CVS Launches New Tendering Advice Service

With government lead developments to encourage third sector organisations to tender for public services the CVS is now operating a ‘Tendering Advice Service’

Martin Trinder, Chief Officer at the CVS said, “We are now entering a new era of public funding for our sector. We have seen a shift from grants to contracts happening by the day and in the coming weeks and months we will see a further move to increased open and competitive tendering, often for services we have traditionally delivered through grant support. There will be losers and winners and our advice service is one way we are helping to support the sector in Mid and North Beds to ‘get tender ready’ and survive”.

CVS seeks to represent, support advise and inform all third sector organisations wishing to explore and engage in Public Service Contracting. However we do not believe it is our organisation’s role to promote Public Service Contracting as this is the clear role of Government and its Statutory Sector Agencies.

When necessary we will both campaign and join in campaigns connected with Public Service Contracting to ensure:

• Third Sector organisations get an equal opportunity to play their part in the design and delivery of public services in the future.
• That the current level of statutory sector grant funding to the Third Sector is preserved and
• That Statutory Organisations adhere to the principles as established in both Local and National Compact Codes of Practice.

Anybody wanting help can also contact Ian Curtis, Collaborative Working officer and Procurement Lead on 01234 354366 or at ian@yourcvs.org.

Training Opportunities

If you want to know more about this subject the CVS also runs a series of training workshops on this and closely related topics to help prepare trustees and staff for these major changes.

• Consortia Working for Contracts – Wednesday 26th May 2010
• Introduction to Marketing –Thursday 14th October 2010
• Tendering for Success –  Thursday 10th February 2011