Decision details

Following a comprehensive review of the Healthy Living, Nutrition and Food Poverty Grant delivered by Middlesbrough Environment City (MEC) to ensure alignment with Council priorities and deliver best value, the delegated officer approves:
• Discontinuation of MEC funding beyond 31st March 2026.
• Notification to MEC that funding will not be granted after the
current term ends.
• Implementation of Option 3:
o Pause the grant to test and stimulate the market for a new
provider allowing opportunity for other VCSE organisations to
access grant funding and to contribute to local health outcomes.
o Strategic reset - an opportunity to pause and redesign the
delivery model to better align with Council Plan priorities (poverty
sprint, Healthy Weight Declaration, Good Food Local NE and PH
Strategic Plan).
o Interim capacity building offer to VCSE organisations to upskill
staff and volunteers in cooking, budgeting, and meal planning,
creating sustainable community-led interventions and developing
future potential providers.

The grant has been awarded to the same VCSE organisation for a significant number of years without market research or providing opportunities for other providers to bid, limiting opportunities and innovation in service delivery.

To ensure alignment with Council priorities and deliver best value, the delegated officer approves:
• Discontinuation of MEC funding beyond 31st March 2026.
• Notification to MEC that funding will not be granted after the current
term ends.
• Implementation of Option 3:
o Pause the grant to test and stimulate the market for a new
provider allowing opportunity for other VCSE organisations to
access grant funding and to contribute to local health outcomes.
o Strategic reset - an opportunity to pause and redesign the
delivery model to better align with Council Plan priorities (poverty
sprint, Healthy Weight Declaration, Good Food Local NE and PH
Strategic Plan).
o Interim capacity building offer to VCSE organisations to upskill
staff and volunteers in cooking, budgeting, and meal planning,
creating sustainable community-led interventions and developing
future potential providers.

This is a non-key decision that supports a strategic reset, sustainability, and quality assurance, ensuring future interventions are impactful, inclusive, and evidence based.
The decision will:
• Pause the grant to allow market scoping and development of a
refreshed delivery model aligned with the Council Plan and Public
Health priorities.

Option 1: continue funding MEC Beyond March 2026
Benefits
• Maintains continuity for partnership and community relationships.
• Avoids disruption to service users engaged with MEC services.

Risks
• Limits ability to redesign the delivery model to better align with
Council Plan priorities
• Limited evidence of evaluation and structured action plans.
• Financial risk with low return on investment (£69,691 grant not
achieving core outcomes).
• Continued need for intensive public health oversight increasing
resource burden on a small grant.
• Continuing to award the grant to the current VCSE provider, who
has held it for a significant number of years, limits opportunities for
other VCSE organisations to access funding and contribute to
programme delivery.

Option 2: Tender for new provider
Benefits
• Opportunity to secure a provider with proven capacity and expertise
in nutrition and food poverty interventions.
• Potential for improved accountability and performance monitoring
through contractual obligations.
• Ability to set clear KPI's and service specification aligned with public
health priorities.

Risks
• Time required for procurement and service development which could
create a gap in service delivery after March 2026.
• Uncertainty around availability of providers with the required
expertise in nutrition on food poverty interventions which may result
in few or no suitable bids.

Option 3: pause grant to scope new delivery model
Benefits:
Strategic reset: opportunity to pause and redesign the delivery
model to better align with Council Plan priorities (poverty sprint,
Healthy Weight Declaration, Good Food Local NE and PH Strategic
Plan).
• Capacity building: strengthens VCSE organisations by upskilling
staff and volunteers in cooking, budgeting, and meal planning,
creating sustainable community-led interventions and developing
future potential providers.
• Scalable impact: trained facilitators can cascade knowledge within
networks, creating a multiplier effect and reducing reliance on
external providers.
• Improved accountability: allows time to set clearer outcomes and
monitoring frameworks before reintroducing funding.

Risks:
• Service gap: pausing the grant may lead to a temporary reduction in
direct service provision, impacting current service users although
this is a noncritical function.
• Initial demand on staffing and financial resources to scope the
market and develop a new capacity-building approach.