Invitation to tender to evaluate the impact of our Covid recovery fund

We are seeking a research partner to help evaluate the impact of our Covid-19 recovery fund in Gloucestershire.

Sport England set up the Tackling Inequalities Fund in April 2020 as part of the support package to help reduce the negative impact of coronavirus and the widening of the inequalities in sport and physical activity. It was created with £20 million of National Lottery funding to try and help minimise the negative impact on physical activity levels specifically of people from under-represented groups disproportionately affected by the pandemic, with a specific focus on:

• Lower socio-economic groups
• Culturally diverse communities
• Disabled people
• People with long-term health conditions.

Active Gloucestershire have branded this as the Active Communities Covid-19 Recovery Fund and have supported over 50 organisations via sharing a funding pot of £150,000 across Gloucestershire.

We are interested in receiving proposals to evaluate the impact of this project including an option for a second phase evaluation if this work continues. There are three key objectives for this evaluation to understand the effectiveness of the project to date. With an overarching aim to use these learnings to influence the next stage of this project:

• Using predominantly quantitative data compiled to date – Did the funds get distributed to the areas of greatest need?
• Using qualitative feedback gathered by Active Gloucestershire staff – Did the funds achieve their purpose for the organisations?
• With a small selection of organisations gain a greater understanding of what happened and what has changed since applying and receiving the funding

Submission

See the Active Communities Covid-19 Recovery Fund Evaluation Brief for more detailed information. Whilst the attached document gives an outline to what we are trying to achieve, we are open to suggestions on the methodology you may feel appropriate for this evaluation.

Please provide timescales and a breakdown of costs related to each element of the brief, including the potential for phase two (subject to confirmation of future funding).

The closing date for submissions is 30th September 2021, submissions should be sent to Alan Inman-Ward (Head of Insight and Intelligence, alaninman-ward@activegloucestershire.org)

For more information or further discussion on this brief please contact on 01452 393605, alaninman-ward@activegloucestershire.org, or book a meeting with Alan via http://www.calendly.com/alaninman-ward