UK SBS Student Loan Company capability, capacity and culture: a strategic review to support post-election planning.

*** This tender requirement was abandoned prior to a Contract award decision. *** The Student Loans Company (SLC) is crucial for students and universities alike, delivering its services across all four of the Devolved UK Administrations. It has a critical role supporting around 1.6 million student finance applications a year; paying out £6.5 billion in maintenance loans and grants and £6 billion to higher and further education providers; and managing a nationally significant Income Contingent Repayment loan book with a value of £62 million. The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, as sponsor department and majority shareholder in the Company, wants to ensure that the SLC has the capacity and capability to provide the strong leadership needed to meet the challenges it faces, and that the wider organisation has a culture where talented people can thrive. To this end, BIS is commissioning an independent strategic review to support the SLC in maintaining its current service and enabling it further to manage future asks. The primary objective of this project is to establish whether the SLC has the capability and capacity to deliver its current portfolio of activities and to manage its major digital and IT programme to reshape its business for the future. However, it should also offer views on whether the wider organisation has a culture where talented people can thrive, and insight on any capability, capacity or cultural gaps within the organisation. Where possible, practical recommendations should be offered for overcoming these issues.