Since the annual State of Sector event in October 2024, we have finalised our Commissioning Research. This project relates to two State of Sector priorities: relationships with statutory organisations and funding.
We are grateful to all individuals who participated in this research. Many offered their time to give interviews, offering expertise and insights into what is working well and what can be improved in commissioning. This research seeks to understand why fewer Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations participate in commissioned projects compared to grants. It also explores collaborative commissioning, where VCS groups form a consortium to bid for tenders and deliver services.
To download a copy of this research, please follow this link: Commissioning Report 2024/25: The Value of Collaborative Commissioning
You can also view its recommendations here:
- Reviewing decision-making processes in statutory organisations with a view to introducing an additional step early in the commissioning cycle: a decision on whether the project in question could be delivered by a consortium. This could help statutory organisations adopt a consortium model more regularly, with co-design of services embedded in the project from the start.
- Conducting a needs assessment of the VCS, to ensure tender deadlines consider the limited capacity of VCS organisations. This means reaching out to the VCS directly.
- Using plain English when publishing tenders.
- Helping groups to become ‘commissioning ready,’ by funding training programmes and embedding training into the co-design of projects using a consortium model.
- Address Southwark’s mental health challenges by supporting a consortium of mental health providers to bid for funding.
