Invitation to Tender – Fundraising & Bid Writing Training

from Charitable & Non Competitive Sources

  1. Background and Context

Sandwell Community Hubs Cooperative (SCHC) is seeking to commission a suitably qualified and experienced training consultancy or individual trainer to undertake capacity building fundraising and bid writing training to be delivered to third sector community organisations in Sandwell.

The training will help to build the capacity of community based organisations to better access external funding via grants from a wide range of external sources including trusts and foundations creating organisational sustainability.

This commission is part of a ‘pilot programme’ that will run for 6 months. It is one of two tender opportunities to help train & support two groups of 10 VCS organisations who will complete the programme (i.e. 20 organisations in total).

The second commission focuses on organisations looking to develop their capacity for wider partnership/collaboration bids and tenders in more competitive scenarios.

  1. Deliverables

The training should be designed to equip small to medium Sandwell based community organisations to be more sustainable through developing capabilities to undertake fundraising from a range of sources. It should be designed to equip the sector, through training and development so they can write / develop their own bids.

Each VCS organisation will sign up to completing and receiving a ‘package of training support’ for which a set of criteria for applicants has been developed. These are attached as Appendix One.

TENDER ONE

3. Tender requirements

Tenders are invited from suitably qualified/experienced training consultancies or trainers to deliver the following:-

  1. Deliver the schedule of fundraising training as identified in Schedule A (below)
  2. Support the selection of participant VCS organisations with an established steering group
  3. Produce ‘take- away’ organisation delegate packs and all course related material for each participating organisation
  4. Undertake a baseline assessment to include a meeting with each participating organisation to identify training needs
  5. Undertake a follow up meeting with each participant within 6 months of the end of the course to establish distance travelled and feed this information back to the steering group
  6. Complete the training programme within the timescale set out and allocated budget
  7. Maintain dialogue with course participants to monitor progress and to ensure full attendance.

4. Timescale

It is anticipated that this commission will be completed within 6 months of the successful applicant being issued with a formal Letter of Agreement.

5. Tender Response

Should include:

  1. A breakdown of and maximum total cost for delivery within allocated budget. Cost should be broken down across each area of the schedule, together with any cost options, and where appropriate an indicative daily rate for each trainer, and any additional costs.
  1. An outline of course content for each area of the specification, including any options you think may be appropriate for us to consider, together with a rationale for your suggested content
  1. An outline of your methodology and approach to delivery
  1. An indicative outline timeline for delivery over 6 months that you have the capacity to deliver and which you consider to be the most effective for participating organisations to maximise impact of the training.
  1. A resume for each trainer and an indication of which sections will be delivered by which trainer (if more than one)
  1. Any requirements of the Commissioner with regard to equipment, ICT or venue/s to enable you to deliver the commission effectively and across the Borough of Sandwell
  1. Two referees (one from the voluntary sector)
  1. Examples of similar work previously undertaken

6. Contact:

You will be expected to liaise regularly with the nominated representative of SCHC.

You will be expected to attend a start-up meeting. Provide monthly progress reports in a format to be agreed at the start-up meeting. There will be a formal mid-point meeting after 3 months.

7. Submission:

Your tender should be submitted by email to:

Tenders should be received no later than 5pm on the 27th of May 2016 with subject title: ‘Tender Document.’

8. Decision:

It is anticipated that a decision will be made by the Steering Group overseeing the commissioning process which includes representatives from SCVO, SCHC, and Sandwell Council. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to attend an interview/presentation.

9. Further Information:

If you require any further information or clarification of any point contained within this document then please contact:

Sue Howarth on 07816849674

Or email:

SCHC Vision:

The vision of the establishment of this co-operative is to create a vehicle which will enable a borough-wide movement determined to see resources deployed locally to directly deliver products and services with neighbourhood access.

Its underpinning values encapsulate equal opportunities; celebration of diversity; community-led action; neighbourhood economic and social improvement; co-operation and collaboration.

SCHC Mission Statement:

To create a borough wide infrastructure of community hub organisations who operate borough wide to collectively deliver a full range of community services and products whilst identifying and respecting the commercial , cultural and geographical boundaries of other organisations and communities in Sandwell.

Group One

SCHEDULE A– Fundraising & Bid Writing from Charitable & Non Competitive Sources

–Target Audience: Individual organisations who want to learn more about developing specific bid(s) for their own organisation from charitable and primarily non-competitive sources

Element / Indicative time
1. Pre – Training Preparation
One to one (We envisage around 2-hour) meeting between the Trainer and each of the 10 Organisations to enable the trainer to gather intelligence about the organisation and to inform an assessment of appropriateness of the organisation for training and to ‘help ‘finalise’ the training content / 20 hours delivery + preparation
time
2. Training delivery
Funding Strategy - its significance and how to develop one for your organisation / 2 days delivery
Fundraising from Trusts and Foundations / 1 day delivery
Targeted Bid Writing -
What makes for a Good Application / 2 days
Delivery
3. Post training
One to One organisation follow up funding surgeries
  • Follow up post course one to one support to work on an identified application
/ 5 hours per organisation
Budget for this work / 15 days
£6,000.00

Invitation to Tender – Fundraising & Bid Writing for Collaborative Partnerships and ‘Reactive’ Competitive Sources

  1. Background and Context

Sandwell Community Hubs Cooperative (SCHC) is seeking to commission a suitably qualified and experienced training consultancy or individual trainer to undertake capacity building fundraising and bid writing training to be delivered to third sector community organisations in Sandwell.

The training will help to capacity build community based organisations to better access external funding via grants and contracts.

This commission is part of a ‘pilot programme’ that will run for 6 months. It is one of two tenders to help train & support two groups of 10 VCS organisations who will complete the programme (i.e. 20 organisations in total), this second commission focuses on wider partnership/collaboration bids and in more competitive scenarios i.e. tenders.

  1. Deliverables

The training should be designed to equip small to medium third sector organisations community organisations to be more able to engage in collaborative partnership and/or competitive larger tenders/funding bid processes

It should be designed to equip the sector, through training and development so they can respond rapidly to external funding opportunities that arise from a variety of sources.

Each VCS organisation will sign up to completing and receive a ‘package of training support’ for which a set of criteria for applicants has been developed. These are attached as Appendix One.

TENDER TWO

  1. Tender requirements

Tenders are invited from suitably qualified/experienced training consultancies or trainers to deliver the following:-

  1. Deliver the schedule of fundraising and bid writing training as identified in Schedule B (below)
  2. Support the selection of participant VCS organisations with an established steering group
  3. Produce ‘take- away’ organisation delegate packs and all course related material for each participating organisation
  4. Undertake a baseline assessment to include a meeting with each participating organisation to identify training needs
  5. Undertake a follow up meeting with each participant within 6 months of the end of the course to establish distance travelled and feed this information back to the steering group
  6. Complete the training programme within the timescale set out and allocated budget
  7. Maintain dialogue with course participants to monitor progress and to ensure full attendance.

4. Timescale

It is anticipated that this commission will be completed within 6 months of the successful applicant being issued with a formal Letter of Agreement.

5. Tender Response

Should include;

  1. A breakdown of and maximum total cost for delivery. Cost should be broken down across each area of the schedule, together with any cost options, and where appropriate an indicative daily rate for each trainer, and any additional costs.
  1. An outline of course content for each area of the specification, including any options you think may be appropriate for us to consider, together with a rationale for your suggested content
  1. An outline of your methodology and approach to delivery
  1. An indicative outline timeline for delivery over 6 months that you have the capacity to deliver and which you think is most effective for participating organisations to maximise impact of the training.
  1. A resume for each trainer and an indication of which sections will be delivered by which trainer (if more than one)
  1. Any requirements of the Commissioner with regard to equipment, ICT or venue to enable you to deliver the commission effectively
  1. Two referees (one from the voluntary sector)
  1. Examples of similar work previously undertaken

6. Contact:

You will be expected to liaise regularly with the nominated representative of SCHC.

You will be expected to attend a start-up meeting. Provide monthly progress reports in a format to be agreed at the start-up meeting. There will be a formal mid-point meeting after 3 months.

7. Submission details

Tenders should be received no later than 5pm on the 27th of May 2016 with subject title: ‘Tender Document.’

Your tender should be submitted by email to

8. Decision:

It is anticipated that a decision will be made by the Steering Group overseeing the commissioning process which includes representatives from SCVO, SCHC and Sandwell Council. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to attend an interview/presentation.

9. Further Information:

If you require any further information or clarification of any point contained within this document then please contact;

Sue Howarth on 07816849674

Or email:

This schedule as part of a separate tender document

Group Two

SCHEDULE B – Target audience: will be aimed at organisations who primarily want to learn more about engaging in competitive tendering and/or larger collaborative bidding.

One to one (We envisage around 2-hour) meeting between the Trainer and each of the 10 Organisations to enable the trainer to gather intelligence about the organisation and to inform an assessment of appropriateness of the organisation for training and to ‘help ‘finalise’ the training content / Indicative Time
20 hours delivery + preparation
time
Funding Strategy - its significance and how to develop one for your organisation (particularly in relation to collaborative partnerships and competitive bidding opportunities) / 2 days
Competitive Bidding & Collaborative Bidding / 2 days
Funding Surgery
One to One organisation follow up funding surgeries
Follow up post course one to one support to work on an identified tender or Support for one or more specifically identified collaborative bid by groups of partners / 5 x 1/2 days per bid x 2 partnership bids =5 days
Total Budget for this work / 12 days
£4800

Appendix 1

Draft criteria for selection for the programme of External Funding and Capacity Building Support

  1. A Sandwell based not for profit organisation
  2. Applicant organisations must have robust governance & finance systems and controls in place *
  3. Agreement and commitment that the applicant organisation will “own” and maintain the fundraising strategy or plan developed as a result of the training
  4. Employ staff with the skills and capacity able to deliver a funding strategy and a funding bid that follows from engagement in the training offer
  5. Not be part of a national network that could provide this type of funding/bid writing development support
  6. Agreement and commitment from the applicant’s Board/Governing body for the appropriate member of staff to attend all sessions and to fully participate in the training programme
  7. Must nominate named individual/s (maximum two per organisation) to ensure that one person can attend every training session
  8. Willing and able to contribute a £750 deposit returnable to the organisation at the end of the training if all sessions completed
  9. Already delivering services to vulnerable communities contributing to SMBC priorities
  10. Already working in partnership with Sandwell Council

* must be able to show evidence of your organisations year-end accounts and (at a minimum) quarterly management accounts. These will be asked for during the initial meeting/assessment.

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