friendsprovidentfoundation.org.uk

Assessment criteria:

• Proposals will be assessed by funding partners in terms of:
  • Quality and clarity of the method
  • Understanding of the FPR and the wider funding landscape
  • Experience and expertise in the approach and techniques proposed
  • Value for money
  • Approach to equity and understanding of research ethics considerations.

Proposals will be reviewed by the FPR funding partners. Applicants will be notified of the outcome and provided with feedback by 25 June 2026.