VONNE

There's a wealth of resources available to you whether you're a first time tenderer or a seasoned supplier. On this page you can find some of the most recent tools, guides and other resources. We've tried pick those that are particularly relevant or useful to the voluntary and community sector in the North East. For more information on the work of national voluntary sector bodies visit the National resources page.

Nuts and Bolts

Here you will find some basic tools for novices or members of the sector who want a bit of a refresher.

EU Procurement Guidance: Introduction to the EU Procurement Rules (OGC, March 2008) (PDF)

This Office of Government Commerce (OGC) leaflet is a useful starting point introducing the basics of procurement practice. The OGC leads the development and delivery of national procurement policy based on EU law so its website is a useful source of up-to-date information.

How to do business with Middlesbrough Council (Middlesbrough Council, June 2008) (PDF 110Kb)

For a local perspective on the procurement process, this document contains guidance on local authority procurement rules and regulations, how to find out about tender opportunities and what to consider when submitting a tender. All councils in the region have produced similar guides which can be found at on the North East Purchasing Organisation (NEPO) portal.

Pathways Through the Maze (NAVCA and NCVO, Oct 2009) (PDF)

NAVCA and NCVO have produced the first comprehensive guide to procurement regulations written for voluntary organisations and community groups. The guide answers the most common questions voluntary and community organisations have about procurement processes and explains the legal requirements applying to public bodies' procurement exercises. Comments by VCS workers in the North East who've read the document include 'excellent'.

To Trade or not to Trade?

Trading - A Survivors Guide (Deloitte and Charity Finance Directors' Group, 2007)

Guidance notes which examine the issues around charity trading and taxation such as what is trading, selling donated goods, corporate sponsorship, and trading subsidiaries.

Quality Assurance - When is it right for me?

Does having quality assurance certification always gain you more marks in a PQQ tender evaluaton?

The short answer is 'No, not always'. Fear of losing marks in a tender process has recently forced many organisations to consider ISO accreditation. The whole system is a bit of a minefield with many companies offering different packages, some more legitimate than others. Rachel Rhodes, Commissioning & Procurement Adviser at NAVCA looks into the legal framework in this new article which gives a good overview of issues in this area.

Partnerships and Consortia

Working in a consortium - A guide for third sector organisations involved in public service delivery (Office of the Third Sector, 2008) (PDF)

OTS has produced a comprehensive guide to the definitions and development of different types of consortia for third sector organisations involved in public service delivery. This excellent guide includes a range of options and different approaches to working collaboratively, background information and further support, and answers the long-standing question ‘just what exactly is a consortium?'.

Collaborative Working and Mergers: An Introduction (Charity Commission, 2008)

Moving up the Government's agenda as public finances become tighter, this Guidance from the Charity Commission is applicable to all charities which may be considering working in partnership on activities or merging with other organisations in the longer-term. It includes advice on legal issues and due diligence.

Bassac's 'Are you ready to collaborate for commissioning?' pages also contain a variety of useful toolkits, checklists and handy guides to help you at all stages of the commissioning process.

Are you ready to collaborate for commissioning?

Surviving TUPE

TUPE, or the Transfer of Undertakings, is becoming an increasingly important issue for VCS organisations taking over contracts for work previously delivered by other providers like local authorities. Under TUPE regulations employees in the transferred undertaking have their existing terms and conditions of employment protected so new contract holders can be liable for these.

It is essential that any VCS organisation fully understands the TUPE rules if they are becoming involved in commissioning. Every TUPE situation is different too so legal advice is recommended if you're involved in a commission where TUPE might apply.

The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development has recently produced this guide to TUPE which is useful for any VCS organisation wanting to understand more about TUPE and how it might apply to them.

Preparing and transferring services in the public and non-profit sectors (CIPD, Oct 09)

The Value of Social Value

Social value is the term which captures a range of techniques and methods by which the social impact of activities are measures. Some approaches like Social Return on investment and the Local Multiplier 3 method try to give a financial value to this impact. A regional social values network is being developed and you can find more about it on this page:

Learn More About Regional Procurement Projects

A selection of guides and tools are included below:

Resources on Social Values from the North West (July 2010)

VSNW (Voluntary Sector North West) is our equivalent in that region and has produced a series of easy to read guidesall around social value.

1. Summary - Easy Read Guide to the Social Value Process
2. Toolkit - Step-by-Step Easy Read Guide to using the Toolkit
3. Provider - Easy Read Guide to Social Value
4. Commissioner - Easy Read Guide to Social Value
5. Procurement - Easy Read Guide to Social Value
6. Measurement - Easy Read Guide Top Ten Tips

Evidencing Our Impact (Pentagon Partnership, March 2008) (PDF)

This excellent report by Pentagon Partnership on its Even More For Your Money project (2006-2008) is very accessible introduction to some of the different social value methods available and a useful guide to which might be best for your organisation - a great starting point.

A Guide to Social Return on Investment (Office of the Third Sector, April 2009)

The product of an a three-year Office of the Third Sector funded programme on measuring social value, this guide is based on work by the SROI Network, including nef (the new economics foundation), Charities Evaluation Services, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and New Philanthropy Capital. Its purpose is to standardise practice, develop the Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology and provide more clarity on the use of SROI. It is intended to be useful for commissioners and voluntary sector organisations alike.

NHS Commissioning Guidance

The Department of Health has published 'The NHS commissioning environment: A guide for organisations in the third sector'. It provides a summary of the structure of the NHS and the whole approach to commissioning. It includes sections on the Compact and on grants as a funding route (see p20 and p30-32).

The NHS commissioning environment: A guide for organisations in the third sector (PDF)

The Department of Health has also published a suite of three guidance documents: 'Commercial Skills for the NHS', 'Principles and rules of co-operation and competition', and 'Primary care trust procurement guide for health services'. These key resources reflect the priorities of the NHS in improving quality, efficiency and productivity and delivering more personalised services.

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