Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire VCSE
Brokerage Framework

The Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector has a vital role in improving people’s health and wellbeing in Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire. The VCSE Brokerage Framework enables the full breadth and depth of the VCSE sector to play this role.

The VCSE Brokerage Framework is a new system-wide approach to enable a diverse range of VCSE organisations to deliver health and wellbeing improvements in local communities, through investment from Integrated Care System (ICS) health and social care partners. The Framework provides a standard, robust and inclusive process for assessing the best proposals for community activities.

Contents

How the Brokerage Framework works
The benefits of joining
Who can apply to join
How to join
Questions and feedback
Investments
Key dates and supporting information

How it works

The Framework is hosted by the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire VCSE Alliance and co-developed in partnership with NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and ICS partners. It is funded by Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB and is being piloted in 2024, with an anticipated full launch in 2025.

The VCSE Brokerage Framework is being co-designed and tested by a partnership of Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire VCSE Alliance, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and ICS partners, including Sirona care & health, the local authorities and VCSE sector.

The Framework will help integrate thousands of VCSE organisations with public sector bodies in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. It offers a fair and simple way for public sector managers to engage diverse VCSE groups, including smaller organisations.

Public sector requests of VCSE organisations on the Framework might include:

  • Proposals to provide community preventive activities.
  • Data, insights and/or intelligence on a particular issue.
  • Co-production of new services.

To develop proposals for the pilot programmes, VCSE organisations need to join the Framework.

Benefits of joining

The benefits of joining the Framework include:

  • Easier funding applications.
  • Fewer entry barriers to the public sector – process is proportionate to the size of your organisation.
  • Networking and relationship building with VCSE peers.
  • Skill and practice sharing.
  • Greater community voice in public sector decisions.
  • Collaborative system reform and service design.

Who can apply to join

Any VCSE organisation operating for over 12 months can apply to join the Framework if they meet the following criteria:

  • A registered charity, unincorporated association, Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), Community business (company limited by shares with a clear community purpose and benefits), Community Interest Company limited by guarantee (CIC, the common form of social enterprises), Community Interest Company limited by share (Schedule 2 with 100% asset lock), Community Benefit or Industrial Provident Society, or company limited by guarantee.
  • Have robust governance and sound financial management proportional to organisation size, as set out in the Brokerage Framework Quality Assurance requirements.
  • Based in and/or already delivering services and conducting activities within Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire.
  • Focused on at least one of the many aspects that affect health and wellbeing – including things like inclusion, work, housing, education, money, air quality, safety, transport, social and community connections alongside health and care advice, support and services.
  • Be willing to collaborate with other organisations on the Framework.
  • It is recognised that a community business, which has clear community purpose and benefits, may be a company limited by shares.

We encourage all VCSE organisations, even the very smallest, to apply. The joining process has been intentionally designed to be proportional to size.

How to join

Applications to join the Framework can be made by completing the VCSE Brokerage Framework application forms.

VCSE Brokerage Framework Application Form - part 1 VCSE Brokerage Framework Application Form - part 2

Once you have completed the application form, it will be reviewed by the Brokerage team and the assurance panel. We will aim to tell you the outcome of your application as soon as possible.

Please be aware there is no save and return option when filling out the forms. To help you gather relevant information to complete the application, these summary documents show all of the questions included in the application form before beginning your application.

Questions and feedback

The VCSE Brokerage Framework is in a test-and-learn pilot year during 2024 and 2025. The learnings and feedback gathered during the pilot will be used to further refine the Framework, with the intention of a wide-scale launch in 2025. Please share your experience of participating in or using the Framework by completing our feedback form.

We have developed some frequently asked questions and responses, which we hope will help provide further information about the VCSE Brokerage Framework.

Investments

We are excited to announce that VCSE organisations can submit proposals, via the VCSE Brokerage Framework, for the Prediabetes South Bristol investment programme.  The Children & Young People’s Wellbeing (North Somerset), Communities against Cancer and WorkWell West investments have closed.

Please read through the information documents for the programmes fully before you start your proposal.

The closing date for the Prediabetes South Bristol investment is 28 February 2025 at 5pm.

Prediabetes South Bristol

The Prediabetes South Bristol programme will focus on developing and delivering a plan to identify and engage with South Bristol residents and communities at risk of prediabetes.

Funding has been made available from NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB. The total investment package is £55,000 for 6 months.

Information documents:

Falls Prevention programmes

Further details about the Falls programme will be available in the next few weeks.

Marketing events

We are running online marketing events for both programmes. You can sign up for the Prediabetes South Bristol events through the links below. This investment programme will launch on 20 January:

What if I have further questions?

Prediabetes clarification questions (PDF) South Bristol Prediabetes Marketing Event slides (PDF)

Please email the VCSE Brokerage Team at proposal@bnssgvcsealliance.org with any questions for the Prediabetes South Bristol investment by 12 noon on 7 February 2025.

We will respond collectively to all clarification questions on this website every week up until the clarification question deadline.

Do I need to be on the VCSE Brokerage Framework to make proposals?

To make proposal’s, VCSE organisations will either need to have been accepted onto the VCSE Brokerage Framework already (with or without conditions) or apply to join during the 6-week period the investments are live.  This is a separate application process.

How to join the Brokerage Framework

Assurance panel and application dates

The purpose of the VCSE Brokerage Framework Assurance Panel is to ensure that organisations on the Framework meet the quality assurance requirements and criteria for joining.

The VCSE Brokerage Framework Assurance Panel has oversight of the assessment of applications to the Framework and plays the lead role in the quality assurance decision-making process. The membership of the Panel and the process it follows are set out in the Terms of Reference.

The Assurance Panel members use the VCSE Brokerage Framework policy checklist when reviewing and confirming the suitability and quality of core requirement policies (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Safeguarding and Complaints policies)

VCSE Brokerage Framework policy checklist

Assurance Panel Terms of Reference

The VCSE Brokerage Framework Assurance Panel meet every 5 weeks to review new applications received.

The dates for 2025 are as follows, but may be subject to change:

  • Wednesday 29 January
  • Tuesday 4 March
  • Thursday 3 April
  • Wednesday 7 May
  • Wednesday 11 June
  • Wednesday 16 July
  • Dates for August onwards will be published later this year.

Please ensure your application is received at least 10 days before the Assurance Panel meeting.

Applications received after that date will be reviewed at the following Panel meeting.

Overview of the Brokerage Framework Quality Assurance requirements

Category   Example   A. Up to £100k   B. £100k-£250k   C. £250k-£500k   D. £500k-£1m   E.   >£1m  
Governance   Governing document: Constitution or Memorandum & Articles  
   Annual report (at least 1 year of operating)  
   List of trustees/directors 
Financial management   Bank account +3 months of bank statements  
   Statement of Financial Activities   
   Accounts: Independent Examination        
   Full accounts           
   Projected budget           
Inclusive practice   Equality/Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Policy  
   EDI data analysis        
   EDI action plan           
   Evidence of public / patient involvement        
Safe practice   H&S law compliance  
   Insurance  
   Safeguarding policy  
   DBS checks if appropriate 
Continuous improvement   Complaints Procedure  
   Monitoring, evaluation and learning policy        
   Demonstrable improvement from monitoring data analysis           
Socio-economic contribution   Social value policy/statement           
   Demonstrable commitment to local supply chain (including VCSE)              
Collaborative practice   Track record of collaboration – case study           
   Example of used collaboration/ partnership agreement/ MOU               
   References from previous partners/ sub-grantees/ sub-contractors