Invitation to tender9 November 2026

Open call for independent evaluators: Retrospective evaluations of financial support in higher education (TASO/42)

We are appointing independent evaluators to work with higher education providers. Together, they will evaluate providers’ undergraduate financial support schemes using retrospective quasi-experimental evaluations (QEDs).

Open call for evaluators

We are appointing independent evaluators to work with up to three higher education providers to assess the causal impact of their financial support schemes. The project will use providers’ existing institutional data and retrospective quasi-experimental designs (QEDs). The specific evaluation methodology will be agreed in collaboration with TASO, the independent evaluator and participating providers.

The project will run between January and June 2027.

Introduction

TASO aims to improve lives through evidence-based practice in higher education. Our mission is to close equality gaps in higher education by building evidence on what works and by driving the use of evidence-informed practice.

TASO is an affiliate ‘What Works Centre’ and is part of the UK government’s What Works Network. This means that TASO is committed to the generation, synthesis and dissemination of high-quality evidence about effective practice in widening participation and student success.

Student financial support is a crucial lever in higher education policy, shaping providers’ strategic planning and day-to-day operations. This form of financial support influences the academic outcomes and experiences of students, particularly those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds.

However, while various financial aid models are currently used, further evidence is needed to determine how level of support, specific financial support structures and delivery mechanisms are related to student outcomes.

Scope of the evaluation

We have selected three higher education providers and their undergraduate financial support schemes to be evaluated using QEDs.

• Retrospective impact evaluation: The evaluation will draw on providers’ existing institutional data to assess the causal impact of financial support on student outcomes. Proposed methodologies will use retrospective QEDs, including statistical techniques such as difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity, and interrupted time-series analysis.
• Implementation fidelity: While a full implementation and process evaluation (IPE) is not required, providers will provide monitoring data as part of the evaluation to assess the fidelity of the financial support schemes.
• Evaluation design: The specific QED methodology will be finalised post-appointment in consultation with TASO, the successful evaluator, and the providers.

Evaluators may express interest in conducting more than one evaluation in their application.

Financial support schemes

Overviews of the selected schemes are outlined in the application form (see ‘How to apply’). These schemes are cash bursaries paid to students in addition to any maintenance loan they have taken out. Eligibility is based on household income data that providers have for eligible and ineligible students.

Outcomes

The outcomes available for evaluation will depend on the scheme and data held by each participating provider. Potential outcomes include but are not limited to:

• attainment (module grades, end-of-year grades, degree classifications)
• continuation to next year of study
• withdrawal from studies
• completion
• graduate outcomes (progression to further study or employment)
• student engagement in their studies (lecture attendance, virtual learning environment engagement, library usage)
• engagement with institutional support services.

The selected providers have historic data on financial support eligibility and uptake, alongside relevant student demographic and outcome data.

Implementation fidelity

A full implementation and process evaluation (IPE) is not required as part of this commission. However, the evaluator will work with providers to use monitoring data to assess the fidelity of the financial support schemes. This may include information about eligibility, uptake, amounts provided, delivery mechanisms and changes to the scheme over time. The evaluator will advise providers on the data required to assess implementation fidelity and incorporate relevant findings into the evaluation.

Requirements for evaluators 

The successful  evaluators will work directly with TASO and participating providers to deliver all elements of the project outlined in this open call  (see Table 1 for an overview of the partner roles and responsibilities).

• Workshops: The evaluator will deliver collaborative workshops with providers to produce a theory of change for each financial support scheme. This will establish how the financial support is expected to influence student outcomes. The theories of change will inform the evaluation design and analysis.
• Ethical approval: Providers will be responsible for securing ethical approval if required, for example from their institution’s research ethics committee.The evaluator and TASO will support providers with this process as appropriate, including by advising on the evaluation design, data requirements and use of institutional data.
• Impact evaluation: The evaluator will be responsible for developing an appropriate retrospective QED for the participating providers’ financial support schemes. This will include:
  • Assessing the characteristics of the financial support schemes and available data
  • Identifying the most appropriate QED methodology
  • Developing evaluation protocols
  • Identifying the outcomes to be assessed
  • Establishing the analytical strategy
  • Advising on data specifications and requirements
  • Conducting appropriate statistical analysis
  • Undertaking robustness and sensitivity checks where appropriate
  • Interpreting and reporting the findings for a research report. 

Evaluators will work collaboratively with providers to ensure that the evaluation design reflects the available institutional data and the way in which each financial support scheme has been implemented.

TASO will organise fortnightly meetings with providers and the evaluator to monitor progress and address any issues. A summary of the envisaged roles and responsibilities is provided below in Table 1.

Table 1: Envisaged roles and responsibilities

Methods: Retrospective QEDs

The evaluator will be responsible for designing and conducting the QEDs in collaboration with TASO and the providers. The design will depend on the financial scheme and available data, which will be discussed and confirmed as part of the inception and scoping phase of the project. 

Deliverables 

Deliverables for this project will include:

• Theories of change for each provider, based on TASO’s template.
• An evaluation protocol (TASO will provide a protocol template), including:
  • A description of the financial support scheme
  • The theory of change
  • The proposed QED methodology and rationale
  • Details of the data required
  • The analytical strategy
  • Planned outcomes and measures
  • Relevant approaches to assessing implementation fidelity
• An evaluation report (based on TASO’s template) including:
  • Executive summary – outlining the key findings from the report.
  • Introduction – providing a background and outlining the content of the report.
  • Intervention description – including a summary of the theory of change.
  • Methodology – description of the research strategy adopted.
  • Findings – including results from the retrospective QED and any implementation fidelity findings, with charts that adhere to TASO’s data visualisation guidelines.
  • Discussion – of results, limitations of trial and future research directions.
  • Harvard style references provided for the evidence cited.
  • Annotated statistical analysis code and any summary data used to generate figures.
  • Full tables for any analyses; e.g., regression tables.
• Presentation of findings to TASO and providers.
• Provide timely information as to the progress of the trial so TASO can fulfil reporting requirements to its funders.

Project timeline 

The project will take place between January and June 2027 with data analysis anticipated in April 2027 and reporting in June 2027. The project timeline is in Table 2.

Table 2: Project timeline

Quality assurance 

At every stage, TASO will seek assurance from providers and the evaluator of the highest quality standards. We expect to see draft copies of all the key deliverables including analytical strategies, data specifications, regression tables, and final reports.

Funding for selected evaluators 

TASO is providing funding of up to £55,000 (excluding VAT) for each evaluation to cover resourcing for the project. This includes staff time for workshops and meetings, evaluation scoping, data analysis and reporting. 

Evaluator eligibility 

This call is open to independent evaluators with relevant expertise in quantitative impact evaluation and quasi-experimental methods.

We are particularly interested in evaluators with demonstrable experience of the below:

• Designing and delivering retrospective QEDs.
• Applying methods such as difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity and interrupted time-series analysis.
• Conducting quantitative analysis using administrative or institutional data.
• Evaluating interventions in higher education or other relevant policy settings.
• Working collaboratively with public bodies and higher education providers.
• Managing and analysing sensitive individual-level data in accordance with relevant data protection requirements.
• Communicating complex quantitative findings clearly to research and practitioner audiences.

How to apply

The independent evaluators will be decided via an open commissioning process. Applications will be made through an online application form. A timeline for the application process is presented in Table 3 below. 

• Download and complete the
  • application form (docx) 
  • budget spreadsheet (xlsx)
• Please submit the completed application form to research@taso.org.uk by 13:00, Monday 7 December 2026.
• Evaluators may express interest to evaluate multiple providers’ financial support schemes.
• Clarification questions can be emailed to research@taso.org.uk up until 13:00, 1 December 2026. TASO will endeavour to circulate a response to these queries within 3-4 working days.
• We will communicate our decision to shortlisted evaluators during the week commencing 21 December 2026.

Table 3: Application timeline

Application assessment

Your application will be assessed by the TASO Research and Evaluation team. The strength of applications will be assessed on the below criteria. See the full application form for more details. 

• The project team (40%)
• The application – meeting the project brief (40%)
• Budget (20%)
• Data Protection compliance (binary – compliant/non-compliant)