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Investment and Contract Readiness Fund

Government Launches Investment and Contract Readiness Fund

Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd, announced the fund in an open letter to the sector where he revealed the Government’s plans to engage civil society organisations in the delivery of public sector service contracts.

The Minister said:

“We are creating new opportunities potentially worth billions of pounds for charities and social enterprises. By enabling all sectors to compete for contracts on a level playing field citizens and communities will benefit from greater choice and more responsive services.

“The £10million Investment and Contract Readiness Fund will create a pipeline of civil society organisations ready to grasp new opportunities. They will break down barriers and build expertise in the sector so that it can become a mainstream option for public service delivery. And as the Big Society Bank capitalises the social investment market finance to grow organisations will becoming increasingly available.”

The proposals were greeted cautiously by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) chief executive, Sir Stuart Etherington:

“The Investment and Contract Readiness fund is a step in the right direction.  However, the Government rightly acknowledges that there is a long road ahead to address the longstanding structural issues within public services.  Getting a proper handle on commissioning is essential for bringing about lasting change, and until we see progress with this, focusing on delivery and new mechanisms to transfer services out of the public sector will make little difference.

‘While is it positive that the Government is engaging with the sector, it is disappointing that another listening exercise is being rolled out whilst we still await detailed analysis of the responses to the Modernising Commissioning Green Paper. Moreover, it strengthens the concern held by many NCVO members that the journey towards open public services outlined in the letter lacks either a clear destination or an estimated time of arrival.

“Helping the sector to get contract-ready is positive, but we also need contracts which are ready for the sector.  For this reason, we call on Government to move further and faster on mainstreaming the concept of social value in its public services plans as a key mechanism for driving improvements in services.  Assessing voluntary organisations on their full economic, environmental and social would enable a full recognition of the role they play, and their key strengths in highlighting and responding to local needs – including those unmet by current provision.”

To view the full letter please click here (opens in new window).

last updated on 27th July 2011