SE1168 Buddle Support Services

The Buddle Stakeholder Engagement, Content Development and Programme Coordination supplier will have a vital role, working with Sport England’s Clubs team and the Buddle Steering Group to plan and implement the further development and step-change enhancement of the programme. The Buddle Stakeholder Engagement, Content Development and Programme Co-ordination supplier will be responsible for the day-to-day running, development and management of the Buddle resources as well as leading stakeholder engagement and relationships, developing content plans and actual content informed by this engagement. Sport England is seeking a Buddle supplier with experience and expertise in the community sport and voluntary sectors of sport and physical activity development as well as working with sport for development partners, including in areas of deprivation. The Buddle supplier will need particularly strong stakeholder engagement, consultation and communication skills to enable them to identify meaningful and engaging content and resources for Buddle. The Buddle supplier will need to manage collaborative relationships with key stakeholders (including Sport England’s Digital Marketing and Communications team and the suppliers of the component elements of the Buddle programme) and will need to adopt a flexible, agile approach, responding to changing needs, emerging issues and new priorities through the course of the contract term.

There are 13 existing club development workshops which are delivered by the supplier by expert tutors, both on-line and face-to-face to volunteers and the professional workforce across the country. There are also three workshops delivered exclusively to the professional workforce. Whilst ‘open’ (advertised and booked on the Buddle website) online workshops were relatively popular through and immediately after the coronavirus pandemic, there has been less demand for these open sessions in the last 12 months and Sport England anticipates that most of the demand going forwards will be from stakeholders/partners. Workshops are requested by intermediaries (e.g. National Governing Bodies, Active Partnerships) who recruit for/advertise the workshop. booked via the Buddle website. The Buddle supplier works with the intermediary to arrange and deliver the workshop locally (or online) and provides the tutor workforce. Approximately 250 workshops were delivered in the calendar year 2023. Sport England anticipates additional demand, in the term of this contract, for workshop delivery aligned with Sport England’s wider Place-based work. Further, Sport England wishes the Buddle supplier to develop workshops for volunteers aimed at improving the leadership skills, as well as the technical knowledge, of the volunteer workforce. The Buddle supplier will need to adopt a flexible approach, delivering workshop content in a variety of different formats depending on volunteer engagement opportunities locally and creating inclusive environments in which people can learn. Sport England is seeking a provider with experience of developing and delivering learning and development opportunities matched with strong knowledge, understanding and experience of the community sport and physical activity sector. This Buddle supplier would also be expected to provide support to partners in order to reach clubs and organisations who have a role in tackling inequalities. The Buddle supplier will need to manage relationships with key stakeholders around learning opportunities and ensure connection to overarching partner relationships held by other Buddle suppliers. It is expected that this Buddle supplier will need to adopt a flexible, agile approach, responding to changing needs, emerging issues and new priorities through the course of the contract term. In particular, Sport England wants the workshop programme to reflect its broader strategic priorities and enable the development of a bespoke, targeted service designed to engage with partners and intermediaries working with those most in need. The Buddle supplier will need to develop workshop opportunities for the professional workforce which complement Buddle and support the workforce to optimise the positive impact of Buddle resources with clubs and community organisations.

The Evaluation service will need to incorporate a combination of quantitative and qualitative research and analysis, with robust data being supplemented by appropriate case studies and other illustrative examples. Further, the approach to Evaluation will need to be sensitive to the evolving and flexible nature of the Buddle programme. The Evaluation service will incorporate two key work strands: Strategic Impact and Operational Performance further detailed in the ITT.