Finance Hub

Financing Voluntary and Community Sector Activity

Invitation to Tender
Tender reference – FH2

Supporting advisers in their work with front line voluntary and community sector
organisations – training and development opportunities for advisers

Requirement

1) To undertake development work to scope and assess current provision; and to

work up proposals for a package of training which should cover fundraising,
sources of non grant finance (including loans, equity and quasi equity), contract
negotiations, income generation through trading, and full cost recovery and
sustainable funding. Consideration should be given to, and recommendations
made, as to whether this training should be formally accredited and/or provide
participants with a nationally recognised qualification.

2) Pilot and roll out the above training programme (in 2006/7, to be targeted at
workers in Councils for Voluntary Service, Rural Community Councils, social enterprise
development agencies, BME organisations, community anchors, community
organisations and groups, disability groups, membership organisations, other groups
representing diversity in our society, and other groups, organisations and agencies
which offer advice work to front line VCOs).

Coverage: England only

Deliverable: For item 1), a final written report (five bound copies and an electronic
version), with accompanying examples of training content and materials, and a fully
costed business plan detailing plans (with risk assessment) for piloting and roll out . An
interim report to be submitted by 8th May 2006.

Timeframe: The final report should be received by 16th June 2006.

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Contract completion

It is recognised that the timetable is tight but in view of Home Office funding
requirements every effort must be made to complete the contracted work by the 16th
June 2006. If it becomes apparent during the assessment process that it is not possible
to deliver all the elements of the contract within this timeframe, a short extension may be
negotiated.

Budget: the budget available for 1) above is up to a maximum of £30,000.00 inclusive

of VAT.

Notes:

- Tenders for both these items should be linked, and complementary, to the
requirements set out in Tender FH1;
- Tenders for both items 1 and 2 are invited now, although a contract for item 2)
will not be awarded until confirmation of funding is received;
- It is recognised that the cost of item 1 may be more than the budgeted sum
available, and it will be possible therefore to count any reasonable and
appropriate additional cost as part of the year 2 contract.

Deliverable: for item 2), the training programme should be piloted and rolled out; a final
written report will be required, with interim reports after three and six months.

Timeframe: the timeframe for item 2) above would be July 2006 to 31 March 2007.

Budget: it is anticipated that the budget available for item 2) above will be up to a
maximum of £250,000.00 inclusive of VAT. An appropriate element of this amount may
be allocated to help to cover the full cost of work associated with item 1).

Background

All background information and tendering instructions are contained in the attached
Commissioning Process Guidance Notes and Business Plan. Please read these
carefully.

Rationale

High quality information about grant aid, loans, equity finance, procurement and trading
is vitally important to voluntary and community sector organisations. Many say that they
most value face to face support. There is extensive provision from a wide range of VCS,
public and private sector organisations, but free or low cost services are spread quite
thin and local advisers have reported problems with both reach and quality. Often
funding advice is only one of the functions they perform, and their advice does not
generally cover contracting, other forms of income generation through trading, or
loan/equity finance.

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One of the Finance Hub’s key roles is therefore to increase access to high quality face
to face advice. It will do so by:

• Providing training and resource materials for voluntary and community sector
organisations and their advisers
• Encouraging the development of sub regional or local provider networks to
enable pooling of resources and expertise
• Linking provision at the national, regional, sub regional and local levels to
promote sharing of resources and learning

Excellent work on which to build is:

• Funding Information North East’s Quality Standards programme which comprises

a 60 hour accredited training programme, along with an induction pack and
mentoring and support programme for new and unsupported advisers;
• The Charity Information Bureau’s training courses;
• The Social Enterprise Coalition’s ‘Unlocking the Potential’ publication;
• Funderfinder’s free ‘Apply Yourselves’ software;
• Training developed by New Venture Philanthropy Capital on full cost recovery;
• The Funding Advice Workers’ Network convened by NACVS;
• NCVO’s Sustainable Funding project’s workshops on sustainable funding and
their training for local and regional infrastructure agencies aimed at cascading
learning;
• The BME Social Enterprise development Programme run by VOICE East
Midlands
• Financial awareness training developed by the Small Business Service for social
enterprises

Questions

All questions/queries should be addressed please to Penny Lambert, Programme

Manager, Finance Hub, telephone 020 7832 3014 or email plambert@cafonline.org

Finance Hub
January 2006

Charities Aid Foundation, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4TA

T: 01732 520 000 F: 01732 520 001

W: www.cafonline.org E: enquiries@cafonline.org

Registered charity number 268369

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