fundraising consultant
THE ARKWRIGHT SOCIETY LIMITED
Cromford
Full-time
Introduction The Arkwright Society at Cromford Mills has been successful in receiving funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the required match funding for the development phase of the sustainable redevelopment of Building 1 and associated buildings. This major capital project is entitled: Cromford Mills – Celebrating Heritage, creating a sustainable future. The grade I listed mill complex at Cromford is a key attribute of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site (DVMWHS). It is from these buildings that Sir Richard Arkwright developed technology that changed the world we live in, giving rise to the industrial revolution by creating the modern factory system. Buildings 1, 7, and 8-10, which are currently on the National Heritage at Risk Register, will be transformed into a restaurant, visitor welcome area, office/overnight accommodation, and a new function/events space. This redevelopment will conserve their unique historic character, remove them from the at-risk register, and make them publicly accessible again. The project will involve the upgrading of areas of public realm, including the main car park and provision of a covered events space. The project will also seek to broaden public engagement, enabling more people to experience and appreciate the site’s significance, ensuring Cromford Mills remains a key destination within the DVMWHS. This engagement will include a skills and learning programme as well as enhanced volunteer engagement, interpretation and community activities. Purpose of the Brief The Arkwright Society is required to secure match funding in the region of £1.2m by May 2027 for the delivery phase submission to the Heritage Fund and is seeking a fundraising consultant to provide strategic guidance on fundraising initiatives, helping to identify new funding opportunities, advise on engagement with key stakeholders and donors, and support targeted funding applications, including bid writing where needed. The consultant will work closely with the CEO to ensure fundraising goals are met efficiently and effectively, contributing to the long-term sustainability of the project and securing funding for both capital and non-capital activities in line with the Society’s objectives. On appointment, the Society’s Fundraising Strategy and Action Plan for the project will be shared to guide this work. Context Today, Cromford Mills is owned and managed by The Arkwright Society, an educational charity and Building Preservation Trust focused on preserving and regenerating the site and the wider estate at Lumsdale. Founded in 1979, the Society is committed to the regeneration of the site and to the reuse of the buildings in ways that will provide them with a sustainable future and which offers year round employment that will contribute positively to the local environment. Over the years the Society has benefitted from significant financial support, notably from the Heritage Fund, Historic England and European Funding, to repair and transform several mill buildings on site. As a charity the Society has a membership and has recently launched a corporate partnership offer to encourage more engagement and support from the business community. The Society is an active partner within the DVMWHS and is a member of the technical panel. Cooperation across the valley is being realised through critical partnerships which see the Society working with other heritage sites across the valley including Belper North Mill Trust, Masson Mills and Derby Museums. The Society has a Strategic Partnership with the University of Derby to support student learning, and the University has committed in-kind support to this project through research on renewable energies and to proactively engage with the Activity Planning development. The Society is developing relationships with the new East Midlands Mayoral Combined Authority which has identified the DVMWHS as one of seven priority areas for inclusive growth. The mill complex is a large site with a visitor exhibition, business centre (Cromford Creative), catering and a busy events and conferencing programme. Whilst most buildings are in active use, the First Mill (Building 18) and Building 1 are in partial use with significant repair needs. The Society has an award-winning educational offer for schools and a very enthusiastic and involved volunteer team, who help deliver the visitor heritage offer. This heritage offer comprises ticketed tours, a virtual digital experience and several exhibits within the visitor centre. With Heritage Fund support, the website and social media coverage has significantly improved and a draft audience development plan has been developed. At Cromford the vision is to continue the regeneration of the site, strengthen the financial resilience of the charity, develop the visitor offer and experience, broaden engagement and sustain the educational offer. The Strategic Business Plan and masterplan produced by Fourth Street and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, establishes a clear, holistic and viable plan to move forward. This plan prioritises the regeneration of Building 1 and considers at high level the viability and spatial considerations for an expanded heritage offer. This work builds on previous options appraisal and viability report for Buildings 1 and 7. This was funded by the AHF via a project viability grant and the NLHF. This built on the 2012 masterplan produced by Purcell Architects and has suggested potential development proposals for these buildings to provide optimum return on investment and sustainable future income Scope of Work The selected consultant will provide the following services: Fundraising Strategy Development and Review • • Review and advise on the existing Fundraising Strategy/Action Plan: act as a critical friend to identify improvements, offer suggestions, and ensure the strategy aligns with the overall objectives of the Heritage Fund project: both the capital and activity planning work. This would include responding to changing funding landscapes - emerging trends, new funding sources, or shifts in donor priorities. Develop the case for support, which will form the basis of all fundraising messaging. (we have an existing Case for Support for The Arkwright Society as a whole) • • Assist in reviewing the list of potential funding streams (e.g., government grants, trusts, foundations, corporate sponsorship, etc.) tailored to the project's specific needs and timescales. Suggest how to structure the fundraising approach to meet both short-term and long-term funding requirements, ensuring deliverability of the project and long term sustainability (as timing of match funding for the delivery phase application / draw down for work on site is critical). Funding Opportunities and Application Support • • Assist in drafting funding applications: support the in-house Development Manager and CEO by drafting, reviewing, and refining funding applications for various grants and opportunities. Advise on the narrative and structure of funding applications, ensuring they align with the funders’ criteria/ objectives and the outcomes of this regeneration project. • Offer detailed feedback and guidance on applications being written in-house to improve their quality and competitiveness. Grant/Donor Relations and Partnership Development Acting as a ‘critical friend’ to advise on • Attracting potential corporate sponsors and strategic partners to secure funding and collaborations that will support the long-term goals of the project. • Our current Friends membership scheme, Corporate partnerships and our emerging patrons scheme. • Offer strategic advice on building relationships with key stakeholders, including local businesses, foundations, and community groups, to sustain and amplify fundraising efforts. • Provide insights into best practices for engaging donors and building long-term relationships with funders, ensuring continued support for the Arkwright Society. The Arkwright Society is leading on this fundraising strategy with support from the Development Manager. Key Deliverables The key deliverables for the consultant will be: • • • Fundraising Strategy Review & Recommendations: suggest amendments to the existing strategy and areas for further development. Grant Applications Support: Drafting, reviewing, or advising on a series of grant applications (the form / amount to be determined and will be dependent on budget) Identification of Funding Opportunities: review the existing list and suggest additions / changes • Advice on Grant/Donor Relations: strategic advice on identifying and engaging potential corporate sponsors and partners, as well as best practices for donor stewardship. Due to capacity, this needs to be SMART. Available documentation On appointment, the following documentation will be used: • Fundraising Strategy and Action Plan, 2025, The Arkwright Society • Arkwright Society Business Plan, 2025, The Arkwright Society • The NLHF Phase 1 application form February 2024 and all relevant documentation for the purposes of this commission. Notably,; • • • the Activity Planning and Engagement Report, (includes appendices on Skills and Learning Programme Scoping Document and Approach to Consultation), 2025, The Arkwright Society the total project costs spreadsheet indicative delivery phase programme. Tender Process The Arkwright Society is committed to achieving public value outcomes. If tenderers identify additional public value activities which are over and above those set out in this brief within the aims and objectives, it is acceptable for tenderers to highlight and cost these as additional activities which the charities may or may not choose to take forward. In this way tenderers can be confident that they are put at no disadvantage at the tender evaluation stage by including in their proposals work that they feel would create additional public value but that other tenderers might not include. 1. Appreciation of the Brief (maximum 2 pages) Provide a clear understanding of: • The project context, aims and objectives and the fundraising requirements for the delivery stage. • How your proposal responds to the brief and supports the ambitions of the project. • How your approach aligns with the Heritage Fund investment principles and investment priorities of other relevant public, charitable or corporate funders. • Your understanding of the heritage, tourism and community (local – international) context of Cromford Mills and the DVMWHS and how this informs your fundraising strategy. 2. Approach and Methodology (maximum 4 pages) Set out your proposed approach to supporting fundraising for the project including: • • Your overall fundraising strategy, including income targets, priorities and phasing across the development stage to secure match funding requirements for the delivery phase submission to the Heritage Fund. Identification of appropriate funding sources (e.g trusts and foundations, statutory funders, corporate support, individual giving or other relevant streams) • Your approach to developing compelling cases for support that reflect heritage, community and public benefit outcomes – and how you manage / support multiple funding applications and deadlines. • How you will work collaboratively with staff, trustees, members and partners to build the Society’s fundraising confidence and help strengthen the charitable messaging and support. • Your proposed timetable, key milestones and decision points (may be a standalone, separate document) • Methods for reporting progress, managing pipelines and communicating clearly with the Society. • Any practical tools, templates or light touch methods you would introduce to support onsite fundraising activity and monitoring. 3. Relevant Experience (up to 3 examples, maximum 6 pages) Provide: • A short CV summarising your relevant fundraising skills and experience • Up to three examples of comparable fundraising projects, ideally within heritage, culture, tourism, historic environments • Examples that demonstrate experience of securing funding from the Heritage Fund and/or other major public and charitable funders • Developing fundraising strategies and cases for support that combine capital works and activity programmes. • Experience of work sensitively within small project teams, charities or organisations with a mix of staff and volunteers. • Contact details for two client references. 4. Capacity Governance and Quality Assurance (maximum 2 pages) Include: • Confirmation of current Professional Indemnity Insurance and level of cover (minimum £250,000) • A brief outline of your organisational or freelance capacity, including any associate consultants where relevant • Processes for quality assurance of funding bids, financial information and supporting documentation Fees The maximum budget to deliver the requirements of this consultancy brief for the Development Phase is circa £30,000 before any applicable VAT, to include all fees, travel expenses, materials, printing and distribution costs. We request a fixed fee showing your daily rate, number of days spent on each task. Reporting The Consultant will provide proportionate, outcome-focused reporting through a minimum monthly reporting cycle, normally delivered as a concise written update and/or progress meeting to support the Steering Group. Reporting will focus on fundraising progress, applications in development or submitted, emerging opportunities or risks, and any decisions or support required from the client team. The Consultant will attend in-person meetings on site as required, with a minimum of three site visits during the Development Phase to support project understanding, collaborative working, and key fundraising milestones. Additional meetings may take place online to ensure flexibility and efficient use of time. You will be responsible to the Project Steering Board and The Arkwright Society Board of Trustees via the CEO. The Society has appointed a Client Project Manager who will also be a key person you will engage with throughout the development phase. Submission of tenders Completed tender proposals should be sent by email, to arrive no later than 9am on to the following email address: escott@arkwrightsociety.org.uk Applications received after the due date and time will not be considered. Clarifications during the tender preparation period Should tenderers require answers to queries raised during the tender period, they must be submitted direct to Eilis Scott escott@arkwrightsociety.org.uk. A deadline has been given for clarification questions and responses. Responses to queries, where appropriate, will be published on the Cromford Mills website in the section where the application is featured. The timetable is as follows: ITT issued Site visits (on appointment) Deadline for clarification questions Responses to clarifications issued Tender submission deadline Shortlisting complete Interviews Appointment decision made Contract start date Evaluation of tenders 5th January 2026 Week of 12th January Friday 16th January Monday 19th January Monday 26th January at 10am 2026 Week of 26th January Provisional weeks: 26th January & 2nd February Provisional weeks: 2nd & 9th February Provisional week 9th February 2026 Selection Process: tenders will be appraised by the CEO, Client Project Manager and Chair of Trustees. Tenders will be judged equally against the following criteria: • • • • Appreciation of the Brief requirements Approach and Methodology Relevant experience of consultant Organisational capacity/quality assurance. Tenders will be assessed against items (a) to (d) in the ‘Requirements of Submission” section above and failure to submit any of the required information may result in your tender being rejected. Tender submissions shall be judged on both quality and price based on the following criteria: the maximum quality score will be 75%; the maximum price score will be 25%. Criterion and sub-criteria 1. Quality: • Appreciation of Brief/Arkwright Society’s requirements: • Approach and Methodology: • Relevant experience of project team: (up to 3 project examples) • Organisational capacity/quality assurance Weighting 75% 2. Price: • Fee scale to cover all elements of the scope of work detailed 25% above • Fee scale for additional work should any need arise that is beyond the scope of work detailed above Payment schedule: This will be agreed at the start of the commission. The final payment will be made upon completion and following approval by the Arkwright Society and relevant project funders of the work specified by this brief. Copyright and confidentiality: Copyright of all documents produced under this commission is to be assigned to The Arkwright Society Limited. The consultant is to clear copyright approval for any illustrations or other material used. The author should be aware that The Arkwright Society may wish to make the report available its website. Contact details for further information: Please contact Éilis Scott, CEO, The Arkwright Society on 07712125174 or escott@arkwrightsociety.org.uk. General information: www.cromfordmills.org.uk