Decision details

Review of IDOX Contract

Decision Maker: Lead Cabinet member for Resources

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

On 28 February 2020 the Grants Advisory Committee met to review the Council’s IDOX Open4Community contract renewal.

 

Open4Community is a software that is supplied by Idox which is available as a self-serve facility for any voluntary and community groups and Parish Councils wishing to search for funding opportunities for community projects.

 

The tool is available on the community pages of the SCDC website and is known as GrantGrabber. It enables users to search online for a wide range of funding sources and other information at any time of the day through the Council’s website. Anyone who visits our website and finds GrantGrabber can access the service. You do not have to be a South Cambridgeshire resident to register.

 

Grants Advisory Committee met on 28 February 2020 and recommended the following to the Lead Member for finance:

 

-       The Council to increase its Service Support grant to Cambridge CVS by £4,000 and ask CCVS to pass this grant on to Hunts Forum so that it can continue to direct South Cambridgeshire residents and groups to the service at a reduced cost.

Decision:

To accept the recommendations of the Grants Advisory Committee (see above).

Reasons for the decision:

These decisions were considered in detail and agreed unanimously with the Lead Cabinet Member for Finance present for the duration.

Alternative options considered:

Option 1: The Council could renew its current contract with Idox. The cost of this would be £6,630 (for a 1-year contract), £12,730 (2 years), £18,300 (3 years).

 

This option was rejected as it would result in the Council paying for a service Supporting Cambridgeshire already offers and would require the Council to go out to procurement in order to award Idox the contract.

 

Option 3: The Council could discontinue its contract with Idox and provide no alternative funding for the provision of this grant finding service for the VCS.

 

This option was rejected as Grants Advisory Committee recognises the importance of being able to signpost voluntary and community groups to the grantfinder service.

Publication date: 06/03/2020

Date of decision: 06/03/2020

Effective from: 14/03/2020