Unlocking Local Opportunities: Commissioning and Procurement (in person)

Learn how local authority commissioning and procurement work in Stockport, and how to bid! Unlocking Local Opportunities: Commissioning and Procurement This practical workshop will help VCFSE organisations understand how local authority commissioning and procurement work in Stockport, how to identify upcoming opportunities and how to prepare to bid for contracts. The session will bring together expertise from Stockport Council’s commissioning teams, STAR Procurement, and GM Business Growth Hub, providing guidance on procurement processes, practical demonstrations of how to find opportunities and information about support available to help VCFSE organisations develop, grow and diversify their income. What to expect: Welcome and context - Why commissioning, procurement and income diversification matter to the VCFSE sector. Understanding commissioning in Stockport - Led by Stockport Council’s commissioning representatives, we will outline how local needs and priorities are identified, the commissioning cycle, how decisions are made, and why commissioning, procurement and income diversification matter to the VCFSE sector. How procurement works with STAR Procurement - STAR Procurement will explain the practicalities of local authority procurement, including: procurement thresholds, tendering processes and frameworks; social value requirements and how they are assessed; what commissioners and procurement teams look for in bids, and common mistakes and how to avoid them. Finding opportunities: practical procurement portal demonstration - this will be a hands-on demonstration of procurement portals, showing organisations how to identify and access relevant opportunities. The demonstration will cover: • Registering an organisation on the portal. • Selecting the correct organisational categories to ensure relevant opportunities are identified. • Setting up alerts for new opportunities. • Searching for current tenders and contract opportunities. • Downloading and understanding tender documents and requirements. • Identifying future commissioning opportunities through procurement pipelines and forward plans, rather than waiting for tenders to be published. • Finding lower-value opportunities that may be more accessible to smaller organisations. Support from GM Business Growth Hub - GM Business Growth Hub will outline the support available to VCFSE organisations, including business planning, organisational growth, finance, digital development, innovation, leadership and other relevant business support. Getting procurement and commission-ready - This section will cover practical guidance on what organisations should have in place before pursuing opportunities What's coming up in Stockport? - Stockport Council representatives will share information about future commissioning intentions and potential opportunities, including how VCFSE organisations can engage with commissioners and contribute to market engagement before a tender is published. Open Q&A Next steps and support - Signposting to relevant resources, contacts and further support, including follow-up workshops and opportunities for one-to-one guidance. This workshop is aimed at those working, volunteering, or starting out in the VCFSE (voluntary, community and faith-based groups, and social enterprise organisations) sector in Stockport. Refreshments such as tea and coffee will be provided. Ticket Charges We will be charging a refundable fee of £5 (+eventbrite fees) per ticket. This will be refunded to you once you sign in at the event. Please note, the total amount you will be refunded is £5 per ticket (we are unable to refund eventbrite fees). ** Please note, tickets are available strictly to volunteers and employees working for Voluntary, Community, Faith based groups, Social Enterprises and charitable organisations in Stockport. If you are not part of a VCFSE / charitable organisation then your ticket will be refunded. Please get in touch if you are not sure - [email protected] ** Accessibility If there is anything we can do to help you feel more comfortable during your visit, please let us know. The Sector 3 offices are on the ground floor, with an accessible front entrance, but we can also meet you at the front door, provide ear plugs if you have auditory processing or sensory challenges, or take you to a quiet room before continuing with your visit. Parking The Merseyway / Redrock car park is the closest and most accessible car park, and charges approximately £1.50 per hour. Alternatively Warren Street car park (The Old Sainsburys) charge £6.50 for the whole day, if you're looking for a longer, cheaper option. About Sector3 As Stockport’s charity infrastructure support organisation, Sector3 offers Voluntary, Community, Faith-Based groups and Social Enterprises a multi-faceted suite of support, training, guidance and funding opportunities, enabling organisations to deliver social action on local priorities. www.sector3sk.org Twitter: @Sector3SK