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The £16.7 million Community Ownership and Management of Assets including Right to Bid Grant Programme is now open to applications.

The £16.7 million Community Ownership and Management of Assets including Right to Bid Grant Programme is now open to applications.
The Programme aims to help community groups to use both the Community Right to Bid which comes into force in the autumn, and the existing Community Asset Transfer powers to buy and manage local community assets such as village shops, pubs, community centres, heritage buildings, allotments and libraries.
It is part of the Community Rights Support Programme, which also includes the Community Right to Challenge grant programme.
Groups in England, including registered charities, CICs and Parish councils can apply for feasibility grants of between £10,000 and £100,000 to develop investment proposals, carry out feasibility studies and equip themselves to take on asset ownership and management.
Interested organisations should contact the Community Rights Advice Service in the first instance to assess their suitability for the grant programme.
Applications can be made at any time.

For further information go to: http://www.thesocialinvestmentbusiness.org/


Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

The Public Value (Social Value) Act 2012 requires certain public authorities, including local authorities, to consider how, in procuring services, they might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of their areas.

While the potential impact of the legislation particularly on the social enterprise sector has been somewhat exaggerated, seeking to achieve corporate and community objectives through the procurement of mainstream services can, alongside other options, realise greater value for money.

This briefing will be of interest to all executive members and cabinet portfolio members and officers who are involved or have oversight of commissioning and procurement functions

Social Investment Business surveys charities about their finance needs

Chief executive Jonathan Jenkins says there is an appetite for equity-like finance

The Social Investment Business has launched a survey of charities’ future financing needs as part of its plan to develop new funds.

The survey asks sector leaders whether there are specific projects they could deliver if they had more access to finance, what types of finance they are most interested in and what terms would be acceptable to them.

The survey will remain open for at least a year, and data from it will contribute to the creation of a range of funds.

Jonathan Jenkins, chief executive of the SIB group, said: "From managing more than 1,000 relationships with investors over the past 10 years, we know a good deal about their financing needs, but to make sure our new funds have the maximum impact we need to hear from more sector organisations about what they need finance for and what sort of deals look attractive to them."

Jenkins said earlier surveys had shown that about 20 per cent of organisations wanted more than £1m in funding and the majority were looking to scale an existing programme.

He also said that there was more appetite for equity-like finance – products that resemble stocks and shares, where the level of repayment to the investor is dependent on the success of the charity.