The Community Right to Challenge

What is the Community Right to Challenge?

The Community Right to Challenge (CRTC) was introduced on 27 June 2012 as part of the Localism Act 2011. The CRTC can assist local authorities to make sure that services are efficient, good value and meet the needs of local people and makes it easier for voluntary and community groups, Town and Parish councils, and other eligible organisations to bid to run local authority services.

Who can bid?

Only the "eligible bodies" listed below can bid to run relevant local authority services under the CRTC.

• Voluntary groups
• Community groups
• Charitable organisations
• Parish or Town Councils
• Two or more employees of the Council

What services can be bid for under CRTC?

CRTC applies to most services run by the Council. The exceptions are:

• Services that are provided by the Council to a named person with complex individual health or social care needs.
• Services that are commissioned and managed by individuals or their representatives using direct payments.

The statutory guidance however gives the Council certain grounds for rejecting EOIs for any service which meets the following criteria:

• Services already subject to a procurement exercise, or where negotiation to commission or contract the service is already under negotiation and at least in part conducted in writing.
• Services that the Council has already made a decision to stop providing altogether and evidenced in writing.
• Services that the Council has already published its decision to consider a proposal from employees to run the service.

When and how to bid

The Council will only accept and consider Expressions of Interest (EOI) submitted between 1 April to 30 June each year.

If you are thinking about expressing an interest in running a local service, get in touch!

We would welcome a discussion with you as early as possible. There may be ways in which we can help you achieve what you want without having to submit an EOI.

An EOI must be submitted using the form on this page. The form and accompanying guidance are aimed at helping you to ensure you meet the requirements specified in the Act or in regulations.

What does the Council do when an application is received?

Before accepting an EOI, the Council must be sure that it is a genuine offer, and is not vexatious. It must also be sure that acceptance of an EOI does not put it in breach of the law. Finally the Council must comply with its best value duty, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

Statutory guidance states what must be assessed in order to be sure that eligible bodies putting forward an EOI are capable of providing the relevant service, and have the financial and other resources to do so.

The Council is only allowed to base its decision on whether to accept, accept with modification or reject an EOI based on the information on the form. No other information can be considered however, supporting documents can be submitted to provide evidence of the information on the form eg articles of association or registration with Companies House to provide evidence of being a relevant body.

Putting forward an EOI does not mean that the eligible body gets to run the service but if the challenge is accepted by the Council it triggers a procurement process in accordance with the Council’s procurement rules.

The Council must let the eligible body know the date by which a decision will be made on the EOI within 30 days of the end of the EOI window.

How will we assess your ability to provide the service?

The Council seeks to encourage and promote social responsibility and active citizenship.

Statutory guidance tells us what we must assess in order to be sure that eligible bodies putting forward an EOI are capable of providing the relevant service, and have the financial and other resources to do so.

In addition, eligible bodies must show how your provision of the service will improve or promote social, economic or environmental wellbeing – otherwise known as social value.

We would expect the social value to be demonstrated through some form of investment in the local community: for example employing people locally; advertising recruitment opportunities locally; or supporting vulnerable adults to take training or development opportunities to improve skills.