Thought Leadership

London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) Invites Children, Parents and all Early Years Settings to Join Them on their Pioneering Sustainability Journey with the Publication of its Unique Strategy. LEYF has launched its very first Sustainability Strategy which sets out its ‘Green LEYF’ approach to become a sector-leading sustainability organisation, working in partnership with the Early Years and Schools to lead and amplify best practice whilst preparing children to undertake their roles and responsibilities as dutiful global citizens. As LEYF celebrates its 120th anniversary in 2023 plus its Planet Mark Award for employee engagement and its ongoing carbon footprint measurement as an organisation, the social enterprise organisation is naming 2023 as its Year of Sustainability – with a call for all Early Years settings across the UK to put sustainability at its core. Framed within the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed by the United Nations (2015) which are underpinned by the three pillars of sustainability: economic prosperity, social equity and environmental integrity, LEYF’s approach to sustainability is based on its duty to do its bit to give our children the education needed to become rounded global citizens of the future. Sustainability is often focused on environmental issues through climate change issues but it is also critical to how we shape businesses, lead with a social purpose and address unfairness and environmental damage that comes through our current market economy. LEYF demonstrates how a social enterprise can operate an effective business model which allows us to subsidise up to 35% of places to children from more disadvantaged communities who benefit enormously from high quality Early Years education. When LEYF first started to define what was meant by sustainability nearly ten years ago, it sought the support of all the staff. LEYF believes that change needs be championed at every level of an organisation if it is to be fully embraced. The result was a very collaborative approach with engagement from the grassroots right through our governance, pedagogy and operations. LEYF continues to build this into a sustainability community of practice and hope people will join the journey. LEYF initially began looking at ‘little wins’ that would have a big effect such as removing single-use plastics where possible, changing all milk deliveries to glass bottles so they could be reused and recycled, banning glitter and placing wormeries and composters in every nursery garden to help reduce food waste. From that promising beginning, an organisation-wide approach was developed that mapped LEYF’s steps to complete the ISO 14001 and achieve the Planet Mark which provided the framework to plan a strategy that included our governance, operations, procurement and practice. To help educate staff, LEYF also developed and introduced the first Level 4 Cache endorsed qualification - Developing Sustainability in the Early Years and supported this with two books: one on social leadership and the other providing ideas for sustainability in a nursery. All this groundwork helped us make decisions through a stronger sustainable lens  and build a strong strategy. Furthermore, sustainability has been embedded into every element of the organisation including the governance, pedagogy and operations along with an understanding that motivates and empowers children, colleagues and parents. June O’Sullivan, CEO of LEYF says: “Sustainability is finally moving to the centre of political and public agenda, especially as we face huge global issues including growing poverty, inequity in education, environmental degradation and much more. Sustainability needs to be led from the top and engage everyone in the organisation. It needs a holistic strategy if it is to work.  Everyone needs to play their part including the children. People think children don’t understand about sustainability, but they do and they are interested. Our job is to prepare them to undertake their roles and responsibilities as global citizens of the future.” The 8 principles below that are underlying LEYF’s approach to sustainability stem from Permaculture–Permaculture which is a way of creating practical sustainable and self-sufficient ways of living – including principles that align with a holistic approach that can be altered to different scales. leyf.org.uk

Launched as a partnership between Bath Spa University and 3SG, the Bath Social Impact Network brings together like-minded groups and individuals to improve and grow the social economy in B&NES. Created with social enterprises at the heart, along with B Corps, CICs, co-ops, and those interested in the work of these types of organisations, the Bath Social Impact Network will provide the support its members need to flourish through collaboration and idea generation. You can join their launch event in Bath on Thursday 23 February from 5pm-7pm. Find out more and sign up here.

Come along to our monthly networking event and meet other social entrepreneurs and sustainability professionals based in London and beyond! The aim of our event is for you to engage in conversations and build connections with other social entrepreneurs and sustainability/impact-driven professionals in order to spark ideas and maybe even walk away with a business partner or connections to potential clients. Please note there is only a limited amount of seats reserved at our cafe so please reserve your tickets early to ensure access to our event. The next few events will be taking place on: Thursday 16 February Thursday 23 March Thursday 27 April Thursday 25 May CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR PLACE About Trampoline Founded by the team behind NEMI Teas, we share the same objective – to help London’s refugee community integrate, train and become independent citizens. Built on the values of looking forward, being compassionate, and believing in better we’re committed to using our business as a genuine force for good. Building and maintaining relationships that transform lives.

The most recent Social Enterprise Barometer report published on 9 February shows that the next quarter is critical for many social enterprises with more than one in ten social enterprises across the UK expecting reduced turnover or to close due to the tough economic climate. The Social Enterprise Barometer reports are published quarterly and provide a snapshot of social enterprise performance and as well as how specific economic and political developments are affecting social enterprises. The February report showed that overall, across the 101 respondents, 14% are expecting to reduce turnover and staff or to close completely. This is the highest proportion reporting a growth decline since the survey began two years ago. High costs continue to challenge social enterprises. Almost two-thirds of the social enterprises who took the survey (62%) said they saw an increase compared to last quarter and almost half (48%) saw an increase in staffing costs. Although there was a slight improvement in cashflow and reserve positions this quarter, but a high number of social enterprises expressed concern about projected cashflow and income. When social enterprises were asked about their turnover position since July 2021, 21% said they saw a decrease while 37% said their turnover remained the same since then. Factors included a reduction in commissioning opportunities for public sector contracts and smaller contracts as local authority budgets struggle. Despite the tough economic climate, more than half of the social enterprises surveyed said demand for their products and services increased. The number of people being supported through social missions has also increased since last quarter to 63%, demonstrating how social enterprises prioritisation of their mission continues to deliver in times of need. Social enterprises in London reported particularly weak growth and cashflow positions compared to counterparts elsewhere in the UK. Peter Holbrook, Chief Executive of SEUK, commenting on the findings said: “As the UK economy is predicted to fall into another recession and interest rates hit their highest levels in more than a decade, social enterprises continue to face a tough economic climate. “For many, the financial support they will try to get next quarter will be critical to their survival. “More than three quarters of social enterprises reported that the profits they reinvested into their social or environmental mission has increased or stayed level, highlighting the resilience and importance of the social enterprise business model to increase investment in the communities they serve. “Government support must prioritise sustaining businesses that serve our economy, community and planet in order to maximise returns on investment and to ensure that otherwise viable social enterprises aren’t lost to economic uncertainty.” The Social Enterprise Barometer report can be accessed through SEUK’s Social Enterprise Knowledge Centre. The Social Enterprise Knowledge Centre seeks to be the UK’s most comprehensive source of evidence on social enterprise. Click here to read the full Barometer Report

Commenting on the need for responsibility for social enterprise to be moved into the new Department for Business and Trade, Peter Holbrook CEO of Social Enterprise UK said: The creation of the Department for Business and Trade is a welcome move that will allow a single department to focus exclusively on creating an environment which will allow business to thrive. However, it is essential that this department is given explicit responsibility for social enterprise. Social enterprises are the best of business, growing the economy whilst also addressing the entrenched social and environmental challenges. As businesses, decisions made in this new department will have a big impact on the sector’s future. That’s why it is important that social enterprise sits with the rest of the business community in this new department. It is why social enterprises have been calling to be treated the same as the rest of the business community for years. We have an opportunity to fully embed social enterprise into the government’s new approach to business. I hope that the Prime Minister will listen to the hundreds of thousands of social entrepreneurs in this country and show them his government backs them.

The UK’s largest independent athlete support programme closes its annual Award programme for new applications next month (20 February). Talented athletes from across 65 areas across the UK are invited to apply for a range of support awards which include financial support, access to sport facilities, physiotherapy, lifestyle mentoring and mental health support. The GLL Sport Foundation celebrates its 15th year in 2023 and it is the UK’s largest independent athlete award programme which has so far contributed over £13m to help over 24,000 athletes on their sporting journey. Previous holders of GSF awards include Darryl Neita (athletics), Anna Hursey (table tennis), Charlotte Worthington MBE (BMX), Alex Yee MBE (triathlon), Anthony Joshua OBE, Aiden and Michaela Walsh (boxing), Tom Daley OBE, Matty Lee MBE and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix (diving), Tom Dean MBE (swimming), Tully Kearney MBE, Susie Rodgers MBE and Ellie Simmons OBE (Paralympic swimming). The innovative scheme is provided by charitable social enterprise GLL and expects to award £1.2m worth of help in 2023 for successful applicants. Already a popular and essential support programme for athletes, the Foundation is expecting heightened athlete interest as the cost of living crisis hits and training costs, equipment purchases, strength & conditioning costs and travel costs continue to rise.   All successful applicants will be given access to the 250 sport and leisure facilities across the UK operated by GLL under its “Better” trading brand – including the iconic London Aquatics Centre, Copper Box Arena, Manchester Aquatics Centre and National Cycling Centre, Lee Valley VeloPark and White Water Centre. Over the past 15 years, GLL Sport Foundation supported athletes have excelled in major competitions and have gained 76 Olympic and Paralympic medals and 77 Commonwealth Games medals. Peter Bundey, GLL Sport Foundation Chair, said: “With the majority of award holders aged under 21 and 87% receiving no other funding support, our Sports Awards offer a lifeline to many talented young athletes as well as helping local communities discover the opportunities and enrichment that come through sport”.  Applications are open until 20th February 2023 via the website portal – www.gllsportfoundation.org Notes to the editor About GLL/Better Established in 1993, GLL is the largest UK-based charitable social enterprise delivering leisure, health and community services. Operating under the Better brand, we manage 258 public sport and leisure centres, 113 libraries and 10 children’s centres in partnership with 50 local councils, public agencies and sporting organisations. GLL has 850,000 members and welcomes 46 million customer visits per year. www.gll.org For more information, please contact: charles.dean@gll.org or 07813 458 258

Welcome to the Public Services Hub. This page is intended to support public sector professionals to understand why and how to engage with voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs). The VCSE sector’s expertise and commitment to purpose make them natural commercial partners for government and well placed to deliver effective public services. What is the VCSE Sector? Government uses the term voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector to refer to the charity and social enterprise sectors. Most people are familiar with the charity sector, and aware of its long history working with and delivering on behalf of government. Many will be less familiar with social enterprises. Social enterprises are businesses which trade for a social or environmental purpose. To be a social enterprise, the organisation should: have a clear social or environmental mission set out in its governing documents and be controlled in the interest of that mission. be independent of state or government control, and earn more than half of its income through trading re-invest or donate at least half of its profits or surpluses towards their mission There are more than 168,000[1] registered charities in England and Wales, contributing £15.6 billion[2] to the economy and employing around 1 million[3] people - 3% of the UK workforce. There are an estimated 131,000 social enterprises in the UK, employing an estimated £1.9 million people.[4] Social Enterprise UK estimate social enterprises contribute £60 billion to the economy.[5] Why work with VCSEs? Working with VCSEs has many benefits for government. In terms of policy alignment, VCSEs are the ideal partner to government in a number of key areas: Levelling Up. Over 75% of VCSEs deliver public services where they are based, with strong links to and knowledge of that locality.[6] Their expertise and connection to local areas ideally place them to create responsive, efficient and trusted public services. Social Value Act. The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 aims to improve procurement practice and diversify suppliers to the government, enabling more VCSEs to deliver public services. It requires public service commissioners to consider how they can secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits, known as social value, through the performance of a contract. Government extended the Social Value Act by launching the Social Value Model, placing new requirements on central government from January 2021 onwards to explicitly evaluate social value and thereby further encourage the commissioning of VCSEs. SMEs. Government is committed to supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) via government procurement. The majority of VCSEs are also SMEs[7] – so working with them helps support those targets as well. Are they competitive? Government is committed to delivering social value and increasing opportunities for VCSEs in public procurement. Working with VCSE suppliers is a win-win for government, with VCSEs also providing competitive, innovative and high quality services in spite of the common misconception that they will be less competitive. According to SEUK’s research on the £250m spent to date by our corporate supply chain partners, over 80% found VCSEs were competitive on price and over 95% were comparable or better quality than incumbent providers.[8] VCSEs can also bring innovation to government delivery. The government’s Social Enterprise Market Trends Report 2019 found that social enterprises were more likely to have introduced a new or significantly improved service during the past three years.[9] Development of new products and services is the proxy used by government to measure innovation. VCSEs deliver differently, and this can help to bring new solutions to government. What sectors do they operate in? VCSEs operate in a variety of sectors. They are well known to operate in ‘people-services’ sectors such as health and social care, employability, homelessness, disability and domestic violence and sexual abuse support services. However, charities and social enterprises also operate in every other area of the business sector from technology to legal services. Resources for Commissioners VCSE Contract Readiness Programme Delivered by the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE), Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) and Voice4Change England, and funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) – the VCSE Contract Readiness Programme is designed to work with both VCSEs and public sector commissioners. Social Enterprise UK are leading on the commissioner stream of the programme. This will involve working with central government departments to make it easier for government to engage with VCSE suppliers.  This will include working with central government departments to: Benchmark departmental spend with VCSEs by using SEUK and open-source datasets to help departments understand how much they’re spending with VCSEs and how they can do more Engaging staff through a series of “Demystifying the VCSE sector” webinars Driving new relationships through a series of targeted “meet the buyer” events working with relevant VCSE suppliers for specific departmental/category level spend SEUK are working closely with DCMS to drive all of the above activity with the relevant areas of government. If you work for a department and would like to engage with the programme or find out more please email the DCMS public sector commissioning team on public-sector-commissioning-team@dcms.gov.uk. Commissioning for Social Value The Public Services (Social Value) Act requires people who commission public services to think about how they can also secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits, known as social value, through a contract. The Social Value Model – In 2018 government announced it would go further and explicitly evaluate social value when awarding most major contracts with all departments expected to report on the social impact of their major contracts. The Social Value Model helps government departments implement the changes. It provides a consistent approach to social value for both commissioners and suppliers. More details on how this works can be found in Procurement Policy Notice 06/20 (PPN 06/20) Guides and other online resources The art of the possible in public procurement  - This report published by E3M looks at the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the flexibility it provides commissioners. It goes through how commissioners can unlock these flexibilities, highlighting the art of what is possible in public procurement. From procurement to partnership: A practical toolkit for commissioners - This step by step guide from E3M has been created to help commissioners maximise positive social outcomes and public value through the creation of effective public service community partnerships. Local Authority Guide – A guide created by Social Enterprise UK and supported by GLL is for people working in local authorities who are interested in social enterprise: council leaders, senior managers, directors of services, commissioners, heads of procurement, or those with responsibility for economic development. It explains what social enterprise is, how social enterprises can help meet a local authority’s strategic objectives, and gives practical advice on how local authorities can best work with them Government Outcomes Lab outcomes toolkit - for commissioners considering using outcomes based commissioning in their work with VCSE partners. Research The role of Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations in public procurement (August 2022) – This publication from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) explores the role which VCSEs can play in public services. It looks at VCSEs current participation in public procurement, the barriers faced by VCSEs in securing public sector contracts and how these can be reduced. UK Public Procurement through VCSEs, 2016-2020 – DCMS research carried out by Tussell to analyse the scale and proportion of UK public sector procurement conducted through VCSEs from 2016 through to 2020. Creating a social value economy (May 2022) – This report sets out a new vision for social value and how it can be used as a tool to shape markets, transform public services and create an environmentally sustainable future. This was published as part of the Social Value 2032 Programme, a programme of work delivered by SEUK in partnership with Jacobs, PwC, Shaw Trust, Siemens and Suez. Social Enterprises Market Tends Report (April 2021) – DCMS coordinates government policy towards social enterprises and commissioned this report. It examines the sector and identifies its scale in the UK, utilising a broad DCMS definition which includes both social enterprises within the voluntary and community sector and also social enterprises operating as mission-led or purposeful businesses with private sector legal forms. Front and Centre report (May 2019) – The report focuses on the extent to which social valuehas been embedded through processes and priorities within government. It particularlylooked at the understanding and awareness of the Act in local government among officers andcouncillors outside of procurement teams and examined the appetite to use the Act. Find suppliers The Social Enterprise Directory – A directory of all social enterprises which are members of Social Enterprise UK. Upcoming Changes to working with VCSEs The Procurement Act will come into force during 2024 and is set to reform the UK’s public procurement regime post-Brexit. Provisions within the Bill will more effectively open up public procurement to VCSEs so that they can compete for and win more public contracts. Further detail on the Bill is available at the Transforming Public Procurement landing page. [1] Charity Commission, as of 17th February 2022 [2] DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates, Summed Monthly GVA (to September 2022) [3] DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates, Employment July 2021-Jun 2022 [4] DCMS BEIS Social Market Trends report, April 2019 [5] The Hidden Revolution - SEUK, 2018 [6] Tussell Trust Research for DCMS, UK Public Procurement through VCSEs 2016-2020, 2021. [7] State of Social Enterprise report 2023 and Charity Commission 2023 [8] Buy Social Corporate Challenge Year 6 Impact Report, SEUK, 2022 [9] DCMS BEIS Social Market Trends report, April 2019

On this page you’ll find resources designed to support social enterprises and charities - otherwise known as voluntary community and social enterprises (VCSEs) - compete alongside other organisations for public sector contracts as well as the latest news from the ongoing VCSE Contract Readiness Programme. Upcoming events on the Contract Readiness Programme The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) funds the VCSE Contract Readiness programme. DCMS has worked with a consortium led by School for Social Entrepreneurs partnering with Social Enterprise UK and Voice4Change England to design and deliver a programme that will enable VCSEs to compete alongside other organisations for public sector contracts.  Find out more about the programme here Further support from government on applying for contracts VCSEs – A guide to working with government – The VCSE Crown Representative, Claire Dove CBE commissioned this  guide from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (which holds responsibility for the VCSE sector in government) and Cabinet Office. It sets out  how social enterprises and charities can best work with government. It goes through the best ways for VCSEs to approach working with public sector commissioners from steps such as registering to becoming an approved supplier to how to best engage early with commissioners. It contains top tips for tendering and details what public sector buyers are looking for. Transforming Public Procurement – The Procurement Act is now law and will introduce significant changes to the way public sector organisations buy goods and services. The Act will help open up public procurement to a broader supplier base, including VCSE organisations, with the new regime due to go live in Autumn 2024. This collection on the Government website runs through the key things you need to know about the Act and how it will change the procurement landscape. It includes a link to the official Cabinet Office learning and development offer, which contains a range of support resources for your organisation. Transforming Public Procurement Knowledge Drops - The Knowledge Drops are a key part of the Government’s learning and development offer and are designed to provide a high-level overview of the changes to the procurement regulations. They take the form of short video presentations and there’s specific guidance for VCSE suppliers. You can find out more about how the Procurement Act will help VCSEs in this short video: Small and Medium Business Hub – The majority of social enterprises are small and medium size businesses (SMEs) and the Government has a commitment to support these organisations through procurement. As part of this, it has created the Small and Medium Business Hub to bring together guidance and resources. It contains information on where to look when applying for contracts, information on prompt payment, case studies, and action plans created by individual government departments on how they look to work with SMEs.  Finding Opportunities Contracts Finder – This is government’s single online portal on which contracts valued above £10,000 in central government and above £25,000 in the rest of the non-devolved public sector are listed. It’s free to use to find opportunities. You don’t have to register, but if you do, you can set up an account to have new opportunities that suit your organisation emailed to you regularly. Join Frameworks – Framework Agreements are ‘umbrella’ arrangements allowing multiple suppliers to be listed as potentially being able to work on a specific contract. They are agreed by a lead buyer with one or more suppliers. Once part of a Framework Agreement the lead buyer and other pre-advertised organisations can purchase goods and services from your organisation. More information is in the VCSE guide listed above. Government Dynamic Purchasing System – signing to the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) is similar to an electronic Framework Agreement but one which allows new suppliers to join at any time. They however have their own set of requirements. More information can be found in the VCSE guide listed above. Getting contract ready A key part of being able to win public sector contracts is to make sure your organisation is contract ready. Here are a few resources to help apply from support courses and webinars to publications. SSE Programmes The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) run a series of programmes and courses to support social enterprises grow and develop. These include: Social Business Modelling and Scaling – This workshop covers a broad range of integrated topics that are instrumental in creating and expanding a successful social business model. Winning Grants from Trusts and Foundations – This course will equip organisations with the tools needed to secure more funding from trusts and foundations, showing you how to identify valuable funder prospects, develop a more compelling case for support, write more impactful applications and build strong long-term relationships with funders Unlocking Social Investment - Social investment can offer impact-driven organisations valuable investment to help achieve their aims but many don’t know what it is, where to find it or how it works. In this workshop, you will get all the essential information and gain insights from expert speakers to help you take your next steps with social investment and unlock this potentially game-changing funding source. Measuring Social Impact – This three-day course is full of the information you need to measure your impact successfully. Measuring Social Value - An introduction to measuring and valuing the changes your work makes on individuals and the knock-on effects of this on their lives. This is how commissioners are looking for you to demonstrate the value of your work when applying for contracts. Bid Writing Support Lime Green Consulting – Lime Green Consulting are a fundraising and strategy consultancy for UK charities and social enterprises. They offer bid-writing support and review applications. They also run training programmes in partnership with organisations like the School for Social Entrepreneurs. Key things to have in place to apply for a bid When applying for a public sector contract, VCSEs need to ensure that they have a few things in place before applying. These include: insurance policy modern slavery policy cybersecurity certificates Access to funding Access to appropriate funding is vitally important for VCSEs to grow and develop. Here are some places to go to find advice and finance from repayable social investment to grant funding. Find a Grant - Find a grant is a pilot service that allows organisations to both search for government grants and find out if they are eligable for support.  Access - The Foundation for Social Investment - Access’s mission is to make sure that social enterprises and charities can access the finance they need to sustain or grow their impact. As a social investment wholesaler, Access funds a series programmes designed to help social enterprises and charities - from blended finance (grants and loans) to investment readiness programmes.  The National Lottery Community Fund – The National Lottery raises money for good causes, supporting charities, community groups and social enterprises access grant funding. In 2021/22 it awarded over £579 million to these organisations. Current live funds can be found here. Good Finance – The Good Finance website is designed to help social enterprises and charities navigate the world of social investment. It contains resources to help you find out if repayable finance is for you, a fund mapper, case studies and a pre-investment support page for organisations that are not yet investment ready. Funders Online – A database of over 8,000 sources of grant funding. Organisations need to pay a subscription to access the resources. UnLtd – UnLtd is the foundation for social entrepreneurs. They run a series of awards offering funding for smaller social enterprises and also provide social investment (repayable finance) through the Growth Impact Fund. Get your organisation noticed With social value being a mandated part of central government contracts and all public sector bodies having to consider social value in commissioning as well as an increased focus on ESG amongst corporates – organisations from across the public and private sector are looking for VCSEs they can partner with. Here’s some ways on getting your organisation noticed. Social Enterprise Directory – All Social Enterprise UK members are featured on SEUK’s Social Enterprise Directory which is used by organisations looking to find social enterprise suppliers. If you are a social enterprise and not a member of SEUK you can find out more about membership here.