Decision details

(i)  To cease the current corporate voluntary sector grant funding programme in favour of an approach which identifies the most appropriate funding route in each circumstance, based on the nature of service the Council wants delivered and the outcome(s) it wants achieved.

(ii)  To undertake mitigating actions to ensure that voluntary, community and faith sector organisations are not disadvantaged in any commissioning process including support to enhance their ability to respond to tenders.

(iii)  To give a minimum of 3 months’ notice to all current grant recipients and to put in place a transition programme, so that there is continuity of grant aided services for the duration of any procurement process.

(iv)  To use grants for shorter term and one-off funding for specific themes (as and when funding is available), for voluntary, community and faith organisations to develop local services and to pilot new ideas and innovations.

(v)  To encourage collaborative approaches and make successful efforts to bring in match funding wherever possible as a general principle.

(vi)  To endorse the principle of participatory budgeting and for this to be considered alongside work to commission a new community development model and to include in the specification, whether delivered in house or by an external partner, the requirement to implement this in the most efficient way. 

1.  To maximise the benefits from the significant investment the Council makes in the voluntary sector and to ensure that this is directed towards the Council’s priority outcomes and that it can be used in a more strategic way to lever in external funding to the city.

2.  To provide more opportunities for small groups to access one off funding as this type of support has delivered huge benefits and supports the efforts of volunteering in the city.

Continuing with the current arrangement has been considered and rejected

because:

·  There is an opportunity to take a strategic approach to achieving Council priorities by unifying its approach to the Council’s significant, overall investment in the voluntary sector (through grants and contracts). 

·  A number of core services are currently being funded through the grants process. A more effective way to achieve the desired outcomes would be through clear specifications for services the Council wants delivered and using contractual routes which provide guaranteed arrangements for appropriate lengths of time. 

·  While a number of Council funded organisations and services in the city provide a valuable service with a good return on investment, this is variable across organisations.

·  Activities are not always co-ordinated leading to both overlaps and gaps, which means that impact is not targeted or maximised.