Footsey Plus

Footsey Plus:- A Yorkshire & the Humber Forum initiative designed to build understanding between public buyers/commissioners and voluntary and community sector organisations that have the ability to deliver services.

Background
This project was developed by Yorkshire & the Humber Forum in conjunction the Development Trusts Association (DTA) and Social Enterprise Yorkshire & Humber (SEYH) and has now received financial support from Capacitybuilders Social Enterprise Programme.





Project aim and objectives

The strategic aim of this project is to increase the number of enterprising third sector organisations, in the region competing for and winning public sector contracts. The three target outcomes for the project are:

• More real opportunities for Social Enterprises to engage with public commissioners and buyers to exchange information on capabilities and requirements
  
• More public agencies (particularly local authorities and Primary Care Trusts) recognising the added value offered by social enterprises and providing genuine opportunities for them to tender for contracts
  
• More voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations recognising the opportunities provided by public sector contracts and able to make informed choices as to whether this is right for them

• Five sub-regional events that provide an opportunity for social enterprises to demonstrate their services to potential purchasers, exchange ideas and show best practice.
  
• At least five visits around the region where successful social enterprises would be funded to hold an “open day” - showing and explaining how they developed their enterprise activities
  
• At least five “Seeing is believing“ visits, for commissioners/buyers to see what successful third sector organisations are doing in other parts of the region (or further a-field) in providing services to the public sector