(Councillors S Foulkes, P Davies and J Stapleton, having declared prejudicial interests in this item (see minute 32) left the room during its consideration).

 The Director of Children’s Services presented a report outlining the competitive bidding process for Inspiring Communities programme funding.

He reported that Wirral had been invited to bid into this competitive process and apply for up to £450,000 of  neighbourhood funding.  Three bids were submitted for consideration,  Millennium Training and Education Centre (MTEC LTD), Hair Training and Education Centre (HTEC LTD), Leasowe Women’s Centre (LWC) on behalf of Birkenhead, Tranmere and Leasowe (Appendix A), Leasowe Community Homes (Appendix B), and Together Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder, (Appendix C).  Together Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder was identified as the body to submit the preferred bid working in partnership with the Children and Young Peoples Department. 

The bids were scored by the Children and Young People’s Department.  The methodology, criteria, bids, judgements and scoring were shared with the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Lifelong Learning, the Cabinet Member for Community Engagement and the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Agreement had been reached with all three bidders for further discussions to take place about areas for development in preparation for any future opportunities to bid and for joint working opportunities

Resolved - That

(1)  The bid produced by Together Management Pathfinder and its partnership group be endorsed as Wirral’s preferred bid.

(2)  Officers continue to work with unsuccessful bidders with a view to developing proposals for a possible future round.