Third Sector Infrastructure Support and Representation

Descriptions

The third sector infrastructure and representation plays a vital role in supporting frontline organisations, helping to ensure the sustainability and resilience of a thriving sector that can adapt to emerging challenges and opportunities. This service is aimed at encompasses leadership and representation, partnership and collaboration, capacity building, and volunteering.

Together, these elements not only strengthen the sector's foundations but also enable meaningful engagement with the Council, health and care and city partners, ensuring that third sector voices help shape the city's strategic direction. Infrastructure support specifically targets the development of smaller third sector organisations, those based in disadvantaged wards, and groups that are often excluded or underrepresented.

The funding will also promote and enable positive social action, helping to build empowered, inclusive, and thriving local communities. It will support organisations rooted in both place and shared interest to generate social value and drive change from within. It is proposed that the contract be awarded for a period of three years at an estimated budget of £1,783,146, with with an option for the Council to extend up to a maximum period of 36 months in any combination, subject to budget availability.