How an engagement is structured

Challenge

A residents' group has raised funds and secured community backing, but has no legal vehicle capable of holding an asset, contracting with a local authority or receiving grant funding in its own name.

Our approach

We incorporate a community interest company limited by guarantee, draft an asset lock permitting distribution only to specified community benefit, and run governance induction for the founding directors so the board can operate independently from day one.

Intended outcome

The organisation can hold the asset, contract in its own name and meet CIC Regulator filing obligations using a compliance calendar it maintains itself.

Deliverables

• Incorporation and tailored articles
• Community interest statement (CIC36)
• Director induction and board terms of reference
• First-year compliance calendar

Challenge

Trustees personally carry the liability for leases, employment and supplier contracts because the organisation has no separate legal personality, which also blocks commercial leases and larger grants.

Our approach

We run the conversion to CIO status, plan asset and contract transfer, and rebuild the reserves policy to meet the Charity Governance Code's financial management principle.

Intended outcome

Trustee exposure is removed, the organisation can hold property and contracts, and the reserves policy supports funding conversations instead of obstructing them.

Deliverables

• Structure options paper
• Conversion plan and constitution
• Asset and contract transfer schedule
• Reserves and financial policy set

Challenge

Consecutive missed CIC34 filings put an organisation at risk of regulator action, jeopardising contract income that depends on continued registration.

Our approach

We reconstruct the activity evidence, prepare and file the outstanding reports with supporting social value data, and install a compliance calendar tied to the existing finance reporting cycle.

Intended outcome

Filings are brought up to date and the organisation holds a maintainable process for meeting future deadlines without external support.

Deliverables

• Evidence reconstruction pack
• Outstanding CIC34 filings
• Compliance calendar
• Board reporting template

Challenge

The organisation delivers real outcomes but cannot express them in the valuation language commissioners score against, leaving incumbent contracts vulnerable at renewal.

Our approach

We build a HACT-aligned valuation of outcomes, cross-reference it against National TOMs proxies for the authority's scoring framework, and assemble an assured evidence pack with the proxy disclosed against every figure.

Intended outcome

The bid carries social value claims a commissioner can verify and an auditor can reconstruct, with limitations stated rather than hidden.

Deliverables

• Outcome map and indicator set
• HACT/TOMs valuation model
• Assured evidence pack
• Reporting schedule for the contract term

Challenge

Fundraising is delegated to third parties with no effective trustee oversight, exposing the charity to regulatory complaint and reputational damage it would not see coming.

Our approach

We review all third-party agreements against Charity Governance Code accountability principles, identify non-compliant terms, and train trustees on their duties under the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Intended outcome

Fundraising activity returns to direct trustee oversight with clear contractual controls and a reporting line into the board.

Deliverables

• Agreement compliance review
• Revised contracting standards
• Trustee training session
• Fundraising oversight report

Challenge

Duplicated provision splits limited grant funding, leaving neither organisation large enough to sustain a delivery team or invest in governance.

Our approach

We design a merger structure that preserves both asset locks by transferring activity into a single continuing entity, plan TUPE arrangements for staff, and reset the combined board's terms of reference.

Intended outcome

One organisation carries the combined delivery, duplicated applications end, and the board has the capacity to plan beyond the next funding round.

Deliverables

• Structure options and risk analysis
• Merger and transfer plan
• TUPE and people plan
• Combined board terms of reference