Jane Wilson – Director CS3
WHY A CONSORTIUM?
Culture First identified need to support the culture
and sport sector to operate in the new marketplaces.
Challenges for sector in competing for contracts:
Scale and scope of contracts
Procurement process
Understanding requirements
Cashflow
WHY A CONSORTIUM ? – opportunities
Scale - future opportunities through
Larger strategic commissions
Pipelining
Neighbourhood budgets
Personal budgets
Hub – contract management infrastructure
Back office support
Co-ordinating bids
Performance management
Single contracting route for commissioners
WHY A CONSORTIUM ? – opportunities
Frontline – service development focused on meeting
the needs of commissioners through:
Thematic groups
Outcome focused services
Capacity
Associate membership
Training and networking
Extending the supply chain to micro providers
Highly visible presence for the sector
VISION
Developed by the founder members, who were drawn from
the sector through an open call
“We believe that together we can learn more, progress
faster and deliver better. We therefore commit to
collaborating for the benefit of those we serve. The result
will be thriving communities in which people are better
able to achieve their potential through culture and sport.”
GOAL
“To safeguard and grow high quality culture
and sports provision across Suffolk and
Cambridgeshire, through working with
commissioners to co-design services, creating
a single point of contracting, and by tendering
competitively for public service contracts via a
range of channels.”
OPERATING MODEL – ‘HUB AND SPOKES’
Provider
Provider
Provider
Hub
Provider
Provider
THE HUB
Low cost, very lean central administration
Drawing on member skills and capacity
Marketing
Negotiation
Prospecting
Tender writing
Contract management
Resource allocation
Quality improvement
Organisational capacity building
Service design
BENEFIT TO COMMISSIONERS
Single point of contracting:
• Reduced transaction costs
• framework for working with specialist providers
Immediate and long term returns:
• high quality delivery
• Investment in local capacity, skills, and relationships
MEMBERSHIP
3 Categories – Full, Associate, Affiliate
Full and associate membership status open to voluntary
sector organisations and social enterprises
Affiliate status available to public and private bodies
Only full and associate members have the right to participate
in governance
Organisations need to demonstrate they
meet key eligibility criteria
Universal criteria for membership
•
Provision of culture and sports activities/services
• Area of operation
• Commitment to consortium working
• Commitment to sharing expertise
All consortium members, full, associate or affiliate, will need to
demonstrate that they meet all of these universal criteria
Contract readiness criteria
•
•
•
•
•
Financial health
Quality systems
Appropriate policies
Suitable governance
Technical capacity
Members need to meet agreed criteria in order
to become full members and therefore be able
to take part in consortium delivery
In operation
Libraries Development Initiative
Arts Council England fund
Opportunity identified by members
Bid developed through hub
Submitted by Cambridgeshire County Council
- Practical example of community budgeting
Arts Alive in Fenland
CS3 facilitated sessions with friends groups in four Fenland
libraries to create clear statements of what they wanted to
achieve
CS3 members responded to the statements
Member ‘offers’ were collated into a menu and taken back to
the Friends Groups
Friends Groups made choices and successful organisations
were contracted to deliver
Delivery took place from January to end of March this year.
Arts Alive in Fenland - evaluation
Enabled a diverse range of high quality arts activities in
libraries
Cost effective bidding and selection process
Fully involved the Friends Groups
Met the goals of the libraries
Led to additional positive outcomes
Grant rather than contract BUT used similar processes
Commissioning Process
Contract
management and
payment carried out
via the hub, with
operational activity
directly between the
community group and
the CS3 member
Strategic Commissioner
CS3
hub
Community
Group
CS3
member
HOW TO JOIN
Read through the Membership Prospectus
Complete and submit the Application for
Membership form
Await notification of approval
Contact information
Website
www.cs3.org.uk
Email
info@cs3.org.uk