Presentation given by Action Acton on 15 May 2015 at the West London roadshow.

1. promoting Employment, Education and Enterprise for
disadvantaged people in West London

2. Our Mission
Helping disadvantaged people improve their lives
through
 Education
 Employment
 Enterprise

3. Our Target Groups
Those most disadvantaged in society:
 Unemployed
 Low or no education
 Lone parents
 Young people (NEETs)
 Young and adult offenders
 Care leavers
 Older people
 Refugees
 Black and ethnic minorities
 Mental health difficulties

4. Track Record
 Established 1998---charity and social enterprise
 Successfully delivered over 80 projects and
contracts in
 Education – Skills Funding Agency (SFA), EU
 Training—DWP, SFA, UK Online , EU
 Employment—DWP, LDA, London Councils
 Self employment/business start up—LDA, Acton
Street Market, Doughnut Factory/Business Centre
 Social enterprise –London Borough of Hounslow
tender, Big Lottery Collaborating for Change

6. Working in partnership
 ‘’Most Big Lottery ESF opportunities are better suited to
partnership working’’.
 Partnership working is encouraged because:
 One single organisation cant meet multicomplex need
 Different ideas to tackle problems
 Local groups give greater reach and impact
 Smaller organisations can benefit from larger structure
 Better understanding of needs in communities
 Better service for beneficiaries

7. Partnership structures
One Lead organisation—
 legal responsibility-signs contract
 Financial responsibility—risk of clawback
 Responsibility for managing partners’
outputs/outcomes
 Responsible for management information
systems (MIS)
 Reports to Big Lottery contract manager
 ‘Carries the can’ if things go wrong !

8. Partners or ‘sub contractors’
 Responsible for delivering their sub contract
outputs/outcomes
 Sign Service Level agreement
 Responsible for following ESF rules and regulations
 Keep records for 10 years
 Evidence of eligibility to take part in project
 Financial scrutiny by lead partner and auditors
 Risk of ‘clawback’

9. PROS OF PARTNERSHIPS
1. Lead and other partners together can best meet
project specification
2. Range of partners have best understanding of
community needs
3. Greater geographical coverage
4. Delivery in venues beneficiaries feel comfortable in
5. Greater range of expertise among staff
6. Better community and other networks
7. Strengthens your bid to Big Lottery

10. Difficulties of partnerships
 Partners may not deliver the outputs/outcomes
 Partners may not be used to keeping ESF standard
evidence and case records
 Partners may think they can ‘carry on as usual’ once
SLA has been signed (partnership requires readiness
to change )
 partners may not always tell the truth!!
 Partners may not have the right staff required to
deliver required outputs
 Partners may cause problems if they don’t get funding
despite not achieving targets
 Partners may expect Lead to do all the work

11. Some thoughts from experience
Look for a trusted Lead partner
 Track record-- of successful delivery from previous
contracts/grants
 Due diligence –of lead and partners
 Transparency –what management fee is lead taking 10%;
15%, 25% or more!!!
 What are you getting for the management fee?
 Does lead have all the management systems and financial
systems in place?
 Does lead share your organisation’s Mission and values
 Is your Board of Trustees fully aware of your plans ?
 Do you have the staff to deliver your part of the project?

13. Performance Performance Performance
 Performance management throughout is key
 Lead partner must manage partners performance
strictly
 No ‘favours’ because of being a charity or VCS
 Staff need to buy in to a performance culture
 Targets, supervisions, activity and time monitoring
 ESF regulations are a minefield but must be followed
 Get performance right and you will deliver
 Helps you build a track record for future bids

14. What next?
 Check out the Big lottery project specifications and decide if
you want to be Lead or sub partner in any
 Make contact with other VCS groups who you believe can
deliver
 Make contact with other VCS groups who you believe will
strengthen your bid—complement each other
 EOI’s –get data together on your past track record; your finances,
your policies and procedures
 Research evidence of need ; strategies etc
 Get views of your beneficiaries
 Register interest on LVSC partner portal
 Be prepared to write or contribute to first stage application

15. DWP and SFA ESIF FUNDING
 CONTACT PRIME CONTRACTORS
 CHECK WEB SITES, E MAIL AND PHONE
 REGISTER AS A POTENTIAL PARTNER
 ASK LVSC ABOUT POTENTIAL MEETINGS WITH
PRIMES
 ATTEND DWP/SFA MARKET WARMING EVENTS
 GET SOME SAMPLE EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(EOI’S) AND PREPARE

16. Dr John Blackmore
Chief Executive
Action Acton Limited
16-18 Crown Street, Acton, London W3 8SB
E john.blackmore@actionacton.com
T (0)208 993 9605
F (0)208 993 0998
M 07967970688
www.actionacton.com

17. BRING IT ON !!
AND
GOOD
LUCK !

18. Q&A