The “Right To Bid” Paul Warner Director of Employment and Skills 26th January 2009

What is the “Right to Bid”? Announced at W2W Convention by James Purnell, June 08 “No-one Written Off” Green Paper, July 2008 Reaction to reticence of providers to innovate

What does it seek to do? To encourage new ideas and innovation by offering degree of protection on ideas Not restricted to Welfare to Work But not a guarantee of funding Open to anyone – but particularly looking to Third Sector

How will it work? Download a proforma from the DWP website at Submit ideas at Successful proposals will: - add value to what is already happening - be in a form that can be trialled and evaluated DWP will assess then negotiate terms with successful bidders No time limits

Bid assessment Is the bid genuinely innovative? Is it demonstrably different to existing services? Does the bid align with W2W strategy ? Does the bid focus on outcomes? Is there scope to amalgamate the proposal within an existing contract? Is it value for money?

Right to Bid process

Some positives Genuine attempt to engage Offers some protection to smaller providers who want to innovate Rhetoric has been that this is part of attempts to better harness Third Sector expertise No time limits!

Some downsides No time limits! No new money – displacement? Will DWP put up “risk money”? Will they accept failure in innovation?

In short…. A misnomer – it’s a “Right to Suggest” A commitment by DWP to listen to and act on innovative and workable ideas Gives greater degree of intellectual and commercial protection Invites smaller organisations to engage But no new money may question its effectiveness in practice.