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BEST Network
The Birmingham Employment Skills and Training Network PDF Print E-mail
Formed for, and by, the third sector in Birmingham the BEST network is an independent not-for-profit company which represents a consortium of over 40 charities and nfp organisations delivering training services and employment skills provision across Birmingham.

 

Separately constituted from its membership the BEST Network acts as an independent Prime Contractor for its members, giving commissioning bodies that wish to engage the services offered by it’s member organisations the opportunity to contract with a large number of proven third sector providers through a single body.

 

Our stated mission is: ‘ to enable Third Sector organisations in Birmingham to identify, bid for, develop and deliver Public Sector learning and employment support contracts’ 

 

Underpinned by the key drivers of delivering ‘value for money’ and ‘quality-focused’ services, the Best Network allows its members to present a professional and united front to commissioners.  

 

The BEST team act on behalf of the members to identify, bid for and manage large scale public sector contract opportunities which would otherwise not be available to individual members tendering alone.  

 

The Network is currently managing in excess of £1.3 million pounds worth of contracts on behalf of its members (see the ‘Activities and Programmes’ page for more details) and has clear objectives for the future. These objectives have been set by the membership and are as follows:

  

  • Act as an independent, not-for profit structure – where member organisations own and control the consortium.  
  • Access Public Sector and other funding to meet training, learning and development needs of hard to reach clients, tackling disadvantage and advancing equity and social inclusion.
  • Manage the delivery of contracts via member organisations and provide the central administrative and contract management function.
  • Develop and safeguard standards and quality, enabling members to deliver high quality training and employment support activities ensuring rigorous quality assurance requirements are met.
  • Ensure member organisations work together and enable the exchange of skills, experience, expertise, resources and outputs.
  • To raise the profile of the consortium to all stakeholders and showcase the work of its members through an effective marketing and Communications Strategy.