The VCS Alliance

What The VCS Alliance does

The VCS Alliance is a UK registered charity (Bradford VCS Alliance Ltd, Charity Number 1199129) acting as the designated interface between the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector and the statutory health and care system across Bradford District and Craven. The Alliance operates as a sector infrastructure body, delivering four interlocking workstreams: grant administration (eight completed ABCD rounds totalling £475,213.51 to 769 grassroots organisations, plus a £300,000+ Trailblazer inclusion-health programme), sector voice representation through 50+ VCSE Advocates and six locality leads embedded in Integrated Neighbourhood Health Teams, organisational development support delivered jointly under the Activation Partnership with CNet, Community Action Bradford & District, and Participate Projects, and citizen engagement covering programmes such as the Mental Health Providers' Forum, the MNVP, and the Women's Health Network. It is a formal equal partner in the Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership and works alongside West Yorkshire ICB, NHS England, Bradford Council, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The Alliance does not operate a software product; its technology footprint is limited to a WordPress website and the Kit email-marketing platform. Revenue is generated from commissioned contracts (Activation contract), grant-administration fees, and programme funding from NHS and local-authority sources; it is a charity, not a seller of seats or licences, and it does not charge VCSE members for its services. Governance is by a board of trustees including a Chair (Vicki Beere), Treasurer (Matthew Chandler) and five further directors, with an executive team of approximately 14–17 staff led by CEO Sam Keighley. The Alliance holds DSPT and UK GDPR compliance, has a Senior Information Risk Owner and Caldicott Guardian, and supports other VCSE organisations to complete their own DSPT submissions.

Name

The VCS Alliance

Legal name

Bradford VCS Alliance Ltd

Website

https://thevcsalliance.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The VCS Alliance is a Bradford-based registered charity acting as the equal-partner interface between the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector and the local NHS health and care system, delivering grant administration, sector advocacy, organisational development, and citizen engagement across Bradford District and Craven.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sector Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• VCSE sector support
• Grant funding administration
• Community health partnerships
• Charity infrastructure services
• Sector advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding Administration: The VCS Alliance distributes grant funding on behalf of commissioning and contracting partners including Community Partnerships, NHS, and local authorities. Grants are distributed to grassroots VCSE organisations for health and wellbeing projects.
2. Activation Contract: The organisation holds contracts (such as the Activation contract) to provide development support, sector voice, and citizen voice services to the health and care system. This includes facilitating the interface between VCSE organisations and health partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The VCS Alliance administers grant funding programmes to grassroots VCSE organisations and serves as the equal-partner interface between the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector and the local health and care system in Bradford District and Craven. It delivers the Activation Partnership with CNet, Community Action Bradford & District, and Participate Projects to provide sector voice, citizen voice, and strengthening-the-sector support, and places VCSE Sector Locality Leads within Integrated Neighbourhood Health Teams.

Product overview

The VCS Alliance is a charity and infrastructure organization that does not offer a software product. It provides grant funding programs, organizational development support, sector voice coordination, and advocacy services to the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector in Bradford District and Craven. The organization administers programs including ABCD Micro Grant Funding (grants up to £2,500 for community health projects), the Activation Partnership (delivered with partners CNet, Community Action Bradford & District, and Participate Projects), Participatory Grant Making processes, VCSE Advocates recruitment, and Locality Leads representation in Integrated Neighbourhood Health Teams. These are service programs and funding initiatives, not technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Activation Partnership A multi-partner service programme delivered by The VCS Alliance with CNet, Community Action Bradford & District, and Participate Projects. It provides sector voice, citizen voice, and strengthening-the-sector support to VCSE organisations across Bradford District and Craven. Designed to be the interface between the VCSE sector and the health and care system.
• ABCD Micro Grant Funding Grant funding programme offering micro grants up to £2,500 per application to grassroots VCSE organisations in Bradford District and Craven for community health and wellbeing projects under the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach.
• Small Grants Programme Grant funding tier offering £500–£2,500 per award for VCSE organisations with a delivery record of health and wellbeing services in Bradford District and Craven.
• Micro Grants Programme Grant funding tier offering £50–£500 per award to give grassroots and smaller community organisations access to light-touch grant awards for health and wellbeing activity.
• VCSE Sector Advocates Programme Programme recruiting and supporting VCSE Sector Advocates who attend strategic meetings of Healthy Minds, Healthy Communities, and Healthy Children and Families Priority Boards, providing feedback to influence health system decision-making.
• VCSE Sector Locality Leads Service Service placing VCSE Sector Locality Leads within Integrated Neighbourhood Health Teams across six localities (Craven, Keighley, Shipley, Bradford West, Bradford South, Bradford East) to represent the sector in local health and care decision-making.
• Trailblazer VCSE Inclusion Health Programme and Participatory Grant Making VCSE Inclusion Health Programme delivering participatory grant making processes through marketplaces and voting events. Administered over £300,000 in Trailblazer funding via community-driven allocation, with 29 organisations participating in the grant making event that funded 20 projects.
• Better Start Better Futures Programme Early-years community programme directed by The VCS Alliance with dedicated integration, development, and parent/community involvement leadership to support better outcomes for children and families in Bradford.
• Citizen Voice Programme Citizen engagement programme gathering the views of Bradford District and Craven residents through initiatives including the Maternity Voices Partnership (MNVP), Women's Health Network, and various consultation projects to inform health system commissioning.

Quantifiable outcome

• £475,213.51 distributed in grant funding since 2018
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CNetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBradford & District Community Empowerment Network Ltd. CNet provides support through community development, engagement, consultation, and representation. They help facilitate Citizen's Voice within the Activation contract, working alongside other VCSE organisations across Bradford District and Craven.
• Community Action Bradford & District (CABAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInfrastructure charity delivering support services to VCSE sector including governance, funding, impact reporting, marketing, volunteering, safeguarding, payroll and recruitment. Leads Strengthening the Sector work within the Activation contract.
• Participate ProjectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial venture support organisation providing capacity building to VCSE sector. Delivers social enterprise support and business engagement through the Activation contract, working with organisations that divert citizens from health and care services.
• Bradford District and Craven Health and Care PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEqual partner alongside other key local health and social care providers. The VCS Alliance acts as the interface between VCSE organisations and the Health and Care Partnership.
• West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS commissioning body for West Yorkshire. The VCS Alliance works with ICB to ensure VCSE sector involvement in health system restructuring and commissioning decisions.
• Education Alliance for Life Chances (EALC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Pitch & Pick awards programme. EALC secured funding and asked VCS Alliance to design and deliver Participatory Grant Making processes for three wards.
• NHS EnglandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSome functions transferring from ICB to NHS England North East and Yorkshire as part of health system restructuring.
• Horton and City Health CollaborationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partnership providing ABCD Micro Grant funding of £17,589.40 for City, Little Horton, and Manningham areas to improve health and wellbeing through community-led activity.
• Living Well (20 Minute Movement)minorOthersPartnership to promote the 20 Minute Neighbourhood concept supporting health and wellbeing through community accessibility.
• Healthier TogetherminorOthersNHS partnership providing online healthcare advice for parents and carers of children and young people.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheVCSAlliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-vcs-alliance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The VCS Alliance