[WiLT] Futurebuilders Tender Fund - Open for applications

[WiL Admin]

Futurebuilders Tender Fund

Funding area: England
Status: Open for applications
Start date: 31/10/2008

The Tender Fund is a new Futurebuilders programme offering
interest-free three year loans of between £3,000 and £50,000 to
community and voluntary sector organisations who need relatively small
sums of money to help them tender successfully for specific public
service delivery contracts.

Total Fund Value: £ 1,000,000
Grant Value - minimum: £ 3,000
Grant Value - maximum: £ 50,000

The Total Fund Value of the Tender Fund is £1 million. The fund offers
interest free loans ranging from £3,000 to £50,000 for three years.

The Futurebuilders initiative aims to increase and improve public
service delivery through long-term investment in third sector
organisations. Futurebuilders provides funding primarily in the form
of low-interest loans to enable organisations to develop sufficiently
to become investment ready, meaning that they are able to compete for
service delivery contracts from statutory bodies. The loans are paid
back with revenue from contracts with public sector agencies such as
local authorities and primary care trusts.

The Tender Fund is designed to help any third sector organisation -
big or small - that stands a good chance of winning a specific public
service delivery contract, but needs some money to help it tender
successfully. The fund is not intended to increase tendering skills in
general, but to help third sector organisations win specific
contracts.

For the purpose of the Tender Fund, Futurebuilders are defining a
'public sector contract' as any contract directly held with a
statutory body, such as local authorities, PCT's or quangos that
receive their funding from the state (this doesn't include Lottery
funding), including Europe. This can also be a
re-negotiation/re-tender of an existing contract held.

The fund is intended to underwrite the cashflow implications
associated with tendering, rather than to meet the actual cost for
organisations. The Tender Fund loans are interest-free for three
years. Organisations can choose whether to pay on a regular basis over
the three years, or via a single payment on winning the contract.

Further Information:

Futurebuilders is a £150 million fund backed by the Office of the
Third Sector at the Cabinet Office.

The range of investments made include:
* particular approaches to service delivery (e.g. a different type of
service, a third sector organisation bringing added value to an
existing service, a national/local partnership bringing added value);
* particular approaches to diversifying the organisational funding
base away from exclusive reliance on charitable donations or
time-limited project grants (e.g. particular types of contracts or
fees);
* particular types of investment packages (e.g. leveraging in other
funding, a particular type of investment mix).

Key Criteria:

To qualify for a Tender Fund loan, organisations must:
* be a third sector organisation;
* be preparing to tender for a specific public service contract;
* be unable to secure a loan for this purpose from a commercial
lender;
* be reasonably likely to win the tender and likely to be able to
repay a loan (the investment must be viable);
* have a project with ultimate beneficiaries living in England.

Eligible Expenditure:

Organisations can use the loan to meet any cost that they identify as
an important part of putting together a good tender. Examples of this
could include:
* legal costs;
* advice from procurement specialists;
* financial expertise;
* bidding staff costs or backfill.

Application Procedure:

There is no application deadline for the Tender Fund, however the
loans are granted on a first come first served basis. There is also no
application form for this fund; the application process will mainly
take place over the phone. For more information, go to the 'what we
need from you' section of the Tender Fund webpage:
http://www.futurebuilders-england.org.uk

To enquire about a Tender Fund investment call the Futurebuilders
England enquiry line: 0191 261 5200, or email:
info at futurebuilders-england.org.uk.

Contact Information:

London Office
Futurebuilders England
3rd Floor
3-5 Rathbone Place
London
W1T 1HJ
Phone: 020 79276340
Fax: 020 79276341
Email: info at futurebuilders-england.org.uk
Web: http://www.futurebuilders-england.org.uk/

Newcastle Office
Futurebuilders England
Level 14
Cale Cross House
156 Pilgrim Street
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE1 6SU
Phone: 0191 269 2850
Fax: 0191 269 2851
Email: info at futurebuilders-england.org.uk
Web: http://www.futurebuilders-england.org.uk/

----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------

Documents and Links

* Futurebuilders Tender Fund web page
http://www.futurebuilders-england.org.uk/content/Funding/TenderFund.aspx
* Tender Fund Product Leaflet
http://www.governmentfunding.org.uk/VCSSearch.aspx?WCI=htmDocumentView&WCU=STATE=DSCODE%3dDSCLIVEGF%7epSCHEMEID%3d12-S164%7epSEARCH%3dDS%3dDSCLIVEGF,DOC_PKEY=D1000319
* Futurebuilders England website
http://www.futurebuilders-england.org.uk/

Source
http://www.governmentfunding.org.uk/VCSSearch.aspx?WCI=htmSchemeView&WCU=DSCODE=DSCLIVEGF,SCHEMEID=12-S164,SEARCH=DS=DSCLIVEGF