Public Service Mutuals fund
Sophie Eminson
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
The Public Service Mutuals fund is a government programme to create new or strengthen existing mutuals, as well as to pilot support programmes including those that improve collaboration with other voluntary and community organisations.
The fund was announced in January 2018 by Tracey Crouch, minister for sport and civil society at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
While the department does not plan on dividing the money between different sectors, it has stated that supporting organisations working with children and young people is an area of interest.
What does it fund?
Applicants looking to start a new mutual will need to demonstrate that they have a strong understanding of how mutuals work, explain why they believe the mutual model is right for their services and be clear about the impact it will have on staff and customers. Applicants are encouraged to read the toolkit on the government website and speak to mutuals that have already gone through the process.
If an existing mutual is looking to grow or diversify, it will need to demonstrate the impact this growth will have and why it needs support from the fund to do this.
How much is available?
The DCMS has £1.7m of funding in total to support all public service mutuals.
Of this, a total of £1.2m will be used to pay for professional advice and support. The remaining £500,000 will be used to pilot other support programmes, such as partnership working, to help mutuals collaborate with voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to broaden the services they offer.
From this, an organisation can apply for however much funding is needed to support its mutual, however the amount must be justified within the application.
Through both programmes, successful organisations will have a tailored support package designed to meet their needs.
Who can apply?
Any public sector organisation considering the mutual model for its service can apply.
The funding is not specifically aimed at creating organisations that have charity status; public service mutuals can take any legal form, including community interest companies, community benefit societies and charities.
To be eligible for funding, applicants must fulfil the DCMS's definition of a public service mutual, which is that the service:
- Has left the public sector
- Is still in the public sector but is considering leaving
- Continues to deliver public services and has a significant degree of employee ownership, influence or control in the way the organisation is run.
Existing public service mutuals must fulfil the definition, and be in their first five years of trading, their first contract which has not been re-tendered, or both.
Existing mutuals can apply to the Mutuals Partnerships Support Programme if they want to consider working in partnership with others to grow.
Examples of existing mutuals
The Public Service Mutuals fund offers money specifically to new mutuals and those that benefit their local community, while youth mutuals have received up to £10,000 from the from the existing Mutual Support Programme since 2013.
Evolve YP in Staffordshire used its grant to flatten its management structure to make it more responsive, meaning that decisions about children's welfare were made much closer to the child. It has also introduced an emergency duty service for children, young people and carers.
3BM educational partners in London used funding to increase its business by more than 25 per cent in its first year as a mutual. It also reduced prices for most school clients, meaning schools had more money to spend on other things.
How to apply
Applicants must contact the DCMS for an initial eligibility check.
If an applicant fulfils the basic eligibility criteria, an expression of interest form should be completed detailing their need for funding, what the project is and the impact it will have on customers.
Applicants will need to demonstrate that they have senior support from within their organisation to progress the project, and show a commitment to match funding towards the support package.
The programmes are open until March 2020, and DCMS is accepting applications until the end of March 2018. Further deadlines will be announced.
For more information on eligibility and support expectations contact: mutuals@culture.gov.uk
FUNDING ROUNDUP
- Farms for City Children has been awarded a National Lottery grant of £48,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It plans to use the grant to help restore the Victorian walled kitchen garden at Nethercott House in Dartmoor. The project has been supported by a range of organisations and individuals, including the team at RHS Rosemoor and the Devon Gardens Trust.
- Community groups across Scotland are sharing £1.1m of lottery funding. Up to 150 community groups were named when the National Lottery Awards for All Scotland announced the latest round of grants of up to £10,000 each. Among these is the School Care Service to Calums Cabin in Barlanark. Each group will use their funding to implement community projects in their areas.
- The Alliance to Reward Initiatives and Social Enterprise (ARISE) has awarded up to £1,000 to Potential Kids and Young Life International at the Hatfield Galleria. ARISE is made up of Ocado, Hatfield House, The Galleria and Interserve. Potential Kids, a start-up group for children on the autistic spectrum or with ADHD, was burgled and vandalised in January. The funding will be used to help the project reopen the space.
- The team at Hilton Avisford Park in Arundel has given grants totalling £9,000 to 15 local organisations at the hotel's charity ball "A Night in Paris". The event supported the DM Thomas Foundation for Young People. The schools, clubs, and charities being supported by the grants include Aldingbourne County Primary School, Arundel and Brighton Diocesan Trust, Arundel CE Primary School and Barnham Trojans Football Club.