Partnerships with purpose 
About Us
3SC’s vision is of the third sector delivering an increasing share of public services and a greater amount of social impact. The principal activity of 3SC has been the management of public service contracts. We are now adding to our business the provision of other services, all of which have a clear social impact and will help grow 3SC for the future. The aim is to create a more diverse offer: one that embraces a much wider range of services, solutions and systems and then utilises the creativity and collaborative and complementary style of working that underpins the 3SC model.
3SC manages and wins contracts on behalf of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. The delivery of public services is a difficult and competitive marketplace, dominated by large commercial organisations that can lack the person-centred and inclusive approach to public services that the VCSE sector excels at delivering. 3SC gives these VCSE organisations a chance to compete for, and ultimately deliver, such contracts.
Since 3SC’s inception 10 years ago we have supported and enabled the third sector to access more than £69 million. In 2018-2019 alone we supported our supply chains to access in excess of £5 million. We have also delivered 27 major contracts for a wide range of Central and Local Government commissioners, including Welsh Government, in the justice, young people, disabilities and employability arenas. We have worked with more than 2153 delivery partners in our supply chains and the impact of our work has been to:
- Work with 45,525 people referred to a 3SC programme;
- Support 13,413 people into work;
- Support 4,125 people with a health condition or disability stay in work;
- Help 8,353 young people secure a better future.
We are a partner in Purple Futures with responsibility for managing the supply chains of delivery organisations that provide rehabilitative and probation services across the 5 Purple Futures Community Rehabilitation Companies to reduce re-offending. We have contracted over 90 delivery organisations since 2015 that have received over 24,000 referrals.
We believe that the needs of people using public services – especially those who are hardest to reach – are best met by experienced, local, passionate and mission-driven organisations.
With your help, we can support more of those organisations.
This Infographic shows the impact 3SC has made over the past 10 years.
10 Years of Social Impact
Watch this video to find out the impact we have made over the past 10 years.
Our values shape the culture and character of our organisation. They highlight what sets 3SC apart from our competitors, how we will behave and what choices we make.
3SC is committed to providing equal opportunities in recruitment, selection, employment and in services relating to our stakeholders.
If you want to register to provide your services as part of our supply chains; need help securing access to finance for socially responsible projects; if you want to invest for a better society; or if you need expert consultants to assist you in any aspect of your business – please contact us.
This privacy policy sets out how 3SC uses and protects any information that you give to us when you use this website.
The 3SC website has been designed to work well across all devices including desktop computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones. For more information on accessibility click here.
As a social enterprise delivering government contracts through specialist supply chains, 3SC’s Board is made up of experts in its different markets. Given its UK-wide reach, and reputation for delivering excellent contract performance, the Board is committed to growing capacity to deliver even more social impact.
3SC puts the service user at the centre of everything it does within a culture of ‘getting it right first time’ and customer service excellence. More information about quality management and accreditation.
If you want to join a growing social impact organisation, check our current vacancies.
What we do
Young people are tomorrow’s social seedlings. 3SC works with our VCSE supply chain organisations to ensure that young people have a better start in life, and access to opportunities to help them achieve a brighter future.
Read more about our work in the youth sector…
3SC and our partners deliver services tailored to those living with physical and mental health conditions and disabilities to ensure inclusivity, diversity and full participation in all aspects of society.
Read more about our work in the disability sector…
3SC and our partner organisations deliver targeted programmes to support individuals facing many different kinds of barriers to find employment.
Read more about our work in the employment sector…
3SC manages a supply chain dedicated to reducing re-offending, and enabling and supporting offenders to integrate and contribute to society in a positive way.
Read more about our work in the transforming rehabilitation sector…
Case Studies
Partnerships with purpose
What people say about us
“3SC is robust and disciplined and leads the way. It has helped smaller providers to win contracts that they may well not have won.”
Rosie Goodwin: Merseyside Community Rehabilitation Company
“Our experience as one of 3SC’s Delivery Organisations meant we didn’t hesitate to choose them as our sub-contractors when we successfully bid for the DWP SES contract. They are responsive, customer-led partners.”
John Lynch: Royal National College for the Blind
“Thanks to 3SC we are well supported to deliver a clear and realistic programme. Working with 3SC has really embedded good practice and robust systems. They have been very supportive and set out clear expectations during the due diligence, contract negotiations and on-going monitoring.”
Charlotte Slinger: Hampshire Cultural Trust“Both the 3SC Contract Performance Assessment and Quality Deep Dive processes that are used to monitor and review the Greater Manchester Women’s Support Alliance ensure that money is being spent in the areas agreed and the service is meeting the standards expected. These processes are equally good at highlighting areas of good practice so these can be recognised and shared with other partners, as it is identifying areas of concern. Where there are areas of concern the process allows for timely intervention, the development of mitigation plans and can assist providers in finding solutions.”
Martin Nugent, Criminal Justice & Partnerships, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
“3SC have been excellent partners. They have been supportive and prepared to fight our corner. They have helped us deliver good results.”
Jenny Jenkinson: Hull Community and Voluntary Services
“Thanks to 3SC, we have been able to engage with clients we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to reach, and have helped them to develop and ultimately achieve their individual goals”
Rachel Shaw: Beacon Centre for the Blind
“Bootstrap Enterprises has been helping people into work for the past 30 years, and has worked as a subcontracted partner of 3SC for the past year. It’s a partnership we greatly value. The approach of 3SC as a prime contractor is supportive, very well organised and responsive when necessary. We are grateful to 3SC who are supportive of our insight and actions when working with customers. 3SC are a good partner to work with and we hope our relationship with them continues.”
Dave Wylie: Bootstrap Enterprises“The added value that 3SC bring to managing the Greater Manchester Women’s Support Alliance is invaluable from a CRC perspective in being able to drive referrals and the quality of service of both CRC staff, and also partnership staff, working under the Alliance. The 3SC Contract Performance Assessment and Quality Deep Dive processes identify both strengths and weaknesses in service delivery, offering the opportunity for positive feedback to be shared whilst also immediately identifying any areas of development allowing swift remedial action to be taken via a partnership approach. “
Ceri Schofield, Community Director, Cheshire and Greater Manchester CRC – Women’s Lead
“I have no hesitation in recommending 3SC as a prime contractor. We have greatly benefited from their quality assurance processes, their online customer management system, and supportive monthly performance reviews.”
Robert Glenn: Groundwork
“3SC supported us by offering us our first contract called Intergr8, which involved working with young people on the brink of permanent exclusion from their school. Throughout the contract we have been supported by 3SC, and given clear guidance about successfully delivering the contract.”
Chris Murray: The Write Time
“We have been patiently supported by 3SC to ensure excellent reporting and adherence to targets. The Network Meetings that 3SC has set up are extremely beneficial to all partners and great networking takes place. We feel that local 3SC staff are a massive source of support and have enabled us to show how successful, effective and efficient TWW are as partners in delivering interventions to assist in the successful completion of Court Orders/licences and preventing reoffending.”
Angela Murphy: Tomorrows Women Wirral“3SC’s use of performance assessment tools, with specific deliverables, enables the project to measure outcome indicators efficiently to improve monitoring and performance. The scope and depth of the due diligence requirements support the project to ensure that policies and procedures are robust and reviewed regularly.”
Maggie Langhorn, Operations Manager, Salford Foundationcollaborations
We are exploring a variety of means to achieve this, including: joint ventures; specialist subsidiaries; investment in parallel organisations; sharing contacts and ideas.
This is our new future – developing a wider range of alliances. We hope it will also be attractive to those who share our vision and determination to grow a more socially responsible world of business.
latest news
Gecko Programmes: A 3SC Success Story
The 3SC Story: A Decade of Social Impact
Forward Enterprise Fund
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Contact Us
0330 30 30 300
3SC, Suite 208
6 Hays Lane, London SE1 2HB
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3SC, Castle Court,
6 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9LG
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Tel: 02920 647 673
3SC, c/o Cheshire and Greater Manchester CRC,
12 Minshull, Manchester, M1 3FR
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3SC, Hampshire and Isle of Wight CRC,
Third floor, Civic Offices, Civic Way,
Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 7AZ
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3SC, c/o National CRC, 8 Corporation Street,
Lincoln, LN2 1HN
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Tel: 015 2251 0011
3SC, c/o Hull CRC, 3rd Floor Norwich House,
Savile Street, Hull, HU1 3ES
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3SC, c/o Merseyside CRC, Second Floor,
Cunard Building, Water Street, Liverpool, L3 1QX
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3SC, c/o West Yorkshire CRC,
Merchant Gate, 1 Burgage Square,
Wakefield, WF1 2TS
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Registered office address
3SC, Suite 208
6 Hays Lane, London Bridge, SE1 2HB
Registered company number
OC347365 (England and Wales)