Community Asset Transfer 2 (CAT2) Applicant and Grant Holder Support

The Big Lottery Fund (the Fund) is seeking to appoint a service provider to provide intensive and bespoke business support for applicants and grant holders under its new Community Asset Transfer programme - CAT2. CAT2 will invest up to £9 million in the transfer of assets to communities across Wales. The programme will provide both capital and revenue funding to support the transfer of assets, such as land and buildings, from individuals, public or private sector organisations to third sector organisations that actively involve and benefit the communities they serve. The service provider will be required to deliver support to 20 applicants and from this the 10 projects that are successful in being awarded grants. Grants are available of up to £1,150,000 for projects that last between two and five years. The service provider will be required to provide the following individual support at each stage: • Up to two days of support for each applicant invited to submit a stage two application • At least two days of support for each grant holder during the set up of grant and commencement of activities We will require the service provider’s support package to include, in all cases, an initial assessment to determine the organisational capacity and the short and long term development support needs. Depending on the needs identified, the service provider will provide subsequent support in some or all of the following areas: • Governance arrangements • Support to understand and navigate the legal processes involved in the negotiations of leases and transfers and the requirements of multiple funders in complex projects. • Business development – supporting applicants to develop and implement up to date and robust business plans. • Support for groups to consider and develop appropriate marketing and fundraising strategies. • Detailed risk assessment and management strategies. • HR support to ensure the provision of robust policies and procedures, performance management strategies for staff and volunteers. Consideration of the responsibilities of employing staff and implications of TUPE transfers if applicable. • Identification of additional and long term support needs and identify potential solutions to address them, including signposting to other services or peer support. This list is not exhaustive and other support might be required as identified in the initial assessment. For further details about the Fund's requirements please download the invitation to tender document.

Additional information: Further detailed information about this opportunity is set out in the ITT attached. If you are interested in this opportunity please read all requirements and instructions in the ITT and submit your tender response before the tender deadline at 12 noon on 7 August 2015. All interested bidders must submit an electronic copy of their tender response in a zip folder to [email protected] quoting reference BIG001-0612.