Introduction

East Riding of Yorkshire Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement to inform proposed one-year (plus optional extension of up to 6 months) transitional arrangements for Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) support from 1 April 2027.

The proposed arrangements cover VCSE Infrastructure, Support and Development; Grant and Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) Administration, Coordination and Performance; an Independent VCSE Participatory Research; and the future placement of the separately funded Inclusion Health function.

We particularly want to understand what works well now, what does not work well, where the gaps are and what practical solutions could improve future arrangements.

This is preliminary market engagement, not a formal procurement evaluation. Participation will not advantage or disadvantage any organisation in a future procurement.

This questionnaire is one of two ways to share your views. There will also be an in-person market engagement workshop on Thursday 15 October, 1pm to 3pm, at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, The Hexagon Music Centre, Beverley, HU17 9LP. You can register your interest in attending the workshop either by selecting the option at the end of this questionnaire or by emailing planningandprocurement@eastriding.gov.uk.

You do not need to attend the workshop to have your say, and you do not need to complete this questionnaire if you plan to cover everything at the workshop. If there is something you would rather raise in writing than in the room, this is the place to do it.

Most sections take around 5–10 minutes. Please complete only the section(s) relevant to your organisation. No questions are mandatory so feel free to skip over any that are not relevant to your organisation.

Please complete this questionnaire by: 19th October 2026

Why are we reviewing these arrangements?

The current contract for VCSE Support and Development ends on 31 March 2027. This gives East Riding of Yorkshire Council an opportunity to review how support for voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations is provided and consider how it could work best in the future.

As part of this review, we have looked at the current arrangements and found that they bring together several different functions, including support for VCSE organisations, funding advice, grant administration and representing the sector in strategic discussions.

As funding programmes such as the Crisis Resilience Fund (CRF) develop, there is a need to strengthen governance, manage potential conflicts of interest and create clearer accountability for different functions.

Our aim during this transitional year is to maintain essential support for the VCSE sector while understanding its wants and needs in order to strengthen its strategic role in improving the health, wellbeing and resilience of communities across East Riding.

What are we asking?

We want to hear your views on what currently works well, where there are gaps or opportunities for improvement, and how support for the VCSE sector could be organised better in the future to strengthen its role in improving outcomes for residents and communities.

Your feedback will help inform decisions about the future of VCSE support in East Riding.

The proposed approach for the transitional period

We are proposing to organise support for the VCSE sector into three separate lots.

Lot 1: VCSE Infrastructure, Support and Development

This would provide the main support offer for VCSE organisations across East Riding, including support for organisational development, governance and leadership, training and development, funding advice and strategic sector representation. 

Inclusion Health is currently funded separately and delivered as part of a related contract.

Through this engagement, we want to understand where this function should sit in future arrangements.

Lot 2: Grant and Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) administration, coordination and performance

This area would focus on managing grant funding and ensuring it is distributed and monitored effectively to benefit residents. 

For the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF), it would also include coordinating resilience and support activities that help residents and communities respond to challenges.

Lot 3: Independent VCSE Participatory Research

An independent piece of work to better understand the VCSE sector in East Riding and help shape future support from April 2028 onwards.

The purpose would be to listen to organisations across the sector, learn about their experiences, and understand what is working well and what could be improved.

No decisions have been made about what future arrangements should look like. They could take a range of forms, such as a consortium, alliance, network or another model entirely.

We want this work to help us better understand the strengths, challenges, needs and opportunities across the sector, and identify what would enable stronger collaboration, representation and support in the future.

Why are these areas being separated?

These areas of work do different things and may be better delivered in different ways. Separating them makes responsibilities clearer, improves transparency, and helps avoid situations where an organisation is both supporting funding applicants and involved in decisions about funding. It also creates more opportunities for organisations with different skills and expertise to contribute.

We would like your views on whether these three areas should be delivered by separate organisations or through collaborative partnerships.

The current proposal is that organisations will be able to bid for any or all of the three Lots, but can only be the lead provider for one Lot. Organisations could still be involved in other Lots as part of a partnership, consortium or subcontracting arrangement, provided this would not create a conflict of interest. This will support independence and clearer governance.

For Lot 3, which focuses on understanding the VCSE sector to help shape future support arrangements, independence is particularly important. Any organisation carrying out this work would need to be able to provide an impartial and trusted view of the sector, including its strengths, challenges, opportunities and differing perspectives. Restrictions may apply to ensure that organisations delivering this work are free from actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

No final decisions have been made. We are seeking feedback on these proposals before any future procurement process is considered. Your views will help shape the final approach. Participation in this engagement will not give any organisation an advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement process.