Commissioning support for civil society - tell us your ideas and stories of change!

We are commissioning infrastructure and capability building support for civil society to help us become more adaptive, participative and resilient.

As part of this, we are excited to see your ideas on what is most needed and your interest in getting involved

Take part in the survey

Check out the prior information notice and share your expressions of interest

We believe that strong communities happen when every person's voice is heard and when everyone has a chance to shape the place they live in. Our mission is to create fairer, greener, and thriving local spaces where everyone can flourish.

We're working hard to make our communities more connected and inclusive - helping us all grow stronger together. We are committed to doing that both inside and outside our organisation, with our staff, our partners and our communities - from our Neighbourhood Fund to our Participation Lab. You can find out more here!

1. Commissioning infrastructure and capability support for civil society

As part of our commitment to being “Councils for Community”, we are commissioning infrastructure and capability support for local charities, community groups and social enterprises to best support our communities over the next three years.

We know that when community groups and charities have the tools and resources they need, they can make a real, lasting impact. That’s why we’re here to support the amazing work they do and to help strengthen their organisations to adapt, grow, and thrive—even in challenging times.

This comes during challenging financial times and as we make changes within our organisation to work in more resilient, adaptable, and participative ways.

2. Listening and involving people to shape the future support

To make sure the support can build on what's working well and where we can grow, we'll be listening to a variety of people to explore some key questions:

• How can the councils best support an inclusive, resilient civic infrastructure across Adur and Worthing?
• What outcomes are we looking to achieve and for whom between 2025-2028?
• What economic models, mechanisms and infrastructure forms can help achieve those outcomes?

These questions don’t have easy answers, so we’re looking forward to working closely with people to set priorities for the future. We especially want to connect with organisations and networks that may be less visible to us, including those supporting minoritised communities.

By co-creating this strategy, we aim to build a stronger, more connected community that benefits everyone. Our renewed strategy comes at a time of considerable financial challenges and changes to the way our organisation works, all aimed at becoming a more resilient, adaptable, and participative partner for our communities.

3. Get involved!

Share your expressions of interest

We are entering a pre-procurement phase where we will gather insights and ideas through our discovery work and this PIN. Organisations will be invited to participate in exploratory discussions and workshops, helping to shape the final commissioning strategy and tender.

We invite expressions of interest from organisations or consortia interested in engaging as participants in this discovery work, with a view to tendering for the future VCSE infrastructure support contract.

In particular, we are keen to engage early with organisations or consortia with the ability to: 

• Innovate and Experiment: Propose new ways of working with the VCSE sector that foster financial resilience. We are particularly interested in approaches that leverage digital tools, social entrepreneurship, and innovative funding mechanisms.
• Adapt and Evolve: Demonstrate a capacity for adaptive leadership, capable of navigating and responding to the evolving needs of the VCSE sector, especially in the context of post-pandemic recovery and the challenges of reduced public sector funding.
• Participate and Collaborate: Develop participative approaches that empower local communities and VCSE organisations to co-create solutions. This includes fostering collaboration across sectors and enhancing the sector's capability to engage effectively with residents, businesses, and public sector partners.

Check out the prior information notice

Take part in our survey

We have designed a survey to ensure we understand insights into the sector’s needs, challenges, and priorities, which will directly inform our approach to supporting local groups. We've taken a strengths-based storytelling approach to this.

Based on the insights, we will run workshops towards the end of November to deliberate on these insights and understand what is most important.

This feedback, together with insights from the PIN, will help us design a tender process that addresses what matters to the VCSE sector in Adur & Worthing.

Take part in the survey

I know across our sectors we are facing massive financial challenges, but we are committed to working together with local charities, community groups and social enterprises to help build a better future for our local communities. Do get involved and we look forward to listening to your insights and ideas!