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New public sector contracting opportunities 12 October

Looking for contracting opportunities to deliver your services? Check out this week’s list of opportunities with approaching deadlines.

New public sector contracting opportunities 28 September

Some of the latest public sector contracting opportunities with approaching deadlines.

New public sector contracting opportunities 21 September

Some of the latest public sector contracting opportunities with approaching deadlines.

New public sector contracting opportunities 14 September

The latest public sector contracting opportunities.

Model cash flow forecast

A model cash flow forecast to download and use.

Preparing for a Futurebuilders application

Follow these guidelines to successfully prepare for a Futurebuilders application.

Making sense of Futurebuilders terminology

Sometimes we come across words that may not be in most people’s daily usage. Many of them are specialist financial terms and others may refer to a specific section of the third sector. To combat this information gap we are starting a series of articles aimed at making sense of many of the terms used in the sector.

Commissioning review spring 2009

This is the twelfth of Futurebuilders England’s quarterly Commissioning Reviews.
Financial crisis…economic downturn…recession. We have all heard these words and phrases repeated so often over the past few months that it’s hard not to get bogged down in the negatives. But there are many positive things happening as well, particularly in the third sector, which we [...]

How to write a business plan

Guidance on how to write a good business plan. Futurebuilders needs to be sure that your organisation is ready to take on an investment by looking at your organisation’s business plan. It gives us information about your aims and objectives, financial status and type of work undertaken, helping us to understand why you need an investment.

Tendering for public service contracts

Third sector organisations play a significant role in delivering public services. Grants are becoming less common and bidding for public service contracts is becoming increasingly competitive, so it is imperative that third sector organisations understand how to tender effectively for these contracts.

Where to find public sector contracts

Help with where to find public sector contracts.

Interview with DWPs Head of Delivery Strategy on commissioning the third sector

Tracy Hughes (DWP) talks to Futurebuilders about third sector commissioning at the Department for Work and Pensions. She delves into why organisations arn’t always successful in winning tenders and gives advice on the tendering process.

Sector spotlight: The National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning

Sarah Wood, Director of the National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning, explains the programme and how third sector organisations can get involved.

Sector spotlight: Cumbria Council putting people ‘In Control’

Third sector organisations that deliver public services paid for by individuals through individualised budgets are eligble for our investments. Here, Peter Knock from Cumbria Council explains its ‘in Control Total’ pilot which changes how support is provided.

Sector spotlight: How to achieve sustainable funding

NCVO’s Sustainable Funding Project (SFP) is a first-stop shop encouraging and enabling third sector organisations to explore and exploit a full range of funding and financing options.

The benefits of loan funding

Loan funding has many benefits for third sector organisations.

Budgets and cashflows

Budgets seek to give an overall picture of levels of income and expenditure, cashflow aims to ensure that you have enough money in the bank.

Top tips: Writing an effective business plan to secure investment

Peter Stone is the Managing Director of Peter Stone Consulting Limited, a management consultancy for the voluntary and community sector which specialises in governance and management, strategic planning, finances and tendering. Here he outlines his top tips for writing an effective business plan to secure investment.

Top tips: Working in consortia

The South London Learning Consortium (SLLC) is a Community Interest Company that works for the benefit of communities and business across South London. In this article, its Chief Executive, Stephen Jeffery, outlines his top tips for how to successfully develop and work in consortia.

Top Tips: Sustainable Funding

Olof Williamson is Sustainable Funding Officer at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). Here he outlines his top tips for funding your organisation sustainably.

Top tips: Successful tendering

Jon Royle is Chief Executive of Bridge, a Bradford based charity providing drug and alcohol treatment services. In this article, he outlines his top tips for successful tendering.

Top tips: Measuring your outcomes

New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) is a charity that provides tailored research and advice to donors and funders on how to give more effectively. In this article, Tris Lumley, a Senior Research Analyst for NPC, gives his ideas on ways that third sector organisations can measure and analyse their results.

Top tips: Commissioning at local level

A session at our recent Investee Support Day was devoted to a group discussion on commissioning. Investees discovered a number of top tips to help third sector organisations build relationships with commissioners at a local level.

Sector spotlight: The shape of things to come

Sharing similar names and mutual interests, Capacitybuilders and Futurebuilders can easily be confused. Here, the Chief Executives of each organisation answer some questions.