This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Adult social care – funding available for start-ups and microenterprises
Looking for start-ups, microenterprises, small family businesses and individuals interested in becoming microenterprises and local entreprepreneurs with funds of between £5,000 and £20,000 to deliver an ‘innovative idea’
We are looking to commission start-ups, microenterprises, small family businesses and individuals who are interested in becoming microenterprises and local entreprepreneurs with funds of between £5,000 and £20,000 to deliver an ‘innovative idea’ that supports local recruitment and retention of care workers and personal assistants in Sutton. These funds have come from our workforce recruitment and retention funds from the central government.
In the past 21 months we have faced challenges in recruiting and retaining care staff and are looking at finding more innovative and flexible ways to support people.
Your ideas might not be traditional, since we are looking for ideas that deliver social value and improve resident choice. Our customers are adults with care and support needs, they live in Sutton and need support with a wide range of needs including personal care, socialising, skills development and getting out and about.
Our residents might be older adults, adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs or physical disabilities. They might be dually diagnosed and live alone or with others. What’s important is they are individuals who need choice and control.
Our aim is to recruit and retain people to deliver care and support in non-traditional ways and are calling individuals and organisations to source and develop these people; or you might want to undertake this work yourself via a microenterprise.
Here are some ideas to get you thinking:
- Supporting service users to get online and undertake tasks for themselves such as online shopping, socialise with friends and family virtually, contact 111 on-line support and connect with others and reduce need for care services
- Source new ways to recruit care staff for example through educational pathways, carers, job centres, those made redundant in struggling sectors, those looking for evening and weekend work
- Provide the care workforce with wellbeing support to help us improve retention rates in the sector
- Support the care sector with utilising technology
- Recruit care workers locally
- Fast-track induction and training programmes for inexperienced staff moving into care roles
- Lead on recruitment campaigns and face to face marketing with local people
- Create a staff bank
- Create a pool of temporary workers
- Develop individuals to set up microenterprises and deliver care and support
Application criteria
To apply you must be one of the following:
1.0 Start-up company registered in Sutton
1.1 Microenterprise registered in Sutton
1.2 Small family business registered in Sutton
1.3 Community organisation registered in Sutton
1.4 Resident of Sutton and interested in becoming a microenterprise
The first step is to complete this short form, if the essential criteria is met you will be invited to submit a one page written bid.
If you pass the screening stage and are invited to submit a written bid, it must meet the criteria outlined below. The bid must not exceed one page and include how much you are requesting (between £5,000 -£20,000). You must include within your written bid the top 4 outcomes you will deliver and expect to be measured on (see point 1.12).
Your bid should cover the criteria below, each is weighted at 10%.
| CRITERIA | ASSESSMENT | WEIGHTED PERCENTAGE |
| 1.0 Are you a: Start-up company registered in Sutton | Companies house registration HMRC registration Evidence of insurance | MUST BE EITHER 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 OR 1.4 10% |
| 1.1 Are you a: Local microenterprise registered in Sutton | Companies house registration HMRC registration Evidence of insurance | MUST BE EITHER 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 OR 1.4) 10% |
| 1.2 Are you a: Small family business registered in Sutton | Companies house registration HMRC registration Evidence of insurance | MUST BE EITHER 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 OR 1.4 10% |
| 1.3 Are you a: Community organisation registered in Sutton | Companies house registration HMRC registration Evidence of insurance | MUST BE EITHER 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 OR 1.4 10% |
| 1.4 Resident in Sutton and are interested in setting up a microenterprise to support adults in your local area | Written bid | MUST BE EITHER 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 OR 1.4 10% |
| 1.5 Intend to use Sutton funds to deliver to Sutton residents | Written bid | 10% |
| 1.6 Innovative idea that will either: – recruit care staff – retain care staff to deliver care and support in a non-traditional way | Written bid *with at least 4 clearly defined outcomes and outputs* | 10% |
| 1.7 Have experience developing community networks in Sutton or undertaken similar work in another area that can be replicated in Sutton | Written bid | 10% |
| 1.8 Please demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding, equal opportunities and strength based practises i.e. examples and/or training | Written bid | 10% |
| 1.9 Can demonstrate an understanding of the needs of vulnerable adults that require care and support | Written bid | 10% |
| 1.10 Outline of your idea and proposal? How will it support us to find the right people to deliver care and support services to our residents? | Written bid | 10% |
| 1.11 Outline your experience of working with the community in Sutton? | Written bid | 10% |
| 1.12 What are the 4 top outcomes you would expect to deliver and be reviewed against? | Written bid | 10% |
| 1.13 How much funding are you requesting | Written bid | 10% |
Key dates
| Expression of interest window | 14/02/2022 – 25/02/2022 |
| Short-listing | 25/02/2022 – 26/02/2022 |
| Funding awards | 1 March 2022 |
| Start of service | 2 March 2022 |
Contact Details
If you have any questions please email [email protected] and include WRRF MICROENTERPRISE 22 in the subject line.
Keep up to date
Subscribe to the Sutton Care Bulletin for regular updates on the big news and latest guidance from the Sutton Care Hub.