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Aim of the session Policy drivers Introduction to ConsortiCo One year on…. 2

Public service contracting To open up purchasing so that there is a single market across the EU To increase value for money through competition Guide to the rules on public procurement of services Annex B services 3

Charity Commission guidance CC 34 Collaborative Working and Mergers: CC 37 Charities and Public Service Delivery Choosing to Collaborate: Helping you succeed Making Mergers Work: Helping you succeed 4

‘Supporting a Stronger Civil Society’ (Office of Civil Society Oct 2010 ) “We are committed to ensuring charities, social enterprises and co-operatives will have a much greater role in the running of public services.” “Civil society organisations will need to embrace new skills, partnerships and organisational models if they are to seize the opportunities that lie ahead.” 5

Why should Civil Society Organisations consort? Deliver your services in another area Tender for contracts whose specification includes activities you are unable to deliver Respond to changes in market demands Efficiencies in “back room” functions 6

Powers needed to operate in a consortia Check your Memorandum and Articles : Objects? Power to work in partnership/co-operation? Power to trade? Geographical powers? CC36 ‘Changing your Charity’s Governing Document’ 7

Can we wait for a tender to come up before building a consortium? The time between open and close of tender is a minimum of 4 weeks… (Bedfordshire and Luton Compact) 8

ConsortiCo Ltd Incorporated May 2009 Formal consortium Membership model Membership criteria Start up funding via Social Investment Business Free to join! 9

ConsortiCo is a formal consortium 10 ConsortiCo Hub Member Organisation

ConsortiCo Governance Members own the hub Board drawn from Full Members Working towards ISO Board Membership Panel Finance Committee Quality Committee

The role of the hub To find contract opportunities To lead contract responses in consortia Sub contract to its members To deal with payment/cash flow. Contract compliance, including aggregated performance monitoring To support the capacity building of the partners with the support of local infrastructure organisations (CVS) 12

Other support offered by hub Quarterly member conferences Collaborative buying of common services to help drive down operational costs for its members Marketing strategy and implementation Reduced isolation for chief officers 13

Our progress Membership: From 9 to 34 since July, in four counties Big Lottery Fund “Youth in Focus” consortium bid Model developed to support personalisation and grant application to Third Sector Investment Fund Progressing an outsourced sensory impairment service Work in progress for CAMHS tender Work in progress for youth services tenders Business Excellence award – Innovation and Strategy 14

Warts and all… Beauty SpotsWarts Emerging thematic partnerships Innovation Relationships with commissioners Cash flow during start up Members interests Track record Commissioner processes 15

Opportunities and threats Opportunities Big Society New funding routes Personalisation Public services reform Localisation Threats Funding cuts Personalisation Competition Pace of change 16

The future Support for personalisation Shared services Increase membership Establish offer in other area Exploitation of new opportunities offered by Big Society and new funding routes (eg Open Public Services; Social Impact Bonds) 17

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