The inception of the idea to form 3SC came from the thinking of Ian Charlesworth of The Social Investment Business and Richard Litchfield of Eastside Consulting, who led its development during Spring 2009. They discussed how established not-for-profit organisations could come together to form an entirely new and unique management partnership to unite innovative civil society organisations with local knowledge and expertise. Once established, the new consortium would bid for and deliver large public service contracts, based on the conviction that civil society organisations have a vital role to play in public service delivery.
The initial aim was to form a partnership with responsibility for tender watch, bid writing, financial modeling, quality assurance, performance management and capacity-building of the supply chain. The partnership would then manage lead delivery organisations in differing areas of contracting. They in turn would build the local supply chains.
3SC was formed on 23rd July 2009 and has the backing and financial support of its partner organisations in the context of a diversity of experience across a range of services. Our partnership is comprised of: Clinks, Eastside, Eden Project, London Learning Consortium, National Housing Federation, National Youth Agency, QED, The Social Investment Business and Well UK. The 3SC Board is today comprised of a senior representative of each of these partner organisations. By the end of the first year, 3SC had been awarded contracts in employment service provision to provide well over 5,000 job allocations, which it delivered successfully through its model of engagement in collaborative consortia with diverse delivery organisations. The combined value of these employment contracts was over £36 million.
All organisations of varying size and specialism across the full range of service delivery within 3SC consortia are committed to providing services that improve the lives of local people and communities; and by early 2012, around 2,000 organisations have now registered to deliver services in collaboration with 3SC.