The deadline for organisations to submit applications for a number of voluntary sector contracts being offered by the City of Wolverhampton Council has been extended.

There are 8 Lots, valued at between £30,000 and £265,000 per annum. They are: Welfare, Debt, Housing and Benefits Advice; Co-ordinated City Skills System; Infrastructure Representation, Growth and Partnership Working; Infrastructure Co-design and Co-production; Infrastructure Organisational Support, Capacity Building and Training; Citywide Structured and Supported Volunteering; Volunteering Strategy and Digital Platform; and Self Employment and Entrepreneurs.

Contracts will commence on 1 January, 2023 and are for a period of 3 years in the first instance, with an option for the council to extend the duration for up to a further 2 years.

Providers may bid to deliver one or more Lots solely by their organisation or in partnership or collaboratively with other providers, which are welcomed and encouraged. For details, providers should visit Wolverhampton Tenders. Applications close at noon on Wednesday 31 August, 2022.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "We are redoubling our support for our voluntary sector providers as we come out of the Covid-19 pandemic, and these particular Lots aim to bring jobs and opportunities to local people, whilst tackling some of the wider challenges the city faces.

"We want to deliver services right in the heart of Wolverhampton’s communities, to achieve real outcomes for our residents – and we have the best chance of achieving this by working together at a community level.

"We are inviting applications from organisations which can demonstrate how they can work jointly with us and in partnership across all the sectors, to support people in making improvements in their life chances. Organisations can be either working on their own or in partnership with others.

“We have extended the deadline for applications to the end of August to give organisations ample time in which to prepare their bids.”