A meeting was held at 10 Downing Street three days before the application deadline for the Social Action Fund, at which Big Society Network discussed its bid proposal in front of a special adviser to the Prime Minister.
The meeting on 31 January 2012 was organised by Shaun Bailey, then special adviser to David Cameron and a Big Society ambassador, and attended by three representatives of Big Society Network including its CEO, Steve Moore (pictured).
Also in attendance were representatives from UK Active, the Fitness Industry Association and the charity PTA-UK.
Big Society Network ended up winning almost £200,000 in round two of the Social Action Fund, beating more than 600 other applicants to a grant. It won funding even though it did not meet several of the stated criteria and has spent the money developing a campaign that never launched and is now on ice.
In January this year, minister for civil society Nick Hurd investigated a formal complaint about the grant and concluded, on behalf of both the Cabinet Office and the Prime Minister’s Office, that he was “satisfied with the Social Action Fund process and conduct of Number 10/Cabinet Office officials”.
The Cabinet Office said, in response to a Freedom of Information request, that the purpose of the meeting at Number 10 was to discuss increasing volunteering in schools. It said no minutes were produced.
But one of the non-government attendees at the meeting told Civil Society News that Steve Moore used the meeting to canvass support from the other organisations for the project that Big Society Network and UK Active were planning to submit jointly to the Social Action Fund.
When Civil Society News asked Steve Moore whether he used the meeting to promote Big Society Network’s Social Action Fund proposal, he said: “No, there was a discussion that took place about trying to look at a new way of developing some Big Society ideas around Olympic legacy. I helped put together some of the people who should come along to that meeting.”
But under further questioning he admitted the Social Action Fund was mentioned: “Three things were discussed. One, where the gaps are in the current legacy proposals; two, what partnerships could come together to develop solutions; and three, what resources might be available. In that context the Social Action Fund was certainly referenced. There was certainly some discussion on whether we could come together in a Social Action proposal.
“There was a genuine urgency around it because of timelines involving Social Action Fund. If people felt they were coming together around a meeting to discuss Social Action Fund then that would be largely a consequence of the fact that there was a feeling among the group that the need to identify the solution and the timelines of the Social Action Fund were converging. That would be my take on it.”
Nick Hurd: satisfied with the process
Nick Hurd, in his letter dated 31 January 2013, seen by Civil Society News, states that as part of a “thorough review” of the SAF grant process, his officials held discussions with a number of people who attended the meeting at Number 10 “to understand what was said and understand the purpose of the meeting”.
They also revisited and discussed with SAF administrator Social Investment Business, including its CEO Jonathan Jenkins, details of the SAF process, and consulted with the propriety and ethics team in the Cabinet Office who oversee special adviser and civil service conduct.
Hurd concluded: “Having reviewed the totality of the evidence from this investigation I am satisfied with the SAF process and conduct of Number 10/Cabinet Office officials in relation to this matter.”
In particular, he was satisfied that “no expectation of money from the SAF was made to Big Society Network or any other organisation at this meeting by my officials or Shaun Bailey” and that none of the attendees were involved in the Social Action Fund selection process.
His letter was copied to the PM’s Office, Cabinet Office ministers Francis Maude and Grant Shapps, and Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood.
Cabinet Office statement: no evidence of impropriety
The Cabinet Office issued a further statement late yesterday. It said: “We take the integrity of our grants application process very seriously.
"We have already undertaken a full and thorough review into the details of Big Society Network's grant from the Social Action Fund. We found no evidence of impropriety and we are fully satisfied with both the conduct of our officials, and that all necessary criteria were met during this application."
