Today we received some disappointing news about the joint tender we made for the Volunteering For Health fund with Dorset ICB and many other partners. The message reads:
Dear Hannah
Volunteering for Health: Dorset Volunteering for Health Partnership , ref: 0021559900
Thank you for submitting a proposal for the Volunteering for Health Programme and for your continued patience during the assessment and moderation process.
We are sorry to inform you that on this occasion, you haven’t been selected to receive the grant award and progress to the development phase of the programme.
…
As anticipated, we received a high level of interest from across the country totalling ninety-eight proposals. The fifteen selected proposals were chosen based on additionality to existing work, new ideas and ways of working, diversity in terms of geographic spread, a range of new partnerships to experienced, and areas that lacked existing infrastructure through to more mature infrastructure.
The stronger proposals:
- aligned their ambition and proposals to the aims and outcomes of the scheme.
- demonstrated how the proposed work had potential to bring about ambitious strategic and systemic change.
- were clear and honest about current issues and challenges and how the proposed work would seek to understand and address them.
- clearly showed how the work is connected to system priorities and strategy.
- were clear and realistic about their partnership and its stage of development.
- were able to demonstrate how their proposal provided true additionality.
- had considered the sustainability of volunteering infrastructure for post closure of the programme.
Once again, we would like to thank you for your time, patience and enthusiasm in submitting your proposal and we look forward to sharing news and learning with you over coming years.
While we believe our bid also satisfied the points above, we recognise the highly competitive nature of this tendering process and send those projects who have been successful our good wishes.