New public sector contracting opportunities 2 December

Looking for contracting opportunities to deliver your services? Check out the latest funding and finance opportunities available.

If you come across any contracting opportunities or have a contract that you are tendering for, please let us know by emailing web@futurebuilders-england.org.uk or leave a comment on this blog.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of an Enterprise in Schools project software in Wigan. Contract value is to range between £50,000 and £100,000. Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQs) can be requested until the 7 December 2009. Contact Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council for more information.

Bristol City Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of public child care practitioners in Bristol. The contract duration is two years with a possible 12 month extension. The time limit for receipt of response is 10 December 2009. Contact Sheelagh Dawson at Bristol City Council for more information.

South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of a Children and Young People with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) service in South Staffordshire. The contract duration is three years with an option to extend for a further two years. Applicants should e-mail expressions of interest to Kerry Kay at the awarding authority by the 11 December 2009.

East of England Development Agency have a contracting opportunity for the provision of targeted support for employment and skills across the East of England. The contract value is £75,000. The deadline for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 11 December 2009. Contact East of England Development Agency for further information.

Cornwall Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of positive and fun short break opportunities for disabled children and young people in Cornwall. The contract value is to range between £20,000 and £50,000.The contract duration is 12 months. The time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 14 December 2009. Contact J. Mckibben at Cornwall Council for further information.

Voluntary Action Rotherham have financial assistance available for third sector organisations carrying out community-based environmental projects in Rotherham. Grants of up to £300 per group are available. The deadline for applications is 16 December 2009. Contact Voluntary Action Rotherham for further information.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of the DWP Reward and Recognition scheme. The contract value to range between £1,000,000 and £5,000,000. Applicants should send details of their organisation to Alan Marsh, by email at the awarding authority, to receive a pre-qualification questionnaire. The time limit for expressions of interest is 17 December 2009.

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity on behalf of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council for the provision of targeted mental health services to children and young people in schools. The contract duration is 15 months. The time limit for receipt of response is 18 December 2009. Contact Sarah Coney at Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council for more information.

Hull City Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of a Pathfinders service for young carers in Hull. The contract duration is 15 months. The time limit for receipt of response is 18 December 2009. Contact Fiona Harbord at Hull City Council for more information.

Blackpool Borough Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of a core care service for two extra care housing schemes in Blackpool. The contract value is to range between £200,000 and £300,000. Contract duration is five years. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 4 January 2010. Contact Gareth White at Blackpool Borough Council for more information.

NHS Wakefield District have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of a community specialist obesity triage service in the Wakefield District. The contract value to range between £1,950,000 and £2,850,000. The contract duration is three years with an option to extend for a further two years. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 5 January 2010. Contact Dave Warsop at NHS Wakefield District for further information.

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of community learning and employment champions in Doncaster. The contract duration is 13 months. The time limit for receipt of response is 6 January 2010. Contact Karen Middlebrook at Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council for further information.

Coventry City Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of a fostering advice and mediation service in Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull. The contract value is £150,000. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 8 January 2010. Contact Russell Garcia at Coventry City Council for more information.

Essex County Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of a children and young people advocacy service in Essex. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 11 January 2010. Contact Kate Martin at Essex County Council for more information.

Southampton City Council have financial assistance available for voluntary and community groups carrying out projects to benefit local residents in Southampton city centre. Grants of up to £1,000 are available. Contact the Stronger Communities and Equalities Team at Southampton City Council for further information.

Coventry City Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of overnight residential short breaks for disabled children and young people in Coventry. The contract value is £930,000. Contract duration is four years. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 15 January 2010. Contact Russell Garcia at Coventry City Council for more information.

Essex County Council have grants of up to £100,000 available to improve the social, economic or environmental well-being of local communities in Essex. For further information please visit the Essex County Council website or email sallyanne.thallon@essex.gov.uk

West Sussex County Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of independent providers of children’s placement services within West Sussex and Brighton and Hove. The contract value is £60,000. The contract duration is 19 months. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 18 January 2010. Contact Simon Walder at West Sussex County Council for more information.

New public sector contracting opportunities 23 November

Looking for contracting opportunities to deliver your  services? See the list of opportunities below with deadlines for expressions of interest in the next couple of months.

If you come across any contracting opportunities or have a contract that you are tendering for, please let us know by emailing web@futurebuilders-england.org.uk or leave a comment on this blog.

Improvement East – Partnership for Improvement and Efficiency have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of an employment and skills service across the East of England. As no deadline date has been specified, please contact the awarding authority for further information. Contact Lynsay Cook at Improvement East – Partnership for Improvement and Efficiency for further information.

Waltham Forest Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of a Sustainability and Climate Change Residential Outreach programme. Contract value is £37,500. To obtain a full tender pack contact Kathryn Cassidy at the awarding authority. Time limit for receipt of tenders is 24 November 2009.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of a child obesity intervention in Stockton-on-Tees. The contract duration is 12 months. The time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 27 November 2009. Contact Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council for further information.

Charities Aid Foundation have a grant available for public and third sector organisations working to overcome barriers to disabled people volunteering in Greater London, the West Midlands and the North West. Awards of between £250 and £5,000 are available, with an average grant value of around £2,000. Application deadline is 01 December 2009. Contact CAF for further information.

London Borough of Hackney Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of general employment support for the Way into Work programme in the London borough of Hackney. The contract value to range between £500,000 and £1,000,000. The contract duration is one year with an option to extend for a further two years. The time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 7 December 2009. Contact Nadeem Malik at the London Borough of Hackney Council for more information.

London Borough of Hackney Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of Specialist Employment Support in Hackney. The contract value is to range between £500,000 and £1,000,000. The contract duration is one year with a possibility to extend for a further two years. The time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 7 December 2009.Contact Nadeem Malik at the London Borough of Hackney Council for more information.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of research for the premises needs of Third Sector Organisations in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The contract value is to range between £20,000 and £24,995. Time limit for receipt of quotation is 7 December 2009. Interested parties should, in the first instance, submit an expression of interest by email: strategyandperformance@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Northumberland County Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of meals to Bedlington Children’s Centre. The time limit for receipt of pre-qualification questionnaires is 11 December 2009. Contact Chris Rush at Northumberland County Council for further information.

Durham County Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of participation for children and young people, parents, carers and families across Durham and Chester-le-street. The contract value is £120,000. The contract duration is 21 months with an anticipated extension of a further 21 months. The time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 11 December 2009. Contact Durham County Council for more information

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council have a contracting opportunity on behalf of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council for the provision of an Integrated Young People’s Specialist Substance Misuse Service in Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees. Contract value to range between £500,000 and £1,000,000. The time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 14 December 2009. Contact Lynne Massam at the Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council for further information.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of Aiming High Services for disabled children and a service for care within a child’s home in Walsall. The contract value is to range between £80,000 and £240,000. Contract duration is three years. The time limit for receipt of tenders of requests to participate is 15 December 2009. Contact Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council for further information.

London Borough of Merton Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of specialist support services in the London Borough of Merton. The time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 16 December 2009. Contact Corporate Procurement at London Borough of Merton Council for further information.

London Borough of Islington Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of children’s short breaks in Islington. The contract duration is 12 months with an anticipated extension of a further 12 months. Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 17 December 2009. Contact Malcolm Shimmin at the London Borough of Islington Council for more information.

Derbyshire County Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of accommodation based housing related support service (Supporting People) for young people in High peak, Derbyshire. Contract value is £60,000 per annum. The time limit for return of documents is 17 December 2009. Contact Derbyshire County Council for more information.

Coventry City Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of floating support for offenders under licence, those under community supervision and ex offenders in Coventry. The contract value is £93,600 per annum. Contract duration is 12 months. The time limit for receipt of electronic applications is 5 January 2010. Contact Procurement Services at Coventry City Council for more information.

Moneyline Greater Manchester have financial assistance available to individuals and businesses who find it difficult to access mainstream funding. Business loans are available up to £25,000. Enquiries should be made online at http://www.moneylinegm.co.uk/Contact.aspx

Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of holiday playschemes in Leicester. The contract value is £280,000. The contract duration is 22 months with the option to extend for a further two months. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 5 February 2010. Contact Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) for more information.

South West of England Regional Development Agency have financial assistance available for public, private and voluntary sector organisations in Cornwall and Devon to undertake innovative projects that will improve the local economy. Investments will usually be in the range of £50,000 to £250,000. Contact Business Link Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon and Somerset for further information.

Investment in the Acumen Trust

The Acumen Community Enterprise Development Trust has been offered a Futurebuilders investment of £350,000. It consists of two loans of £262,500 and a grant of £87,500.

The Trust provides a whole range of services in the North East, for example educational visits for unemployed parents and their children, information, advice and guidance to help learners to make more informed choices about learning and training opportunities and guidance for starting small businesses.

The investment will be used to buy and refurbish four properties for young people people in Easington. Some of will also be used for general working capital.

Tender opportunity – handypersons service in Sutton

Just found out about this tender opportunity:

The London Borough of Sutton is looking for a social enterprise to develop and provide a handypersons service for older people and people over the age of 18 who are particularly vurnerable within Sutton.

The contract is expected to commence on 1 April 2010 and will be for a maximum period of 2 years. After that the service must be fully sustainable and self-financing.

Organisations will need to be able to demonstrate that they can deliver services to vurnerable people using a sustainable enterprise model. They must also be able to demonstrate inclusion in the workforce of people who have traditionally found it hard to enter the labour market.

Email anna.abraham@sutton.gov.uk for a tender pack. Tender packs will be sent out during the week starting 23 November and the closing date for submitted tenders will be Friday 8 January 2010.

New public sector contracting opportunities 09 November

Below is a list of public sector contracting opportunities. Don’t hesitate to express your interest as deadlines for these opportunities are fast approaching.

If you come across any contracting opportunities or have a contract that you are tendering for, please let us know by emailing web@futurebuilders-england.org.uk or leave a comment on this blog.

Department for Children, Schools and Families are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of the testing of a Disability Identification Tool for schools. Expressions of interest should be no more than 750 words and should be received no later than the 10 November 2009. For queries regarding the tendering process applicants should contact Elizabeth Wilde at the awarding authority. For queries regarding the project, contact Natasha Calvert.

The Economic and Social Research Council have financial assistance available for research placements to enable knowledge, experience and skills transfer between third sector organisations and the academic sector. Application deadline is the 10 November. Contact the ESRC for further information.

NHS Nottinghamshire County are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of welfare and advice services in Nottinghamshire. The contract duration is three years. An information pack including the specification is available from Gilly Swift at the awarding authority. Time limit for receipt of responses is 11 November 2009.

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of the Integrated Community Equipment Service throughout Doncaster. The contract duration is 36 months with an option to extend for two further 12 month periods. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 11 November 2009. Contact the Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council for more information.

NHS Central Lancashire have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of adult community tier 2, tier 3 and criminal justice substance misuse services for Central Lancashire. The contract value is £5,000,000. The contract duration is three years. The time limit for receipt of response is 11 November 2009. Contact the NHS Central Lancashire for further information.

The Njoya Foundation have grants available for third sector organisations undertaking projects for the benefit of young males of African descent, aged 5 – 15 in London. Grants are made up to a value of £500, in any 12 month period. Application deadline is the 12th of November. Contact the Njoya Foundation for further information.

Department for Children, Schools and Families have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of a Family Information Service (FIS) Managers Survey. Applicants should send expressions of interest, no longer than 750 words, to the awarding authority by the 12 November 2009. Contract Enquiries to the Department for Children, Schools and Families – Analytical Management Team, Research Buying Unit W601, Moorfoot, Sheffield, S1 4PQ.

Worcestershire County Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of a GP engagement in support for carers in Worcestershire. The time limit for receipt of submissions is 13 November 2009. Contact Worcestershire County Council for more information.

Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Borough Council have financial assistance is available to local voluntary organisations in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead for revenue and capital costs. Capital grants will be between £1,000 and £25,000 up to a maximum of 66% of total cost of capital project. Applications are due by 13 November 2009. Contact Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Borough Council for further information.

The Cabinet Office are inviting tenders for financial assistance which is available to small voluntary and community groups to continue or expand their work with the local community in Milton Keynes. Applicants may receive no more than £5,000 during the three-year period of the grant. Application deadline is the 13th of November. Contact the Milton Keynes Community Foundation for further information or to request a paper version of the application pack.

Richmond Upon Thames Council for Voluntary Services have financial assistance available to organisations working with children and young people in the London Borough of Richmond. Application deadline is the 13 November. Contact Thames Community Foundation for further information.

Comic Relief have financial assistance available for charities, social enterprises and community groups in the United Kingdom to undertake projects which support refugee and asylum seeking women that have experienced rape, torture or other forms of abuse. Grants on average vary between £25,000 and £40,000 and are usually for between one and three years. Application deadline is 13 November. Contact Comic Relief for further information.

Comic Relief have financial assistance available for charities, social enterprises and community groups in the United Kingdom to undertake projects which support vulnerable young people aged 11-25. Grants on average vary between £25,000 and £40,000 and are usually for between one and three years. Application deadline is the 13th of November. Contact Comic Relief for further information.

Department for Communities and Local Government have financial assistance available to organisations for innovative projects that address worklessness in specific areas of Birmingham. Application deadline is 13 November. Contact Be Birmingham for further information.

Wiltshire County Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of Approved Learning and Development Providers across Wiltshire. The contract duration is three years. The t ime limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 16 November 2009. Contact Wiltshire County Council for more information.

Bromley Borough Council have a contracting opportunity on behalf of Bromley Borough Council for the provision of care support services for people with learning disabilities. The contract duration is three years with an option to extend for a further 24 months. The time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 16 November 2009. Contact Bromley Borough Council for further information.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission have a contracting opportunity for the provision of Careers Information, Advice and Guidance Research in Manchester. The contract value is to range between £50,000 and £100,000. The time limit for receipt of tenders is 16 November 2009. For further information contact Mark Lewis at the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Department for Children, Schools and Families have a contracting opportunity for the provision of a Childcare and Early Years Parents Survey. Applicants should send expressions of interest, no longer than 750 words, to the awarding authority no later than the 16 November 2009. Contract Enquiries to the Department for Children, Schools and Families – Analytical Management Team, Research Buying Unit W601, Moorfoot, Sheffield, S1 4PQ

London Borough of Hillingdon Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of residential care services for older people and people with specialist needs in West London. The contract value is to range between £500,000, and £1,000,000. The contract duration is four years. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 16 November 2009. Contact the London Borough of Hillingdon Council for more information.

Visiting Shape Arts with Christian Stannard

Last week I went with one of our investment officers, Christian Stannard, to visit Shape Arts, which is applying for a loan from the Modernisation Fund.

Shape Arts is a charity working to improve access to the arts for disabled people. It does this through four delivery aims:

• More disabled people employed in the creative industries
• More disabled people as audiences
• Disabled artists creating high quality creative work
• Disabled people participating in the arts.

It has a range of projects ranging from access audits of arts premises to providing tickets to arts events at reduced tickets.

Shape wants to get further involved in commissioning and is applying for a loan of £168,293 to  employ a Partnerships Manager and a Partnerships Officer to identify contracting opportunities and develop relationships with other third sector organisations. It also wants to develop quality assurance systems to improve its chances of winning public sector contracts. It has observed that there has been an increase in demand for its employment support services and experienced a drop in income since the start of the recession. The Modernisation Fund, which is specifically for organisations affected by the recession, is therefore a good fit.

The meeting took about two hours and most of the time was spent by Christian talking with Richard Muncaster, the Development Director and Sally Yarwood, Finance Director to confimt the points they had put in the proposal. They discussed exactly what the partnership manager would do, what Shape could offer commissioners, what potential partners they would seek, the staff involved, how the organisation is run etc

Christian Stannard talking to Sally Yarwood and Richard Muncaster

A key point raised was the issue of bankability. We are unable to invest in organisations that are able to get finance from a commercial lender. Shape’s finances are in a pretty good shape so Christian wanted to confirm that it was unable to get a bank loan for the service. It was confirmed that they had approached banks for finance but as they had no solid assets (a building, for example) they were not interested, so an investment from the Modernisation Fund is fine.

They also spent some time going through the proposed budget and costs line by line. How the loan is going to get paid back is obviously important. In this case, Shape has planned for the project to become self-financing in the second year, when the contract income starts coming in.

So what happens next? Well, Christian will spend some time in the office doing further due dilligence and looking more closely at budgets and cashflow forecasts. He will then write a report recommending investment or not recommending investment.

The report will act as a case for the investment committee, which will make the final decision. In this case, as the investment needed is less than £200,000, it would be the internal investment committee which meets on a weekly basis that would make the decision. For larger investments it’s the external investment committe wich meets on a monthly basis that makes the decision.

Shape should expect to get a formal decision in about a month’s time, but based on what he’d seen today Christian was able to give an indicative ‘yes’.

Before we left, I did this very short video interview with Shape’s Business Development Director Richard Muncaster:

Can’t see the video? You need to install the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.

Investment in The Media Bus

We have just offered an investment of £344,573 to The Media Bus.  £297,527 of it will be a loan and £47,046 will be a grant.

The Media Bus is a social enterprise in Poole that was set up by White Lantern Film as a solution to the growing demand for educational projects and digital media training in locations with poor technical resources.

The Media Bus will be a double-decker bus turned into an innovative state-of-the-art digital media facility that will bring formal and informal training and educational opportunities to rural and disadvantaged communities.

To see a 3D video of the bus, go to the Media Bus website.

Angela Smith, minister for the third sector at Good Deals 09

This morning, I listened to Angela Smith MP, minister for the third sector, speak at Good Deals UK – the national social investment conference.

She pointed out that social enterprises contributed £8.5 billion to the UK economy in 2005, and added that ‘we need to unlock the power of the third sector’ in order to ‘create the public services of the future’. She also said that the Government shares many of the aims of the social enterprise and third sectors – it wants to achieve social justice, for example, and believes that the sector has a major role to play in helping the most vurnerable people in society.

And so the Government wants to help the social investment market grow, which is why it has put £215 million into Futurebuilders, £70 million into Communitybuilders and £100 million into the Social Enterprise Investment Fund. The Government needs to plug the gaps, show what is possible and lead the way, she said.

She also talked about the consultation for the social investment bank which closed in October and got nearly 900 responses. The Government is now going through them and will use the ideas generated to inform how it will progress with it. She made it clear that the comments will be invaluable in deciding how to set up the bank.

She also said that the social investment market can only take off if can be shown to have a social value. Therefore third sector organisations need to be able to show its social and environmental impact – social return on investment.

She finished where she started by pointing out that the current economic climate means challenges but also massive opportunities. There is a £30 billion market in ethical goods and services and customers are increasingly aware of how they can drive social change with their wallets.

New public sector contracting opportunities 20 October

Listed below are contracting opportunities with approaching deadlines. Get in quick as these opportunities are not to be missed!

If you come across any contracting opportunities or have a contract that you are tendering for, please let us know by emailing web@futurebuilders-england.org.uk or leave a comment on this blog.

Hilton in the Community Foundation (HCF) have grants available for third sector organisations undertaking education and health related projects for the benefit of disadvantaged young people. Grants are made up to a maximum of £30,000. The application deadline 20 October. Contact HCF for further information.

The Cabinet Office have financial assistance available to small voluntary and community groups to continue or expand their work with the local community in Worcestershire. Applicants may receive no more than £5,000, either as a single grant or cumulatively over the three-year period of the programme. The application deadline is 21 October. Contact Community First for further information or to request an application form.

Winchester City Council have financial assistance available to not-for-profit voluntary organisations, community groups or registered charities for projects and activities that benefit the residents of Winchester District. The application deadline 21 October. Application packs can be downloaded from the Council website. For further information please contact Winchester City Council.

South Yorkshire Sport have financial assistance available for organisations to provide young people living in South Yorkshire with opportunities to take part in sporting activities. The fund can support a maximum cost of £60 per head for the number of youngsters involved in the programme of sessions. The application deadline is 21 October. Contact South Yorkshire Sport for further information.

Department for Children, Schools and Families have financial assistance available to develop community-based media projects that target disadvantaged young people across England. The application deadline is 22 October. For further information contact Mediabox.

London Borough of Redbridge Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of a Parent Partnership Service to parents of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) within Redbridge. The contract value is £34,005 per annum. The duration of contract is three years with an option to extend for a further two years. The time limit for receipt of applications is 22 October. Contact London Borough of Redbridge Council for further information.

Kirklees Council have financial assistance available to local not-for-profit organisations for new and innovative community led projects that promote good practice to further community cohesion in Kirklees. The fund value is £ 90,000 and the application deadline 22 October 2009. Contact Kirklees Council for more information and an application pack.

Northumberland County Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of a Home Improvement Agency for Northumberland. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 21 October. Contact the Northumberland County Council for more information Barry.

Middlesbrough Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of Foster Care Provision to Local Authorities in the North East region. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 22 October. Contact Middlesbrough Council for more information.

Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity on behalf of Gateshead Council for the provision of consultancy services to establish what services make the biggest difference to the wellbeing and inclusion of adults with social care needs. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 22 October. Contact the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council for further information.

The Quartet Community Foundation has financial assistance available to local voluntary and community groups in Bath and North East Somerset for activities involving sport, exercise or play. Applications are due by 23 October. Contact the Bath and North East Somerset Office for further information or to request a hard copy of the application form.

NHS West Kent have a contracting opportunity for the provision of Carer Support Workers based in Sevenoaks, Maidstone and Gravesham. The Duration of this contract is 2 to 5 years. Organisations are asked to review the Contract Notice and submit a request, by email, to Emma Cain marked ‘Carers Support Pilot EOI’ stating a company name and a name, email and telephone number for a key contact at the company. All interested parties will receive a service specification document with embedded questions that will need to be completed and returned to the contact above by the 23 October.

Southampton City Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of care places for children and young people within Southampton. The duration of this contract is 2 to 5 years. Contract value to range between £500,000 and £1,000,000. The time limit for receipt of tenders is 23 October 2009. Contact the Southampton City Council for more information.

Middlesbrough Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of an advocacy service for children and young people across the North East. The duration of this contract is 2 to 5 years. The time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 23 October. Contact Middlesbrough Council for further information.

Liverpool City Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of a domestic violence support service in Liverpool. The contract duration is three months with an anticipated extension of 12 months. Time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 23 October 2009. For further information contact Liverpool City Council.

Kent County Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of fun clubs for children and young people in East Kent. The contract value is £58,000 with a duration of 13 months. Time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 23 October. For further information contact Kent County Council.

Thurrock Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of Housing-related Support Services for Adults with Disabilities in Thurrock. The contract value is £482,019 per annum. Email: procurment@thurrock.gov.uk to register expressions of Interest. Closing date to apply for Pre-Qualification Questionnaires is 23 October.

NHS Hull are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the delivery of a health promoter programme in Hull. The contract value is £170,000. The contract duration is 12 months. Applicants should send expressions of interest, by email only, to Mark Turner at the awarding authority. The deadline for expressions of interest is 23 October.

Rugby Borough Council have financial assistance available for voluntary and community groups to assist projects in the rural area of Rugby Borough. Applications are due by 23 October 2009. Contact Rugby Borough Council for further information.

West Northamptonshire Development Corporation have financial aid available to voluntary and community groups for capital projects or services which deliver cultural or sporting benefits in West Northamptonshire. Most awards will be between £1,000 and £5,000.  Contact the Northamptonshire Community Foundation for further information and to discuss applications requesting grants of more than £5,000.

Hampshire County Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of support for three young adults with learning disabilities living in Basingstoke. The contract value is £1,000,000. The contract duration is two years with an option to extend for a further two years. Applications must be sent to Graeme Robins at the awarding authority. The time limit for receipt of applications is 23 October.

The City Parochial Foundation have financial assistance available for registered charities and charitable organisations in the London area carrying out projects that aim to tackle poverty and disadvantage. The average grant is likely to be about £45,000 in total, although a significant number of grants will be smaller (between £5,000 to £30,000) while a few will be larger (more than £70,000). The deadline is 25 October. Contact the City Parochial Foundation for further information.

Public service delivery through social enterprise

I spent this morning at the Public Service Delivery Through Social Enterprise event held at RIBA in central London. A good mix of people from social enterprises, commissioners and public sector staff.

First up is Eilis Lawlor from the New Economics Foundation who talks about its approach to social return on investment. Her main point is that a focus on outcomes, not outputs, is needed when measuring the success of public service delivery.

She also says that it needs to be ok to report on failure. Too often failing services are continued due to poor reporting. Instead, organisations should acknowledge failure, learn from it and adjust services accordingly.

Next is John Tizard from the University of Birmingham with a talk titled Social enterprise – the time is right. He says that increasinhly governments are looking to the private sector to deliver public services. However, public confidence in the private sector is currently very low and that creates a great opportunity for the third sector to get further involved in public service delivery.

Over the next couple of years we will see a 15-20% reduction in public sector spending. This will put a greater emphasis on commissioning, but also on decommissioning. Often the case will be deliver ‘more for less’ or at least ‘the same for less’. This presents an opportunity for the third sector to show that is has greater flexibility than the private and public sectors. The message he presents is that there are major opportunities across public services but they won’t be delivered on a plate. If the sector can’t show that it can bring additional value and innovation commissioners will simply go elsewhere.

After the break, Stephen Bubb, CEO of ACEVO and Chair of The Social Investment Business talks about the barriers facing the third sector when it comes to public service delivery. He begins by mentioning Replacing the state?, which, when it was first published seven years ago was widely derided for saying that there were deep problems with state delivery of public services and that the third sector would be much be better placed to do it.

But now, he says, times have changed. Both main political parties are committed to less state provision and more provision by the private and third sectors.

However, there are three main barriers to the third sector getting involved in the delivery of public services. The first is cultural – the public, commissioners and policy makers don’t realise how big a an economic force the sector is. This needs to change.

The second is around funding and commissioning. Commissioners need to take a business like approach to the sector and provide long-term contracts so that organisations can get investment to run services properly.

The third reason is around capacity. The sector is weak in infrastructure because it has always been difficult to capacity build due to the short-term nature of the funding. The sector has also been cut off from the capital markets which the private sector relies on for innovation. In the third sector only really large, national charities are able to get bank loans. This can hopefully be helped by the creation of the social investment bank and what is the reasoning behind the establishment of The Social Investment Business, he says.

Next is Richard Lichfield, CEO of Eastside Consulting and interim CEO of 3SC, the third sector public service delivery consortium. He says that there are two things needed for social enterprises to get involved in public service delivery. The first is innovation, new solutions to deliver public services. The second is partnerships, allowing smaller organisations to get together to bid for larger contracts.

He says that 3SC brings together third sector organisations – so far over 350 of them – and acts as a prime contractor to win public sector contracts. The work is then carried out by the member organisations. 3SC has already won the largest DWP Future Jobs Fund contract, worth £20 million, to deliver jobs for long term unemployed.

Then it’s time for lunch, and I head back to the office.

Futurebuilders at the opening of the National Centre for Autism Education

Hannah Grant, The Social Investment Business’ Website Assistant went to the opening of the new Centre for Autism Education. We had provided £5.2 million for this new centre to Treehouse, the national autism charity.

At the opening Hannah spoke to Treehouse’s Finance Director, Martin Atkinson, and a parent, Virginia Bovell OBE.

This what they had to say.

New public sector contracting opportunities 12 October

Looking for contracting opportunities to deliver your  services? See the list of opportunities below with approaching deadlines.

If you come across any contracting opportunities or have a contract that you are tendering for, please let us know by emailing web@futurebuilders-england.org.uk or leave a comment on this blog.

The Lincolnshire County Council have financial assistance available to local groups, charities and parish councils for early development of community initiatives in Lincolnshire. The application deadline is 13 October. Contact the Lincolnshire County Council for further information.

The Department for Work and Pensions have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of support services. The deadline for bookings is 14 October 2009. To find out more contact the Department for Work and Pensions.

East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of the research and design of a capacity building programme in the East Midlands. The contract value is £70,000. Time limit for completed pre-qualification questionnaires is 14 October. Contact EMDA for more information.

SITA Trust have financial assistance available to support projects that help people aged 16-25 to improve their local environment. The fund value is £ 2,000,000. The application deadline is 14 October. Both SITA Trust and V are contributing £1m each to the scheme, which can offer grants of up to £10,000. Contact SITA Trust for further information.

Community Foundation for Greater Manchester have financial assistance available to voluntary and community groups, organisations and individuals in the Rochdale area. Grants are available between £100 and £5000.  The application deadline is 15 October. Applicants should contact the Community Foundation for Greater Manchester or see their website for further information or to apply.

Staffordshire Police have a contracting opportunity available on behalf of Staffordshire Police Authority for the delivery of a Leadership Development Programme. Contract value to range between £500,000 and £1,000,000. The time limit for receipt of tenders is 15 October. Contact the Staffordshire Police for more information.

BBC Children in Need have financial assistance available to support projects aimed at helping children in difficult circumstances. Application deadline is 15 October. Contact BBC Children in Need for further information.

Birmingham City Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of family based short breaks for disabled children in Birmingham. The duration of this contract will be 2 Years to 5 Years. The deadline for requesting the tender application pack is 15 October. Once requested the tender document should then be returned by Friday 23rd October. Contact the Birmingham City Council for more information.

The Hemby Trust have grants available for third sector organisations undertaking a variety of charitable activities in Merseyside. Grants are made between the values of £500 and £5000. Application deadline is 15 October. Contact The Hemby Trust for further information.

The European Commission have financial assistance available to small voluntary and community groups within Greater Manchester for projects that help people return to work. The maximum funding for any one organisation is £12,000 per annum. The average grant is expected to be around £6,000. Application Deadline is 15 October. Contact GMCVO for further information.

Nottinghamshire County Council have financial assistance available to community and voluntary organisations for adult education projects in Nottinghamshire. The contract Value is £ 10,000.  The application deadline 16 October. Contact the Adult and Community Learning Service for further information.

Coalfields Regeneration Trust have financial assistance is available to groups working in parts of Allerdale and Copeland for assistance with projects that will benefit the local community. Grants are usually between £500 – £10,000. Application deadline is 16 October. Contact Cumbria Community Foundation for further information.

Bristol City Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of family support services across Bristol. The time limit for receipt of tenders is 16 October. Contact the Bristol City Council for more information.

The London Borough of Hounslow Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of research into the Somali communities in Hounslow and Hillingdon. The contract value will range between £25,000 and £50,000. All expressions for interest should be emailed to procurement@hounslow.gov.uk. The time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 16 October.

E.ON UK have financial assistance available to voluntary and community groups in England, Scotland and Wales for energy saving projects on non-residential facilities. The maximum value is £ 20,000.  Application Deadline is the 16 October. For further information contact E.ON UK.

Middlesbrough Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of carers outreach workers in Middlesbrough. The duration of this contract would be 2 Years to 5 Years. The estimated annual contract value is £170,000. The time limit for receipt of tenders is 16 October. Contact the Middlesbrough Council for more information.

BAA Heathrow have financial assistance available to community groups, schools and local authorities for projects that benefit their community and local environment. The maximum value £ 50,000.  The application deadline is 16 October. Contact Groundwork Thames Valley for further information or to request a paper application form.

Nottingham City Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of a homelessness social inclusion service in Nottingham. The time limit for receipt of expressions of interest is 16 October. Contact the Nottingham City Council for more information.

Worcestershire County Council are inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity that is to be included on Worcestershire County Council’s list of Contracted Providers of Spot Purchased Domiciliary Care for Older People and People with Physical Disabilities. The duration for this contract is 1 to 2 years. The deadline for submissions is 16 October. Please contact Worcestershire County Council for more information.

The Department of Health is inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the review of the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act. The contract value is £250,000 and duration is 18 months. The time limit for receipt of tenders is 19 October. Contact the Department of Health for more information.

Ealing Borough Council is inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of transport and passenger assistant services for people with learning disabilities travelling to college within the London borough of Ealing. The contract value is £520,000. The time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 19 October. Contact the Ealing Borough Council for more information.

UnLtd have financial assistance available to social entrepreneurs for the start up and development of projects that have social benefits. The maximum value of this assistance is £20,000 from a £100,000,000 pot. The application deadline is 19 October. Contact the regional office of UnLtd for further information and advice.

Darlington Borough Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of accommodation services in Darlington. Duration is 2 Years to 5 Years. Time limit for expressions of interest is 20 October. Contact Claire Weatherburn at the Darlington Borough Council for more information.

Hilton in the Community Foundation (HCF) have grants available for third sector organisations undertaking education and health related projects for the benefit of disadvantaged young people. Grants are made up to a maximum of £30,000. Application deadline is 20 October. Contact HCF for further information.

New public sector contracting opportunities 6 October

Check out some of this week’s contracting opportunities. Make sure you get in quick as deadlines for these valuable contacts are fast approaching!

If you come across any contracting opportunities or have a contract that you are tendering for, please let us know by emailing web@futurebuilders-england.org.uk or leave a comment on this blog.

Boots Charitable Trust has financial assistance available to support work undertaken by charities and small voluntary organisations benefiting the Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and Erewash areas. The Application deadline is the 07 October. Contact the Boots Charitable Trust for more information.

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council is inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity that is available for the delivery of the Children’s Centre Lead Agency Function at two centres in Oldham. The duration of this contract is between one and two years. The application deadline is the 7 October. Organisations wishing to submit a tender should write to Oldham Council or E-mail Cindy Smith at the awarding authority, to request a tender pack.

Hampshire County Council has financial assistance available to voluntary and community organisations in Hampshire for the improvement of village halls. Application deadline 8 October. Contact the Hampshire County Council for further information.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council is inviting bids for a contracting opportunity for the provision of the Enterprise in Schools project in Wigan. The duration for this contract is 2-5 years. Application deadline is 8 October. Contact the Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council for more information.

Futurelab has financial assistance available to develop innovative new ways of using technology to promote learning and education. Maximum project funding is £25,000. Applications close 8 October. Contact Futurelab for further information.

The Cabinet Office is offering financial assistance to small voluntary and community groups to continue or expand their work with the local community in Northamptonshire. Applicants may receive no more than £5,000, either as a single grant or cumulatively over the three-year period of the programme. Applications are due by 9 October 2009. Contact the Community Foundation for further information or to request a hard copy of the application form.

NHS Birmingham East and North is inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for support of a GP practice in Washwood Heath, Birmingham. The time limit for receipt of PQQs is 9 October 2009. Contact NHS Birmingham East and North for more information on 0121 333 4113.

Worcestershire County Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of an adoption support group in both the north and south of Worcestershire. The contract duration is two years. The deadline for submissions is 9 October 2009. Contact the Worcestershire County Council for more information.

Westminster City Council has a contracting opportunity available for the provision of family support services in Westminster. The contract value is £7,028,460 and the duration of contract is five years with a break clause after three years. The time limit for receipt of tenders is 9 October 2009. Contact the Westminster City Council for more information.

Veolia Environmental Trust is offering financial assistance to voluntary and community groups throughout the UK to carry out environmentally focused projects in areas close to landfill sites. Most grants awarded are between £25,000 and £40,000 with an upper limit of £150,000. The application deadline is the 9 October. For further information contact Veolia Environmental Trust.

Staffordshire County Council is inviting bids for a contracting opportunity for the provision of training for the Early Years Workforce in Staffordshire. The contract value is £ 1,000,000 and the duration is 2 to 5 years. Applications close on the 9 October. Contact the Staffordshire County Council for more information.

Halton Borough Council is inviting tenders for a contracting opportunity for the provision of a progressive package of education in Halton. The contract duration is seven months and the time limit for receipt of tenders is 9 October 2009. Contact the Halton Borough Council for more information.

Arts Council England has an emergency fund available to help community arts organisations in England overcome the impact of the economic downturn. £40m has been allocated to the programme over the 2009-10 and 2010-11 financial years. Application deadline is the 9 October. Contact Arts Council England for further information.

South Gloucestershire Council has a contracting opportunity for the provision of youth work services in Filton. The contract value is £74,000 with a duration of 2 to 5 years. Time limit for receipt of tenders is 9 October 2009.Contact the South Gloucestershire Council for more information Paul.

The European Commission is offering financial assistance to community organisations that work to help people currently facing barriers to the labour market and skills provision. Application deadline is the 12 October. Contact Tribal for further information.

TreeHouse officially open inspiring new building

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the official opening of the Pears National Centre for Autism Education. TreeHouse have worked long and hard to create a flagship school for 80 pupils and a national centre for teacher training and accreditation, research and consultancy, and policy development.

The state of the art building in Muswell Hill is fantastic; its sleek aesthetic design and top of the line facilities make it a perfect hub for autism education. Ed Balls, the Secretary Of State for the Department of Children, Schools and Families officially opened the National Centre yesterday. Other important guests including Trevor Pears from The Pears Foundation, Arsène Wenger from Arsenal Football Club and local MP Lynne Featherstone who all added a special something to a time capsule buried yesterday to mark this momentous occasion.

Arsene Wenger, TreeHouse pupil and Ed Balls

The launch was complete with emotive speeches detailing the amazing work TreeHouse does in the community, with Lynne Featherstone describing TreeHouse as a “bright beacon in autism education” and Arsene Wenger proclaiming how proud he is to support such a great initiative.

The launch was brought to a rousing conclusion with a Treehouse pupil yelling “Its time to eat cake”, rallying everyone to dig in and help celebrate the work of Treehouse who have gone from strength to strength and are an asset to Autism education in London.

Ed Balls and TreeHouse pupils devouring cake

TreeHouse is the national charity for autism education. It aims to transform the lives of children with autism and the lives of their families through education. Set up by a group of parents in 1997, TreeHouse combines two roles; a service provider and campaigner for children with autism. The Social Investment Business invested £ 5.2 million from the Futurebuilders Fund in TreeHouse to contribute to the development of Pears National Centre for Autism Education.

New report from the NCVO – The state and the voluntary sector

I was reading the NVCO’s new report The State and the Voluntary Sector – Recent trends in government funding and public service delivery this morning and there are some really interesting stats in there.

The third sector’s total income in 2006/07 was £33.2 billion, more than three times that of the car manufacturing industry. Just under a third of this (£12 billion) comes from the public sector. Although this is only 2% of the total spending on public services, the increase in the proportion of public service spending going to the third sector is larger than the total increase in public service spending over the last few years.

Contract income is becoming increasingly important to the sector. Grants worth £4.2 billion and contracts worth £7.8 billion were awarded in 2006/07, the largest proportion, £4.2 billion going to health and social care organisations.

The study also shows that statutory income is much more likely to be received by larger organisations – over three-quarters of public sector income goes to organisations with an annual turnover of over £1 million. This is a problem for smaller organisations – something that we are trying to redress with the creation of 3SC, which bids for large public sector contracts on behalf of third sector delivery organisations.

Finally, social enterprises are much more likely to receive statutory income (21% of them do) than other third sector organisations (13%) and are much more likely to be engaged in public service delivery.

The sector needs a big financial player to bring transforming ideas to life

I started working in the sector almost exactly two years ago. In the very first week, I was struck by the passion and inventiveness of the people I met, and by the amazing effect of their work on the people that they help. In my first week, I visited three organisations across the country – a childcare centre run by a lady with a relentless determination that I will never forget, an unbelievably dynamic community enterprise whose activities range for employing and training local people to growing potatoes and a charity based in an old Victorian school that brought light to some of Sheffield’s most disadvantaged people.

But as quickly as I was touched by many of the organisations that we support, I became worried about how financially and organisationally weak, and therefore precarious, many of them are. And of course when third sector organisations fail, the people who really suffer are those who are no longer helped. The Adventure Capital Fund, one of the companies I run, combines money and expertise to build the capacity and sustainability of the third sector.

This offers a genuine remedy to these issues. However, two years ago, with only £15m to invest, we could only help a handful of organisations. It was obvious that we needed to support and finance far more third sector organisations – help thousands of them become financially strong and organisationally healthy so they can deliver changing and innovative services for the long term. But to help this many organisations, we knew we had to grow to build a big and powerful financial organisation that could make a difference to the sector as a whole.

Now, why is it important to be big? Why big and powerful, when they are such difficult concepts for the sector?  Well, we think that we will only be able to make stuff happen at any sort of meaningful level if we are big. The third sector is full of brilliant ideas. What it lacks, certainly in the area of finance is an organisation that can bring some of these brilliant ideas to scale quickly.

That was two years ago, and many thousands of pages of terribly demanding and frankly, often quite irksome tender writing later, we come to the next chapter in this story. We are now big. In just two years we have grown from managing that £15m to managing a range of funds – ACF (the original fund) – a £15m fund to invest in community enterprise, Futurebuilders – a £215m fund to help third sector organisations win public sector contracts,  the Social Enterprise Investment Fund (SEIF) – a £100m fund to help social enterprises deliver health and social care outcomes which we deliver with Partnerships UK, the Modernisation Fund – of which we deliver the £9.5m loan element, and most recently Communitybuilders – a £70m fund to develop community anchors delivered with the Community Alliance. In total these funds add up to £409m. They remain with their own distinct rules and individual  criteria, but in essence involve investing in individual third sector organisations to help them do more good, in better ways, for the long term.

So now the story is up to date. What we have done now is to bring them under the umbrella of a single name – The Social Investment Business. The new business has four goals:

Goal 1 – bring billions of pounds into the sector. Everyone accepts that the sector lacks capital. New money must come in. This money cannot only come from Government for government money has its own requirements and can come and can go. So, we will try and bring it in from a variety of sources. A key part of this will be to make social investment, by which I mean investment for a financial as well as a social return, a mainstream activity. What is the goal? Well for everyone who invests £10, £1 goes into a form of social investment. An ambitious goal, but a goal that would produce enormous social good.

Goal 2 – help create large-scale third sector delivery. Why? Well, clearly we hope that third sector delivery will produce excellent outcomes. But the reasons go beyond this. Large third sector organisations could strengthen the sector’s strategic discussions with Government about its role, discussions that the private sector is so adept at having, a conversation that is crucial because spending cuts are coming. This a conversation we should be having right now. We should welcome, not be scared of, a set of organisations that can help do this. In a £120bn industry, there need to be large service deliverers having these strategic discussions with key commissioners.

Now, the need for large third sector delivery goes beyond simply excellent delivery and influence – there is another reason for creating a new generation of large, exciting and well known socially driven businesses. Beyond what they actually do it is important to have organisations  that represent this movement in the public eye so that public can become excited about this type of enterprise, and when they come to their investment decisions, turn this excitement into investment into these type of organisations. Put simply, we must make the public at large excited about a new generation of socially driven enterprises.

Goal 3 -  invest the money that we manage well into thousands of organisations so that thousands of lives are improved. Our core activity is investing into third sector organisations. We need to show how to do it well, at scale so that other funders will be increasingly attracted to follow.

Goal 4 – the sector is awash with innovative ideas that just need to be made real to make the sector financially stronger. For example social impact bonds as promoted by Social Finance, a Social Stock exchange etc. These and other ideas cannot remain simply as ideas. With our clout and money we will bring transforming ideas to the mainstream. 3SC  – third sector consortium – is a good example of an idea that could not have been brought to life but through our involvement. Many of you have told me that you are worried by the move to fewer, larger contracts, and the fact that the prime contractors who tender for these contract are mainly private companies. You are worried that we, the third sector will become merely a sub contractor with small fees to fix intractable problems, little scope to build our own capacity and no ability to influence policy in areas in which we are expert. In response to, and to prevent this, we set up 3sc with the brilliant Eastside Consulting to bid for these large contracts for the third sector. 3SC is now a company into which 5 other partners have come – the National Youth Agency, CLINKS, QED, WELL UK and Sadeh Loh Housing Group.

This is not a new idea – the idea exists abroad, and people in the UK have been suggesting it for a long time, but no one had got it off the ground because no one had the scale or influence to make it happen. Putting The Social Investment Business’ shoulder behind it has meant that in the first month of its existence, the first day actually, it won the largest Future Jobs Fund single contract worth £20m, and it aims, and is in the process of trying to win billions of pounds of more contracts that would be exclusively delivered by the third sector.

A big ambition then, and an ambition  that if realised will help do more, for more people, for longer, but an ambition that will not happen if we don’t work well with you. If there is one thing I want you to remember from this it is that we cannot do this without you. 300 organisations signed up to supply services to 3SC. 11 partners came forward to be part of 3SC. Without this participation, the idea and the contract would not exist.

In finishing, we will bring in more money, create large scale third sector delivery, invest our funds well and bring to life transforming ideas. I urge you to work with us to make this happen.

New public sector contracting opportunities 28 September

Below some of the latest public sector contracting opportunities with approaching deadlines. Get in quick!

If you come across any contracting opportunities or have a contract that you are tendering for, please let us know by emailing web@futurebuilders-england.org.uk or leave a comment on this blog.

Baily Thomas Charitable Fund has grants available to voluntary organisations in the UK and Ireland for projects supporting young people and adults affected by learning disability. The value of the grants are awarded depends on a number of factors including the purpose, the total funding requirement and the potential sources of other funds including, in some cases, matching funding. Applications should therefore be submitted no later than the 1st of October for consideration at the next relevant meeting. For more information please contact Baily Thomas.

Suffolk Coastal District Council is inviting tenders for financial assistance that is available to voluntary and community organisations for the provision of additional and improved facilities for the general public. Grants are available for 40% of capital costs of a scheme up to a maximum of £10,000. The 30th of September is the closing date for applications wishing to be considered in the following January or February with a grant available from April. Contact Suffolk Coastal District Council for further information.

Suffolk County Council has financial assistance available for new projects that improve services to carers across Suffolk. The deadline is 30th September. Contact Suffolk County Council for further information.

Key 103 are inviting bids to tender for financial assistance that is available to charities based in the Key 103 / Magic 1152 broadcast area for projects that benefit underprivileged and disadvantaged children. The deadline for tenders is the 30th September. Contact Key 103 for further information or to request a print version of the application form.

Colwinston Charitable Trust has grants available for third sector organisations working in opera, visual arts and classical music in the UK. Grants are made between the values of £5,000 and £50,000 and are usually between £10,000 and £15,000. Contact the Colwinston Charitable Trust for further information. The deadline for applications is the 30th September

Cheshire East Council is offering financial assistance to local voluntary and community groups for activities and projects that will benefit local communities in the area.  Closing date for applications is the 1st of October.
Contact Cheshire East Council for further information.

National Council for Voluntary Organisations is inviting tenders for financial assistance that is available to help small third sector infrastructure organisations in England to improve their governance. Applications deadline is the 30th of September.  Contact NCVO for further information.

European Commission is offering financial support that is designed to promote a common cultural area, characterised by both cultural diversity and a common cultural heritage. It is available for European cultural co-operation projects in all artistic and cultural sectors. The deadline for applications is the 1st of October. Contact the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency at the European Commission for further information.

London Borough of Camden Council has grants available for third sector organisations in the London Borough of Camden that provide a service to vulnerable and marginalised residents of the community. Closing date is the 30th of September. Contact the Emanuel Vincent Harris Trust for further information.

Derbyshire County Council is offering financial assistance for the development of social enterprises for the delivery of low level services to older and vulnerable adults. The maximum grant available is £9,500, but it is anticipated that most of the grants will be between £2,000 and £5,000.  The deadline for applications is 30 September 2009. Contact Derbyshire County Council for further information.

The European Commission is inviting tenders for financial assistance it has available to small not-for-profit voluntary and community groups for projects that prepare disadvantaged people for work in the East Midlands. The deadline for applications is the 29 September. Contact the following organisations for guidelines and application forms: Enable (Nottinghamshire), Derbyshire Learning and Development Consortium (Derbyshire), VOCOLLS, CVS Community Partnership (Leicestershire), or the CG Partnership (Lincolnshire and Rutland).

The Foundation of St Matthias Trust has grants available for third sector organisations undertaking general Christian activities and educational projects in the Diocese of Bath and Wells, Bristol and Gloucester. Closing date is the 30th of September. Contact The Foundation of St Matthias Trust for further information.

Kent County Council is offering financial assistance to community organisations for local projects requiring capital expenditure. Contact the Local Boards Project Manager for further information and an application form by the 30th of September.

Camden Council has grants available for third sector organisations carrying out social and community projects in the vicinity of King’s Cross Station. The fund Value is £240,000. Please apply by the 30th September. Contact Camden or Islington Council for further information.

South West of England Regional Development Agency has financial assistance available to local businesses and communities for projects that contribute to the development of the area.  Two types of funding are available:   Large Grants – up to £100,000 for projects that may last up to three years and will have a significant impact on the area or Small Grants – up to £10,000 for projects that last up to one year.  The deadline for applications is 29th September. Contact the Making it Local Programme Manager for further information.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets has contracting opportunity available for the provision of personal and continuing care services for children and young people in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The contract value is £600,000 per annum. Deadline for expressions of interest is 30 September 2009. Contact the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for more information.

Suffolk County Council is offering financial assistance which is available to allow people using services, and carers, to have their say on evaluating and planning new services. The Council would consider giving more to larger county or regional events or for special circumstances.  There are two funding rounds per year. The deadlines are the 28th February and 30th September. Applicants are required to complete a Suffolk Single Gateway application form. Contact the Suffolk County Council for further information.

Suffolk County Council has financial assistance available to support projects aimed at helping people take part in society on equal terms with others. The deadline for interest is the 30the of September. Contact Suffolk County for further information.

St Monica Trust Community Fund is inviting tenders for financial assistance that is available for organisations or projects working to reduce isolation and loneliness amongst the physically disabled or those with a long term physical health problem. Applications are particularly encouraged from organisations which enable people to get together and encourage interaction with the wider community. The closing date for receipt of applications is 30 September 2009.  Applications should be accompanied by a copy of the most recent annual report and accounts in addition to any relevant publicity material. Further information is available from St Monica Trust Community Fund.

South Gloucestershire Council has a contracting opportunity available for the provision of a staff counselling service across South Gloucestershire. Estimated contract value is £100,000. Contract duration is two years with an option to extend for a further 24 months. Time limit for receipt of tenders is 30 September 2009. Contact the South Gloucestershire Council for more information.

The Kinspan Insulation Community Trust has financial assistance available for local people to plan and carry out projects that will directly benefit their community and enhance the environment. Grants can range from £500 to £25,000. Application deadline is 30th of September. Contact Kingspan Insulation Community Trust or see their website for further information.

Clinks is offering financial assistance to third sector organisations across England to help them deliver services to offenders and their families. It is expected that up to ten projects will be funded, with a maximum of £1,000 per project available. The deadline for applications is 12pm 1 October 2009. Contact NAVCA for further information.

Wolverhampton City Council has a contracting opportunity available for the provision of a young carers service in Wolverhampton.  The contract value is £400,000 with duration of 48 months. The time limit for receipt of tenders is 29 September 2009.  Contact Wolverhampton City Council for more information.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council has a contracting opportunity available for the provision of Connexions information, advice and guidance services in Walsall. An initial Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, or equivalent document, must be completed by all organisations who express an interest in a tender. The time limit for receipt of tenders is 30 September 2009. For more information contact Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council.

Stroud District Youth Council is offering financial assistance to voluntary and community groups in Stroud for young people’s projects.  Contact Stroud District Youth Council for further information and availability. The deadline for interest is 30th September.

In the spotlight: Can the third sector deliver on large scale?

Eastside Consulting, Futurebuilders and The Social Investment Business have spent the summer developing 3SC, a new consortium for the third sector that will bid for large public sector contracts in education, healthcare and welfare.

3SC is now legally established and more importantly has bid and won a large contract as part of DWP’s Future Jobs Fund to create 3000 new jobs for the long-term unemployed. This contract is worth some £20million to the sector.

In the last few days, I have been on the road visiting cities around the UK to brief the many charities and social enterprises that are creating jobs as part of 3SC’s Future Jobs Fund. The range and diversity of organisations that will be creating these jobs is exciting – from small to large, spanning all regions and working with many different types of disadvantaged groups.

I learned a lot from being on the road and hearing people’s stories. Screenreader – an organisation working for blind people – told us that unemployment rates among the blind is as high as 70%. And from our work at Eastside we know that other disadvantaged groups experience very high levels of worklessness. The Future Jobs Fund then has great potential to support the transition into paid work for many people who would not otherwise be able to find employment right now.

What is also exciting is that the consortium model is new and DWP – not known for risk taking – has taken something of a risk by entrusting 3SC with the delivery of a project of this scale. The consortium has an opportunity to show that the third sector can come together and can effectively deliver. If we do get it right then we create a bright future for the third sector to win a larger share of public sector contracts. And of course if we dont get it right, then the opposite will be true. The challenge starts now!

Richard Lichfield is the Managing Director of Eastside Consulting, which has been working with The Social Investment Business to set up 3SC.

New public sector contracting opportunities 21 September

Check out some of the latest public sector contracting opportunities with approaching deadlines.

If you come across any contracting opportunities or have a contract that you are tendering for, please let us know by emailing web@futurebuilders-england.org.uk or leave a comment on this blog.

Shropshire Council is offreing an Arts Grant Scheme where financial assistance is available for arts projects in Shropshire. Applications can be made for up to £1,000 for organisations and up to £500 for individuals. The deadline is 25  Contact Shropshire Council for further information.

Suffolk Coastal District Council has financial assistance available to voluntary and community organisations for the provision of additional and improved facilities for the general public. Grants are available for 40% of capital costs of a scheme up to a maximum of £10,000. The annual funding deadlines are 30th April and 30th September. Contact Suffolk Coastal District Council for further information.

London Borough of Hillingdon has financial assistance available to community and voluntary groups for environmental and community safety improvements to Council land or facilities in Hillingdon. Minimum grants of £5,000 over a one year period are available and should not involve the Council in ongoing maintenance costs. Contact London Borough of Hillingdon Council for further information and an application form.

Colwinston Chartiable Trust has grants available for third sector organisations  working in opera, visual arts and classical music in the UK. Grants are made between the values of £5,000 and £50,000 and are usually between £10,000 and £15,000. Contact the Colwinston Charitable Trust for further information.

Department for International Development is inviting bids for financial assistance that is available for projects with a commitment to meet the internationally agreed target to halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by 2015. DFID will fund up to 100% of the project costs, up to a maximum of £100,000 per annum, for a maximum of three years. For further information contact Triple Line Consulting Limited.

Derbyshire County Council has financial assistance available for the development of social enterprises for the delivery of low level services to older and vulnerable adults. The maximum grant available is £9,500. Contact Derbyshire County Council for further information.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council has a contracting opportunity for the appointment of a potential partner in Stockton Borough Council’s bid for the development of extra care housing provision within the Thornaby area. Duration of contract is 18 months. Time limit for receipt of tenders is 24 September 2009. Contact the Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council for more information.

Hartlepool Borough Council has contracting opportunity available for the provision of family group meetings in Hartlepool. At this stage the period of interest covers from the 1 November 2009 up to the 31 March 2010 on a ’spot’ purchase basis. Following on from this the Department will be commissioning an organisation to provide Family Group Meetings for a period of three years from 1 April 2010. Time limit for receipt of letters expressing an interest is 25 September 2009. For further information contact Hartlepool Borough Council.

South Tyneside Council has a contracting opportunity available for the provision of a domiciliary care service for adults and older people resident in South Tyneside. The duration of contract is 24 months with two anticipated extensions of 12 months. The dealine for tenders is 25 September 2009. Contact the South Tyneside Council for more information.

The Cabinet Office is inviting tenders for financial assistance which is available to small voluntary and community and faith groups to continue or expand their work with local communities in Blackburn with Darwen. The deadline for applications is 25th September 2009.  Contact Blackburn with Darwen CVS for further information.

The Cabinet Office is also offering financial assistance  to small, grass-roots community and voluntary groups in Liverpool to continue or expand their work with their local community. Applications are next due by 25 September 2009. Decisions will be made by a Local Funding Panel within two weeks of the closing date. Contact the Liverpool CVS Grants Team for further information or to request a paper version of the application pack.

Department for Work and Pensions has a contracting opportunity available for the provision of an employee assistance programme in various locations within the UK. Duration of contract is three years with a possible extension for a further two years. Time limit for receipt of tenders is 27 September 2009. Contact the Department for Work and Pensions for more information

Healthcare Purchasing Consortium has a contracting opportunity for the provision of a Structured Patient Education service for people with Type 2 diabetes . The contract value is £225,000. The time limit for receipt of tenders is 28 September 2009. Contact the Healthcare Purchasing Consortium for more information.

New public sector contracting opportunities 14 September

Below are some of the latest public sector contracting opportunities with approaching deadlines.

If you come across any contracting opportunities or have a contract that you are tendering for, please let us know by emailing web@futurebuilders-england.org.uk or leave a comment on this blog.

Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation are wanting bids immediately for grants for third sector organisations undertaking projects concerning peace and security, ecological sustainability and human rights in the UK. Find our more on the Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation website or on the Funding Central website. Applications close on the 15th of September so be quick!

Nottinghamshire County Council have Adult and Community Learning Service Grants available to community and voluntary organisations for adult education projects in Nottinghamshire. Applications are due by 18 September 2009,  16 October 2009, 20 November 2009 and 4 December 2009. Contact the Adult and Community Learning Service for further information.

Derbyshire County Council has a three year contracting opportunity for the provision of short breaks services for disabled children and young people. The time limit for receipt of tenders is 18 September 2009. Contact the Derbyshire County Council for more information.

Herefordshire Council has financial assistance available to support the creation or enhancement of community buildings in Herefordshire.   Applicants should contact Herefordshire Council for further information.

Cosyfeet have grants available for third sector organisations undertaking projects assisting those with mental health problems in Somerset. Contact the Somerset Community Foundation for more information.

South Holland District Council are offering financial assistance available to local voluntary and community groups in South Holland for small projects that benefit local residents. Applications are due by 16 September 2009, 9 December 2009 and 17 March 2010. Contact South Lincolnshire CVS for further information.

Leeds City Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of a quality assurance support function to the Performance and Quality Assurance section of Adult Social Care.  Applicants should register on the SCMS Procurement System.  The time limit for receipt of tenders is 16 September 2009.

Kent People’s Trust have funding programmes available for projects that improve community safety and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in Kent.  Application forms and guidance notes may be found on the Kent People’s Trust website.

Department for Children, Schools and Families have financial assistance available for the development of community-based media projects that target disadvantaged young people across England (Mediabox).
Applications close on the 21st September 2009. For further information contact Mediabox.

Somerset Community Foundation have grants available for third sector organisations undertaking projects for children with special needs. Applications are due by the 17th September.   Contact the Somerset Community Foundation for more information.

The Impetus Trust have grants for third sector organisations working to make a significant impact on reducing re-offending. Applications are due by no later than 15 September 2009.   Contact Claire Kelly at Impetus Trust for further information.

There is a contracting opportunity on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for social research evidence review to inform natural environment policy. The time limit for receipt of tenders is 18 September 2009. Contact DEFRA for more information.

Thurrock Council have a contracting opportunity for the provision of parent support advisors throughout the Borough of Thurrock, Essex.   Time limit for receipt of tenders is 18 September 2009. Contact the Head of Procurement Services at Thurrock Council for more information.

North Yorkshire County Council have a contracting opportunity available for the provision of a housing related accommodation-based support service for young people aged 16 – 25 years across the seven districts of North Yorkshire. Applications close on 15th September 2009. Contact the North Yorkshire County Council for more information.

New public sector contracting opportunities 7 September

Starting today we will be doing a regular blog post about the latest public sector contracting opportunities that we hear about and contracting opportunities with approaching deadlines.

If you come across any contracting opportunities or have a contract that you are tendering for, please let us know by emailing web@futurebuilders-england.org.uk or leave a comment on this blog.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital currently has a range of contracts out for tender, for example waste management and language and interpretation services. Visit it’s Buyer Profile web page for more information.

The Learning and Skills Council are tendering for specialist careers service to provide information, advice and guidance to support graduates into employment though targeted and sector specific career planning. To find out more you need to register on its eTendering Portal. The deadline for tenders is 5 October 2009.

Broxtowe Borough Council, Gedling Borough Council and Rushcliffe Borough Council are acting in partnership to offer a contracting opportunity for the provision of a Choice Based Lettings Scheme throughout the East Midlands. Find out more on the Broxtowe Council website. The deadline for tenders is 24 September.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is seeking organisations for the delivery of an employee assistance programme providing counselling support, a legal and debt helpline, management support services, critical incident and trauma briefing and mediation services as and when required. For more information visit Tenders Electronic Daily. The application deadline is 27 September.

The Children’s Workforce Development Council is inviting bids from suitably experienced organisations able to undertake a qualitative study to identify the core training priorities of volunteers in the children’s workforce. Find out more on the CWDC website. The deadline for applications is 14 September.

The Legal Services Commission is looking to appoint a service provider to deliver Leading Diversity Change Training for employees to ensure that the principles of equality and diversity are integrated into everyday working practices. Find out more on the Tenders Electronic Daily website. The deadline for applications is 16 September.

The Children’s Workforce Development Council is inviting applications from organisations wishing to use a tool currently being developed to assess their workforce development needs against the One Children’s Workforce Framework. View the tool. The deadline for applications is 21 September.

News round-up 28 August

This week’s news:

Communitybuilders format announced – Professional Fundraising writes that the Communitybuilders format has been announced and that the Fund will open for applications on 7 September.

Wrestling fan comes Out fighting for charity – Feature story in the Times about Futurebuilders’ Chief Executive, Jonathan Lewis.

Strong early interest in Communitybuilders – Third Sector writes that about 900 organisations have so far registered their interest in Communitybuilders, despite it not opening for another two weeks or so.

Local charities should not lose out for lack of a bid writer – Kevin Curley writes in the Times about how third sector organistions need to work together to win large contracts.

Analysis: loan finance – David Ainsworth talks to the experts about loan finance in Third Sector.

Social enterprise access to investment project launched – A pilot programme to help social enterprises attract investment has been announced by the Office of the Third Sector.

Stephen Bubb: We need a national campaign to sell charity – Stephen Bubb writes in Third Sector that the public don’t understand modern charities and that a campaign to explain what the sector does is needed.

Record lending to micro-businesses by social enterprise – Fair Finance revealed that its loan book to small businesses and entrepreneurs had grown by 100 per cent following the onset of the credit crunch.

We now offer a range of interest rates

Earlier this month we announced that we are moving from one fixed interest rate to a suite of interest rate options for new deals under our Social Enterprise Investment Fund and Futurebuilders loan funds.

We want to do our very best in these hard times to ensure third sector organisations that are not adequately served by other lending markets have access to affordable finance.  So while we recognise that a fixed rate option is desirable to many of our customers, we also know that due to the individual circumstances of other customers and their projects, flexibility in interest rates is also appealing. Introducing these options for customers to choose from is our response to the current times and the resulting needs of our unique customer base.

We now have four options to choose from:

1. 6% for an initial three year period.
2. 0% for an initial two year period
3. 2% for an initial five year period
4. Floating rate of 2% over base for the term of the loan. Minimum interest rate set at 2% and maximum set at 10%.

To qualify for options 2, 3 and 4 customers must commit by 30 November 2009 and draw down their funds by 31 March 2010.

Yet how do you know which rate is best? It is not our role to dictate what option is best but we will advise potential customers if they are eligible for the new rates and talk them through the consequences of each during assessment. But ultimately it is their choice and we would encourage our customers to seek independent financial advice if they are unable to choose on their own.

What if this is an organisation’s first loan and the idea of taking on debt is nerve-wrecking? Well, during our robust diligence process organisations are evaluated for their ability to flourish – by growing and developing their business – as a result of our investment.  We would never agree to lend money to an organisation who cannot afford to pay it back.

We’re happy to talk to potential customers to demystify what can be a new and unfamiliar process. Give us a call!

Communitybuilders – a new programme for community organisations

We launched Stage 1 of the new Communitybuilders website this week. Communitybuilders is a £70 programme for multi-purpose, inclusive community-led organisations and provides loans, grants and business support to help them become more sustainable and resilient.

Multi-purpose, inclusive and community-led? What does that mean?

Well, through Communitybuilders we want to support community organisations that provide services to as large part of the community as possible. Sometimes these organisations are called community anchors.

By multi-purpose we mean that organisations should provide a range of services. Examples might include managed workspace, childcare provision, a café for local people, sport or dance, elders’ groups, evening classes, training and conference facilities.

By inclusive we mean that organisations’ services should be available to everyone in their neighbourhood. They should work with other community organisations and have an open attitude to people from diverse background. It’s no good to only provide services to one part of the community. If organisations are only providing their services to, for example, one ethnic group, they have to show us how they are planning to open up the services to the wider community.

Finally, by community-led, we mean that organisations need to be run by the local community. They cannot be controlled by the public or private sectors and they need to have a clear majority of local people on their boards or otherwise controlling the direction of the organisation.

There are three elements to Fund: Development, Feasibility and Investment. The Development package will consist of bespoke business support based on an initial needs assessment and leadership grants of £2,000 for staff development and training.

The Feasibility package will consist of further business support of up to 5 days and grants of up to £20,000 to use towards project development of a growth plan.  Grants of up to £75,000 and 30 days of support will be available for larger projects.

The Investment package will be tailored for organistions who are ready to develop, grow and expand their role within the community. Investment will consist primarily of loans between £50,000 and £2,000,000 offered at 5% for an initial three year period of a ten year loan term.

The Communitybuilders programme will be open for applications in early September. In the meantime, you can register your interest by visiting www.communitybuildersfund.org.uk.

Our first steps towards using social media

After several months of hard work by us and our digital agency, Substrakt and with help from Nick Booth at Podnosh, I’m pleased to launch the updated and improved Futurebuilders website. You’ll find lots of small changes around which will hopefully result in an improved user experience, but the centerpiece of our relaunch is this new Resources section.

We wanted to create an area for resources and support around things that we think are relevant to third sector organisations involved in public service delivery, for example commissioning, tendering processes, contracts, social finance and consortia working. Some of it we have created ourselves, but in recognition of the great stuff out there by organisations like NVCO, NAVCA and Knowhow Nonprofit there is an extended links section with links to some really good stuff.

We also wanted to pull together our increased use of social media in one place. So you’ll find this blog, links to our videos on Vimeo, our Twitter stream and our images on flickr. You’ll also notice that you can subscribe to news items and blog posts using RSS, comment and vote on content and submit your own links.

The blog will focus on everything that is important in our – and hopefully your – lives. A number of people will be involved as bloggers from time to time. You’re guaranteed to hear from our Busines Development, Investment and Marketing Teams, and, perhaps (depending on how busy he is) our CEO, Jonathan Lewis. Helping them all along will be our Web Team – Hannah Grant and I.

Social media and particularly blogging is a fairy new thing for us at Futurebuilders and it will invariably take some learning but we are very excited about it. We really hope that you – the person reading this – will take part as well. Why not leave a comment on a blog post, vote on an article or submit your own link? Or why not write a guest blog post? We’re wide open to suggestions, so if you are interested send me an email at pontus.westerberg@futurebuilders-england.org.uk.

Let us know what we are doing right, wrong or not at all. Suggest improvements, complain or encourage us. Share your experiences, tell us what you are doing and about interesting content you’ve found.

The conversation starts here.