Expression of Interest (EOI) for the National Citizen Service

National Citizen Service (NCS) is an initiative aimed at providing young people of all backgrounds the opportunity and support to take on new challenges, learn new skills and make a difference in their communities. Each of young person has a unique experience that has a positive impact on their attitudes to others, and their skills for life, work and their community. NCS is designed to build confidence and prepare young people for adulthood by promoting:

·  A more cohesive society, by mixing participants from very different backgrounds

·  A more responsible society, by supporting the transition into adulthood and the development of essential skills for employment (including teamwork, leadership and communication)

·  A more engaged society, by enabling young people to work together to create social action projects in their local communities.

In Northern Ireland, young people can take part in NCS during the summer and autumn holidays. A full programme is delivered in summer and a 'scale' version takes place during the Autumn holidays.

The phases of the programme are as follows:

·  Phase 1: Providers market NCS to young people through a variety of channels, encouraging sign ups and keeping them engaged prior to the first residential week.

·  Phase 2: Phase 2 is a residential week delivered away from the young peoples' communities. This phase takes place predominantly outdoors, where young people fun but challenging activities, encouraging social interaction, team building and personal development. During the week, young people are encouraged to reflect on what they have learned and the qualities they have developed.

·  Phase 3: Phase 3 is delivered on a residential basis during the summer and a non-residential basis during autumn, in a location close to the young people's community. During this phase participants develop new skills which are key to supporting their transition to adulthood. A key element of this phase is developing their understanding of the local community so that they are able to identify ways in which they can contribute positively to society.

·  Phase 4 & 5: In phases 4 & 5, young people will design and deliver a Social Action Project to benefit their local communities during this phase of the programme. Providers then organise a graduation event, where young people's achievements on NCS is celebrated.

·  Graduates: Following graduation, young people become part of the NCS movement. This can include volunteering opportunities and ongoing consultation about NCS.

Working with Reed in Partnership

Reed in Partnership is seeking potential partners who can support delivery based on capacity:

·  Delivery of Phase 1 (sign-ups and engagement) and phases 2-5

·  Delivery of Phases 2-5

·  Providers of residential spaces for Phases 2 and 3

We are interested in hearing from providers who are able to deliver in the following areas.

·  East Belfast

·  Rathcoole / Greencastle

·  Shankill / Ardoyne / Upper Ardoyne

·  Lower Falls / Greater Village

·  Londonderry / Derry

·  Portrush / North Coast

·  Lurgan / Portadown

·  Newtownards / Ards Peninsula

·  Kesh / Ederney

·  Castlederg

·  Newry

·  Ballymena

·  Omagh

·  Cookstown

·  Enniskillen

·  Armagh

Further information about the opportunity will be available for those who progress successfully through the Expression of Interest stage.

Instructions for completing the form

·  Completed EOI forms should be returned to: by Thursday 5th February, at 5pm

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email the above address or contact Philip Duffield on 020 7708 6063.

When completing this document, please ensure that:

·  All sections of the form are complete

·  Word limits are not exceeded

·  All answers are detailed with specific examples

·  All information regarding performance is accurate and clear

For further information about how we work with our delivery partners at Reed in Partnership, please visit our website at www.reedinpartnership.co.uk

For organisations not yet registered on our Partner Network, please also take five minutes to register on our online form to receive email updates regarding latest opportunities to work in partnership with Reed.

Section 1: Organisation Information
Organisation name
Name and job title of main contact
Job title
Telephone number
Email address
Address
Alternative contact name, phone number and email address
Section 2: Delivery Premises
Question 2a: Delivery Areas
Please indicate below the areas where you are interested in delivering your services AND have existing infrastructure, including delivery offices and capacity to deliver the service:
Region / Sub-Region / Existing Infrastructure / Interested in Delivering
NI / ·  East Belfast
·  Rathcoole / Greencastle
·  Shankill / Ardoyne / Upper Ardoyne
·  Lower Falls / Greater Village
·  Londonderry / Derry
·  Portrush / North Coast
·  Lurgan / Portadown
·  Newtownards / Ards Peninsula
·  Kesh / Ederney
·  Castlederg
·  Newry
·  Ballymena
·  Omagh
·  Cookstown
·  Enniskillen
·  Armagh / Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes / Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Question 2b: Delivery Infrastructure
Please complete the following information relating to your existing delivery premises and the premises of activity centres for Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the programme:
Venue name and address / Number of young people that can be hosted there at any one time / Organisation name and location of Phase 2 activity centres and Phase 3 residential centres
(please include multiple lines where necessary & identify if phase 2 or 3) / Have provisional reservations been made (Y/N)
Section 3: Experience and Capacity
Question 3a: Relevant experience
Please detail your previous experience of engaging 16-17 year olds. Please add more lines where necessary. If you are currently delivering NCS, please ensure that you state the volume of young people that you work with and the elements of the delivery model that you deliver.
Please insert lines where necessary
Contract name and Commissioner / Dates / Volume / Performance: show as a percentage against target / Details of services and activities provided
Question 3b: Stakeholder Relationships
Please provide details of existing links with stakeholders including:
·  Schools and colleges
·  local charities and voluntary organisations
·  local businesses
·  others
Please ensure your response does not exceed 200 words
Question 3c: Knowledge of the local area
Please identify your organisation’s knowledge, experience and understanding of the local area, relevant to NCS recruitment and delivery in the regions that you have listed for delivery
Please ensure that your answer does not exceed 200 words
Question 3d: Delivery
Please indicate below which element of the service you would like to deliver:
·  Delivery of Phase 1 (sign-ups and engagement) and phases 2-5
·  Delivery of Phases 2-5
·  Residential spaces for Phases 2 and 3
Question 3e: Third tier subcontracting
Please detail below the elements, if any, that you intend to subcontract to external organisations, should you successfully be selected to deliver elements of NCS on behalf of Reed in Partnership
Question 4: Ensuring group diversity
Please provide details of how you will deliver activities that engage 'hard-to-reach' young people and remove potential barriers to participation.
When answering this question, please consider:
·  Staff skills
·  Types of activities and how these will be delivered
·  Experience of delivering activities to hard to reach young people
·  Any other ways that you might deliver activities that engage ‘hard-to-reach’ young people
Please ensure that your answer does not exceed 200 words

Thank you for completing Reed in Partnership’s Expression of Interest.

Please return this document to by 5pm, Thursday 5th February 2015.

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Reed in Partnership: National Citizen Service EOI form – commercial in confidence