In order to secure core funding from funders, the steering group will need to prepare a bid making the case for the Trust, setting out its work programme, and providing some financial forecasts.

The bid document should be, in effect, an early version of the Trust business plan. In order to prepare the bid the steering group may need to carry out a feasibility assessment assisted by a consultant and/or a development officer.

The bid document should cover the following issues:

A summary of the case for a Development Trust contained in the document as a whole.

A description of the area, the problems and opportunities. How and why the idea of a Trust developed.

A statement of aims and how they will be carried out. Why the Trust is needed, what it aims to achieve, and broadly the means by which it will do this.

The types of projects the Trust will tackle. For example:

• Enterprise development
• Training
• Environmental improvement
• Leisure, recreation

The legal form, likely arrangements with main sponsors, steering committee/Board, and staffing proposed.

An annual budget and projections over three years showing how far project income will cover core costs and how the deficit will be made up.

The criteria to be used in evaluating the Trust's performance.

A statement of the support required from funders.

It is important that the bid is:

• A realistic reflection of what the Trust may achieve
• Acceptable to community interests
• Agreed by the steering group as a whole
• Based on an understanding of what the main potential funders will support. As well as funding criteria they may have views on the structure of the Trust - particularly the mix of representation on the Board.

If the bid is out of touch with reality, or is the work of only a few individuals, there is a danger that the Trust will face problems if the bid is accepted.

• It may prove impossible to meet the financial projections, with the likelihood of major problems after the first year or two
• The Trust will may face criticism from community interests that its agenda does not meet local needs
• There may be disputes over programme priorities on the Board.

The way to avoid these problems is to follow a start up process in which the key local interests - public, private and residential community - all contribute project ideas, so they feel some ownership of the programme. This must be done, however, in the knowledge of any rules and criteria funders will apply. There is no point in encouraging people to develop unrealistic 'wish lists'. Preparation of the bid can be a valuable team building exercise for the steering group/Board, and in helping key local interests understand how a Trust must operate. The steering group may feel it is appropriate to gain approval for the bid at an open seminar - again to ensure that the Trust's agenda for the area has widespread support. This could be done by running the business planning exercise with bid data.

In preparing the bid consider:

• Have you carried out a review of local problems and opportunities as part of a feasibility assessment?
• Do you understand the criteria for core and project funding likely to be exercised by the funders, and any other criteria they may wish you to meet?
• Have you developed ideas for Trust projects both from this study and meetings with local key interests?
• Does the plan contain a three year financial projection showing how to balance:
• project surpluses or deficits?
• core costs of staff, offices and overheads?
• core funding?
• Is there a description of the staff team and Board, and the management structure?
• Does the bid explain how you will know whether you are succeeding or failing?
• Has the steering group as a whole approved the bid?
• Has the draft bid been discussed with other key interests?

Seealso Business planning, Feasibility Study, Start up process