Published today by the Cabinet Office on behalf of the Futurebuilders
Advisory Panel
Futurebuilders Advisory Panel publish their first progress report on the
Futurebuilders fund
The Futurebuilders Advisory Panel (FBAP) today published their first
progress report on the Government's Futurebuilders programme – in which
they welcomed its work as ‘highly innovative
’ and ‘ahead of its
time.
’
Led by Baroness Jill Pitkeathley, the FBAP congratulated Ministers on
creating the programme and recognised the programme's success in
distributing valuable funding to third sector organisations across the
UK.
In their first ever progress report, the independent Panel recommended the
Futurebuilders fund should be continued into a second phase to run from
2008–2011.
Baroness Jill Pitkeathley said:
“The Panel is pleased to give a positive report to Ministers on this
important initiative. We have all been impressed by the difference which
Futurebuilders funding, either as loans or development grants, can make
to third sector organisations, enabling them to provide public services
which are focussed on the needs of the users.”
The FBAP was set up by the Cabinet Office in 2005 to provide independent
advice to ministers on the objectives and priorities of Futurebuilders.
Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office, said:
“Locally–led, with the right support at the right time, Futurebuilders
can help unlock the third sector's potential. With a solid foundation
from the state, and the sector's compassion, commitment and
creativity, Futurebuilders shows how effective partnership can make
society more just.
“I'm very grateful to Jill Pitkeathley and the Advisory Panel for
this report, and welcome their recognition of the success and innovation
of the programme.”
Additional conclusions in today's report include:
-
The 5 broad delivery areas which form the existing criteria for funding
applications should remain in place until the second phase, at which
point they could be expanded to include other delivery areas;
-
The Futurebuilders Fund is widely perceived as a robust and successful
policy programme that is enabling a growing number of third sector
organisations to build their capacity to win and delivery public service
delivery contracts;
-
Though still in the early stages of measuring benefits to service users,
the Panel notes the positive impact Futurebuilders is having on third
sector organisations that have received investment and recommends the
Cabinet Office consider how best to capture the programme's
‘
social return on investment
’;
-
Futurebuilders should be actively involved in the implementation of the
Cabinet Office's Partnership in Public Services action plan (launched
December '06) and its actions on strengthening national, regional and
local commissioning processes.
-
Development grants can deliver significant benefits at modest cost, and
should continue to be part of Futurebuilders investment portfolio.
Notes to editors
-
The Advisory Panel are an independent Non–Departmental Public Body set up
by the Cabinet Office in 2005 to provide advice to ministers on the
continuing objectives, priorities and governance of the Futurebuilders
programme. On that basis, their report is being published on the Cabinet
Office website:
-
For
more information about Futurebuilders policy programme and the
Futurebuilders Advisory Panel, please contact the Cabinet Office
Press Office on 020 7276 0311, or go to the website of the Office of
the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office.
-
For more information about the delivery of the Futurebuilders programme,
please go the Futurebuilders England
website[External website].
-
For a copy of the Partnership
in Public Services action plan, please go to the Third Sector
website.
