About Empowering Local
Empowering Local is a growing group of local, regional and national funders and infrastructure organisations committed to supporting place-based funding of the VCSE sector which meets the needs of children, young people and communities.
We believe that more attention needs to be paid to local need at a national level, and we want to support that to happen through collaboration and investment. The real impact of the last year has been felt locally - local organisations supporting children and young people have been hit very hard, and many are at risk of disappearing, leaving further huge gaps in provision and support for children and young people when they need it most.
We also see incredible work happening, and strong and ambitious partnerships between local organisations and national funders – we want to build on this great work and make it the norm. Finally, we want to ensure that children and young people’s voices are central to decisions made and work undertaken at a local level, and support provide by funders locally and nationally.
We see young people, their voices, lived experiences and roles in genuine decision-making and change as fundamental to successful funding, and are committed to promoting the role of young people in shaping their communities and the investment’s made in their communities both locally and nationally. Our aim is to ensure that funding, and funding decisions that are made, make the most impact possible by being driven by the local needs of children and young people and the organisations that support them.
We are aiming to bring funders, infrastructure organisations and children and young people’s charities together to share learning, undertake new research, provide guidance on what ‘funding local well’ looks like and advocating for investment in place locally, regionally and nationally.
Research Project Aims
Group members have identified a number of priorities for the group’s work together, including a joint research and engagement project, which seeks to increase understanding of how funders can best support place-based approaches to funding, especially at a national level. We are aware that there are a range of initiatives and activities in this space, and we are seeking to align to and support that work, adding further value where useful. We are interested in supporting a piece of work which is clearly placed within the wider context of place-based practice and specifically place-based funding of the VCSE sector supporting children and young people.
Key questions the group are interested in include:
- How can national and regional funders best positively engage in local ecosystems and communities?
- How can national and regional funders not get in the way of great impact at a local level (including how best to actually get out of the way if needed)?
- What relationships between local, regional and national organisations and funders are needed to build momentum and make the most impact on children and young people’s lives?
- How can local organisations and networks best engage with national funders?
- How is youth voice embedded within these systems, and how genuinely is it influencing decision making locally and nationally
The research project seeks to:
- Inform our collective understanding of ‘sufficiency’ at a local level and what the ‘ideal ecosystem’ is
- Identify examples of best practice in place-based funding
- Provide guidance to national funders (and other stakeholders)
- Advocate for investment in place, and place-based funding, at local, regional and national levels
The research project should be clear on definitions and approach (for example, what we mean by ‘placebased’), whilst acknowledging that what is ideal is different in each place and needs to reflect local context and needs. We are keen to explore this area of work within that context e.g. are there key principles which could inform guidance on sufficiency and funding.
Timetable
We expect the project to last between three and six months, and are open to ensuring that the timing meets the needs of the project, young people and partners engaged. It is anticipated that the project will take between three and six months (depending on the successful proposal and their approach), with the opportunity for on-going communications and engagement beyond this initial stage.
The procurement timetable will be:
- Tender return deadline: 5pm on Friday 22nd April 2022
- Clarification meetings may be held with shortlisted consultants/groups and would take place on week commencing: 25th April 2022.
These will be held online. We will notify bidders of our procurement decision week commencing: 2nd May 2022
The anticipated budget is up to £20,000 to include all expenses and VAT if applicable
How to apply
For more information and to apply click here