Minister promises to help small charities win contracts

21 Nov 2016 News

Rob Wilson, former minister for civil society

The government is working on reforms to help small charities win more contracts, the minister for civil society Rob Wilson has said.

Speaking at the annual conference of chief executives body Acevo in London last week, Wilson promised that measures would be announced shortly.

"I want to support the sustainability of the sector by helping more small and medium sized charities access the public service market," he said.

"These small charities are the lifeblood of our communities. They bring local expertise, knowledge and connections to the public services they provide. They have the potential to deliver better outcomes for those in need.

"Despite these benefits there are clearly barriers that are making it difficult for smaller charities to take part. Reform is needed to help these organisations engage with commissioners and start taking an active role in delivering public service contracts.

"We are working to establish a long-term plan to deliver change and open up these opportunities. I will be making an announcement on the next steps on that shortly."

Wilson also said he expected to empower charities by improving their relationship with business.

"Businesses are key partners in increasing this country’s culture of giving and volunteering and there is more that can be done to harness this in the workplace," he said.

"This includes tapping the potential of initiatives such as payroll giving and employer supported volunteering schemes - that enable staff to mentor, lend their skills and help others."

He also said he hoped to announce measures to help support giving.

"I am also keen that we maximise giving to support small and local charities and that we encourage further giving from high income individuals," he said.

"We have just concluded a series of Giving Roundtables exploring these themes and in July I announced up to £1 million over the next two years to take forward ideas. I hope to say more on this shortly."

 

More on