FCO areas of research interest 2017 to 2018 · first published 30 November 2017
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) published its Areas of Research Interest (ARI) document in 2017 to set out the geographical and thematic research questions that matter most to the department. It was produced as part of the government's response to the 2015 Nurse Review of UK Research Councils, which recommended departments engage more strategically with academia and a wider range of research suppliers. The document is intended to improve access for departments to a broader supplier base and support more coherent engagement with researchers. For a small business with research, analysis or consultancy capabilities, this document signals where the FCO is likely to commission work — but no specific contract values, award criteria or procurement rules are set out in the available text. Because we only have the GOV.UK summary (the full PDF was not parsed), the specific research themes cannot be confirmed here.
WHO THIS APPLIES TO
THE ENKII VIEW
ARI documents are essentially a pre-market signal: the FCO is telling the research and supplier market what it wants to know, before it commissions work. For research-capable SMEs — think policy consultancies, area-studies specialists, data analysts, or social-research firms — aligning their pitch, capabilities, and past work to these stated interests can give them a genuine edge when FCO tenders appear. The risk is treating this as a procurement document when it is really an engagement tool; no contract, weighting, or threshold rules are set here.
1. Download and read the full FCO ARI 2017–18 PDF to identify the specific geographical and thematic research questions the FCO has prioritised, then map your firm's capabilities and past work directly to those questions in your capability statements and bid responses.
SMEs with research, policy analysis, or consultancy capabilities relevant to FCO themes — The document explicitly aims to 'improve access for departments to a wider range of suppliers' — reading the ARI is the first step to positioning your firm as a match before a tender is published.
2. Send comments or expressions of capability to ari.comment@go-science.gsi.gov.uk to engage directly with the FCO's research commissioning community.
SMEs with research, policy analysis, or consultancy capabilities relevant to FCO themes — The document invites feedback via this address — this is a low-cost route to getting your firm on the FCO's radar ahead of any formal procurement.
3. Check whether other departments have published their own ARI documents and repeat this mapping exercise across departments whose themes align with your expertise.
All research-capable SMEs targeting central government — The ARI programme is a government-wide initiative following the 2015 Nurse Review, meaning multiple departments will have published similar signals about their research priorities.
Every rule below quotes the official document verbatim.
The FCO ARI sets out geographical and thematic research areas linked to the department's Single Departmental Plan. (FCO research commissioning; all suppliers of research and analysis to the FCO.)
“The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) ARI document sets out areas of research would support the department's Single Departmental Plan.”
The ARI was produced as part of the government's response to the 2015 Nurse Review, which recommended a more strategic approach to departmental R&D programmes. (All government departments publishing ARI documents.)
“It is part of the government's response to the 2015 Nurse review of the UK Research Councils. The government accepted the recommendation for a more strategic approach to departmental R&D programmes, with a more sophisticated dialogue with academia.”
ARI documents are designed to better align scientific and research evidence from academia with policy development and decision-making. (FCO and academic/research suppliers engaging with the FCO.)
“better align scientific and research evidence from academia with policy development and decision-making”
One stated aim of the ARI is to improve access for departments to a wider range of suppliers. (All research and analysis suppliers, including SMEs, seeking FCO work.)
“improve access for departments to a wider range of suppliers”
ARI documents include information on departmental research systems, research and data publication policies, and R&D strategies. (Suppliers of research and analysis to the FCO.)
“They include information on departmental research systems, research and data publication policies and research and development strategies”
This briefing is enkii's interpretation of the official document — the official text always governs.
Source document © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0 via the GOV.UK Content API. enkii tracks every Procurement Policy Note and briefs changes the day they land — see all briefings.