Agenda item

Report of the Chief Grants Officer.

The Committee received the regular progress report of the Chief Grants Officer and discussed the updates provided.

City Bridge Trust Website

Officers advised that the grant search tool on the website had been improved and could now search by borough. The improvements being made to the website sought to make the process as transparent as possible. It was hoped that the improvement would enable current grantees to see what being done in their area and make connections, potential applicants to see what similar things were funded, and Members to see if certain organisations were currently being funded. Members noted that feedback was welcomed.

Draft High-Level CBT Plan

The Chief Grants Officer advised that a new framework for corporate and business planning was being developed to ensure consistency of presentation across the organisation and a succinct statement of key ambitions and objectives for every department. In the initial phase, departments and CBT had been asked to produce a draft high-level departmental plan the template for which had been developed through consultation. It was noted that the format had not been finally determined and Members were invited to comment on the format of the high-level plan as well as the content.

Revised budget figures were also circulated as follows:

Our 2017/18 budget is:        

Stepping Stones Fund

In response to a query from the Chairman, officers advised that the proposal was for £5,000 of the existing budget (agreed at the previous meeting) to be used to fund a social investment intermediary organisation for purposes of pilot testing the invitation-only strand.

RESOLVED – That the new pilot element of the next Stepping Stones grants round be agreed and that £5,000 of the agreed £500,000 be used to fund a social investment intermediary organisation to work with CBT and the selected grantees on delivering the pilot.