Issue - meetings

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive

It has been agreed to:

1.      Introduce a commissioning system to procure benefits for the community through the Third Sector, as outlined in the report, commencing in 2010-11 for example, with advice and guidance services and Third Sector infrastructure support services;

2.      Introduce a small grants fund, drawn from the existing grants budget, to be administered on this Council’s behalf by the Northamptonshire Community Foundation (subject to agreement of terms by the end of September 2009);

3.      Operate an interim grant award scheme for 2010-11 only, to provide a period for the Council and the Third Sector to prepare for more general commissioning of outcomes from 2011-12;

4.      Restrict eligibility to this award scheme to Third Sector organisations, as defined by Northampton Borough Council, ensuring that funding for other functions is provided for in other appropriate budgets.

As the relevant Portfolio Holder, Councillor Brian Hoare presented the report to Cabinet explaining that it arose from recommendations from Overview and Scrutiny as to how changes could be made in the way the Council and the ‘third sector’ worked together to achieve benefits for local people and to the administration of grants.  He went through the four recommendations, pointing out that the proposals would give more support for the community and third sector.  The commissioning scheme would not be immediate, so in the meantime, there may be an interim grant award scheme focussed on small grants.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1.      Introduce a commissioning system to procure benefits for the community through the Third Sector, as outlined in the report, commencing in 2010-11, for example, with advice and guidance services and Third Sector infrastructure support services;

2.      Introduce a small grants fund, drawn from the existing grants budget, to be administered on this Council’s behalf by the Northamptonshire Community Foundation (subject to agreement of terms by the end of September 2009);

3.      Operate an interim grant award scheme for 2010-11 only, to provide a period for the Council and the Third Sector to prepare for more general commissioning of outcomes from 2011-12;

4.      Restrict eligibility to this award scheme to Third Sector organisations, as defined by Northampton Borough Council, ensuring that funding for other functions is provided for in other appropriate budgets.