Supporting partnerships to close out and move on from Big Local
Get to grips with our approach to help partnerships close out and move on from the Big Local programme with confidence.
Since launching in 2022, Make it Happen has given partnerships increased access to subject-specific support from external partners, as well as tailored area advisor and coordinator assignments, meaning many partnerships have been able to unblock key challenges, build partnership capacity and deliver at an increased pace.
As more areas now approach close out, we have reviewed how best to support partnerships to close out and move on from the Big Local programme.
The closing out and moving on approach has been designed to remove the administrative burden on partnerships in the final stages of the Big Local programme, and free up time and resource for them to focus on closing out with confidence.
It also recognises the thorough and purposeful way local people have delivered their funding so far and gives partnerships the support they need to move on from the programme, whatever their next steps look like.
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Our new closing out and moving on approach:
- Provides partnerships with the support they need to close out and deliver the final parts of their Big Local plan and funding.
- Trusts partnerships to deliver the final parts of their plan and funding with oversight from their LTO.
- Reduces the administrative burden and level of reporting for partnerships and LTOs to Local Trust.
- Frees up time and resource for partnerships to confidently embark on the final part of their Big Local journey and prepare for what comes next.
The approach is based on learning from the closure of Creative Civic Change and has recently been piloted with Dover Big Local, Growing Together Northampton and Par Bay Big Local.
How the approach will work
- When a partnership has less than £150,000 of Big Local funding remaining, they will enter the close out phase, where they will receive support to successfully meet our close out criteria and prepare for what comes next.
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- At the end of the close out phase, a partnership will officially close out of the programme with up to £75,000 of their Big Local funding remaining. At this point they will no longer be required to report to Local Trust and will be trusted to deliver the remainder of their funding, in line with their Big Local plan, with oversight from their LTO.
- After a partnership closes out, individuals and/or legacy organisations will be given the opportunity to access light-touch support and join networks to help them move on from Big Local.
- The only requirement after a partnership closes out is that the remainder of their plan and funding is completed and spent by March 2026 and that they are accountable to their community for reporting on how funding has been spent.
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What happens next?
We will be prioritising conversations with areas that already have less than £75,000 of their Big Local funding remaining, including to help them complete support that is in place.
As an area approaches close out, Local Trust will get in touch to discuss next steps.
If you’re a Big Local partnership with questions in the meantime, please contact your area coordinator, advisor or your area’s funding lead at Local Trust.
