Are you a Refugee Community Organisation (RCO)? Could your organisation deliver pieces of work that will be useful in helping other RCOs?

The Basis Project National Commissioning Scheme aims to facilitate the vital role RCOs play in supporting the development of other RCOs.

Refugee Council is taking forward the National Commissioning Scheme and would like to invite RCOs to apply to deliver pieces of work as part of this in the first ‘round’ that will be delivered before the end of September 2010. Deadlines for applications: 9 August 2010; deadline for pieces of work delivered: 27 September 2010.

In the first round of the scheme, they would like to commission pieces of work around the theme of sustainability and survival: RCOs helping each other to get through difficult times.

Within this theme are the following areas:

• Developing social enterprises (for example a catering service), which generate income for the organisation through trading
• Commissioning: RCOs tendering to deliver services for public agencies such as Local Authorities
• Fundraising alternatives:  including an overview of current funding sources and an introduction to the range of non-grant based funding options (eg membership structures, community fundraising, events), the possible risks and rewards
• Working together through partnership working, collaboration or mergers
• Building community resilience. Getting the best out of volunteers, building a strong management committee, and making sure people can contribute and have ownership of your organisation whatever their gender, physical disability etc.
• Financial management focusing on internal policies, procedures, roles and responsibilities.

The Basis Project is looking to commission two types of work for this round:

• Resource papers. This involves desk based research to explore a particular area, summarising the information you find and making suggestions/ recommendations for RCOs.
• Experience papers. This involves summarising your RCO’s experience in a particular area, so that other RCOs can learn from this.

The Basis Project is an England-wide service giving one-to-one support to refugee community organisations (RCOs) to help them manage, develop and sustain their work. A partnership project led by Refugee Council and Refugee Action, the Basis Project is funded by the Big Lottery Fund. They are also working closely with funders and other mainstream bodies to increase their understanding of RCOs. You can find out more at www.thebasisproject.org.uk

Further information and application packs are available online at: http://www.thebasisproject.org.uk/commissioning/basis-project-commissioning
or contact Helen on 020 73461084, email: helen.todd@refugeecouncil.org.uk.