Tiia Sammallahti, CEO of whatimpact, discusses the company’s innovative technology solutions for the public sector to improve the efficiency of the grant application process and social value in procurement
New digital solution for efficient community and SPF grant-making
UK-based grant and donation platform whatimpact is transforming how voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations apply for and receive funding – especially community and Shared Prosperity Fund grants. The company’s innovative approach simplifies and accelerates the traditionally inefficient grant application process, making it more accessible and efficient for VCSEs to receive access to the resources they require. As a service provider in the Crown Commercial dynamic purchasing system (DPS) – Grant Administration Services RM6172, whatimpact focuses on leveraging AI and modern technology to simplify the grant application process for both grant givers and receivers.
VCSEs sign up to the whatimpact platform and browse the available opportunities that are best suited to them. A VCSE profile showcases the organisations’ work, projects and activities, resource requests, and case studies transparently and impartially, significantly streamlining the grant application process.
With the platform, grant givers can easily match with VCSEs to determine the success of a grant application. Additionally, whatimpact enables organisations to report on the success of their projects directly through the platform, ensuring accountability and transparency at every step of the process through validated impact reporting. One-on-one support is a cornerstone of whatimpact’s service, with assistance available both online and in-person for all applicants and grant givers.
whatimpact also enhances the traditionally lengthy grant-giving process through an efficient grant application evaluation system. It emphasises outcome alignment in awarded grants and provides audit-ready data on grantees, projects, and SPF-related outcome targets. The platform empowers VCSEs to deliver evidence-based, standardised impact reporting for each grant, which is crucial for monitoring the effectiveness of grant schemes and reporting validated outcomes to the government. whatimpact’s tools are set to transform the distribution of SPF grants and similar community and SME grants across the country.
Newport City Council (NCC) has been the first to adopt this groundbreaking technology to allocate over £800,000 in Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) grants to VCSEs in Newport. By integrating rich data from the Charity Commission, Companies House, and 360Giving, whatimpact attracted new VCSEs in the area to apply. NCC experienced a large surge in the number and quality of applicants, all contributing to the levelling-up agenda through projects focused on culture, sports, and heritage. By providing hands-on support, whatimpact has ensured a wide range of organisations applied for grants with allocations from £1,000 to £30,000 per project.
The council aimed to attract various organisations to deliver innovative, new solutions to tackle societal challenges in Newport, and whatimpact continues to provide that.
Social value brokerage and monitoring system for public sector procurement
Supported by Innovate UK, a prestigious initiative of the UK Government, whatimpact stands as a leading social impact start-up and Social Value Brokerage in the UK. The company specialises in delivering groundbreaking technology solutions designed to streamline and enhance collaboration between the public sector, private sector, and the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sectors. whatimpact provides innovative solutions tailored to amplify social value in public sector procurement, significantly increasing the overall delivery of social value in both local authority and central government tenders.
One of the standout features of whatimpact is its local matchmaking service, Social Value Brokerage. It connects suppliers with local and regional VCSEs to meet locally relevant, contract-specific social value requirements outlined in tenders. Public sector bodies can offer this service for free to their tender bidders to ensure the local approach of each social value plan. whatimpact empowers VCSEs to deliver impact reporting against the support they get from suppliers. These reports demonstrate the impact and outcomes of money, product, service, and skills donations that are aligned with TOMs and GOV Social Value Model outcomes.
In addition to the Social Value Brokerage, whatimpact offers local authorities and the central government a centralised dashboard that consolidates all social value requirements from suppliers.
The platform includes a sophisticated scoring framework within the dashboard. It enables public sector bodies to systematically evaluate and grade tender-specific social value plans that are generated using the whatimpact system. This structured evaluation process helps maintain high standards and consistency in social value delivery. Chosen suppliers report on their social value delivery and outcomes on the dashboard and demonstrate local impact through qualitative impact reporting. The system helps to fulfil the transparency requirements that are now enhanced in the new Procurement Act.
Overall, whatimpact is a delivery and monitoring tool that saves time and money from excessive administration costs, leaving more resources for the benefit of society. The platform empowers local VCSEs and gets them connected to private sector suppliers in a streamlined manner. VCSEs are always able to use whatimpact for free.
