ABSTRACT Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are understood to be the final fate for a subset of massive, stripped envelope, rapidly rotating stars. Beyond this, our knowledge of the progenitor systems is limited. Using the Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis (bpass) stellar evolution models, we investigate the possibility that some massive stars in binaries can maintain the angular momentum required for jet production, while still loosing their outer envelope through winds or binary interactions. We find that a total hydrogen mass of MH < 5 × 10−4 M⊙ and a helium ejecta mass fraction of FHe < 0.20 provide the best thresholds for the supernova type II/Ibc and Ib/Ic divisions, respectively. Tidal interactions in binaries are accounted for by applying a tidal algorithm to post-process the stellar evolution models output by bpass. We show that the observed volumetric GRB rate evolution can be recreated using two distinct pathways and plausible distributions for burst parameters. In the first pathway, stars are spun up by mass accretion into a quasi-homogeneous state. In the second, tides maintain rotation where otherwise the star would spin-down. Both lead to type Ic supernova progenitors, and a metallicity distribution consistent with the GRB host galaxy population. The inferred core angular momentum threshold for jet production is consistent with theoretical requirements for collapsars, given the assumptions made in our model. We can therefore reproduce several aspects of core-collapse supernova/GRB observation and theory simultaneously. We discuss the predicted observable properties of GRB progenitors and their surviving companions.