This web-page is a public home for the tools, resources and materials developed as part of the piloting and roll-out of new arrangements for grant-making on the Isle of Wight.
The Island Strategic Partnership members have agreed a new strategy for ensuring a thriving voluntary sector. The Isle of Wight Council has also committed to delivering a greater proportion of its local services through third sector groups and organisations.
There is a legacy of sometimes challenging relationships between the public and third sectors over funding issues. This may have resulted from a number of issues such as a lack of transparency about how funding decisions are made and some examples of poor engagement between partners. The new arrangements also change existing funding arrangements so that we can open doors to new ideas and innovation in public services that often originate in the third sector.
A new grant funding mechanism that replaces all existing grant making processes is being piloted during 2009-10. The objective is to create a rolling grant funding process centred on a number of public sector commissioning prospectuses. These will be produced annually or as opportunities arise. They invite bids from the third sector to deliver sustainable commissioning outcomes.
Innovation, change and creativity are particularly welcomed if it will deliver public commissioning outcomes. The Island Strategic Partnership believe that a competitive, bid-based process will ensure that new thinking, partnership, creativity and real value will result from this change. The process also gives commissioners new opportunities to direct mainstream public funding safely into grant funded services.
Prospectuses will lead the re-shaping of financial relationships. Grants will normally be for a minimum of three years, with accessible funding agreements that have proportionate performance and reporting arrangements and outcome-driven flavour in place of detailed specifications.
The prospectuses will also invite full-cost recovery and where needed, arrangements for payment in advance.
The model being developed on the Isle of Wight is based on that used in the City of Birmingham. Thanks to an Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) sponsored mentoring arrangement, we have been able to adopt and develop their approach.
The Island's pilot scheme was launched in June 2009, with the first prospectus being published on the 30th of September 2009). Appraisal of the first bids will take place in December 2009 and new services will start in February 2010. A second pilot prospectus was published on the 12th of October and others will be released during the winter of 2009.
Visit our homepage for featuring current Prospectuses by clicking here.
The history of our involvement with this approach to grant funding means that the library of tools and guides on this page includes a large proportion of documents from the City of Birmingham. As these are changed and localised for use on the Isle of Wight, the most up to date versions will appear here.
If you would like any further information or would like to express your views to the public or third sector partners in this pilot scheme, please contact info@eco-island.org.uk
A Glossary of terms used here is available by clicking here.
The Island Strategic Partnership's (ISP) Strategy for Ensuring the Environment for a Thriving Third Sector (April 2009)
A summary of the ISP's strategy, prepared for third sector organisations and groups (May 2009)
The Isle of Wight Local Compact 2005 (To be updated December 2009)
Sustainable Commissioning Protocols, Ensuring Effective Arrangements for Third Sector Procurement. (A working draft, Oct 2009)
A Pilot Decision Making Tool for Commissioners (Sept 2009); When to commission from the third sector
Pilot Guidance for Commissioners on Intelligent Monitoring of Third Sector Performance (Sept 2009)
Audit Commission Notable Case Study - Birmingham - 2008
NCVO Public Service Delivery Case Study - Birmingham - 2008
Pilot grant-making scheme outline and timeline (May 2009)
Presentation on the Isle of Wight Voluntary Sector Strategy (May 2009)
Presentation on Isle of Wight Commissioning and the Pilot Grant Funding Process (May 2009)
Isle of Wight Primary Care Trust - Employment Support for People with Mental Health Problems - Prospectus 2010.
Isle of Wight - Community and Family Learning Prospectus 2009
Isle of Wight - Adult Social Care Prospectus 2010: Pilot Advice, Information & Guidance Service
Birmingham - Adult Service Prospectus
Birmingham - Housing Services Prospectus
Birmingham - Youth Service Prospectus
Birmingham - Advice Services Prospectus
Please Note: These forms are Microsoft Word Documents. Click the link and when prompted, save it to your computer. The form can then be completed onscreen and printed off for submission to us. If you would like a paper copy of the form, please call Martin Johnson on 01983 823825
Isle of Wight - Small Grant application form (updated December 2009)
Isle of Wight - Standard Grant application form (October 2009)
Isle of Wight - Equalities Impact assessment (June 2009)
Isle of Wight - Terms of Reference and Process for Appraisal Panels (Isle of Wight)
Isle of Wight - Appraisal Form for Small Grant Applications
Isle of Wight - Appraisal Form for Standard Grant Applications
Isle of Wight - Declaration of Conflict of Interest (Isle of Wight) - a working draft
Isle of Wight - Anonymised Funding Agreement for infrastructure funding (view as an example)
Isle of Wight - Anonymised Funding Agreement for funding a service (view as an example)
Please contact martin.johnson@iow.gov.uk with any views or observations that you have about this grant-funding scheme or any of the tools and documents that you find here. This pilot project is an opportunity to develop a sustainable approach to all future grant funding and all views are welcome.
