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Our friends from IOL, AHOEC and BAPA have kindly provided the following update from meetings with NCS Trust.

Update for outdoor providers contracted by Invasion Camp Group(ICG) following meetings with NCS Trust.

Andy Robinson (IOL), Ben Wire (BAPA) & Jim Whittaker (AHOEC) met with Amanda Best, Caroline Hunter-White & Victoria Olsen of the NCS Trust on Thursday 9th April and Wednesday 15th April and have had subsequent correspondence resulting in the following points of clarification on the current approach to ‘re-purposing’ the contracted summer 2020 NCS provision.

The relaying of key points below from this recent dialogue between the NCS Trust and sector representatives of the sector are in the context of a) the Trust being pressed by DCMS to make the NCS ‘different, better and more far reaching for 2021’ and b) NCS not being included in the current PPM following a Cabinet Office instruction to DCMS.

1. On behalf of the NCS Trust, ICG are expecting to consider in the following days what is possible regarding an improvement to the newly proposed terms and conditions and following the conversations with Phase 1 providers, rather than resort to the FM clause in the contract which is in nobody’s interest. The NCS Trust does not expect DCMS to allow any great movement, if at all.
2. NCS Trust want to move as quickly as possible to provide reassurance and secure bookings for 2021.  To achieve this there is likely to be a change in approach and requests for increased flexibility from providers.  The challenges and risks associated with this have been acknowledged and we await further information on the specifics of those potential changes and flexibilities.
3. On the question of sunk costs associated with preparation for summer 2020 contracted delivery, Invasion will engage in sunk costs discussions with each venue, though no capital expenditure can be viewed as a sunk cost. We await clarification on the metrics of differentiation between sunk costs and capital expenditure. NCS Trust will nevertheless require proof, for their audit trail, that the costs being presented are 100% related to NCS.  They will then review them as a whole and make decisions based on the funding constraints the Trust is operating within.
4. On the issue of why NCS procurement is being excluded from the Procurement Policy Note 02/20 : Supplier relief due to COVID19, designed to ensure service continuity during and after the outbreak.  The Trust are following their DCMS leadership so we are approaching MP’s to help provide an explanation.
5. Finally, to assist in full understanding of the nature of procurement management between NCS Trust, Invasion Camp Group and outdoor providers the Trust have confirmed that Invasion Camp Group do not have any funds and are not holding any funds destined for providers. The Trust has provided us with a detailed breakdown of the payment and authorisation process which is summarised below:

• Activity and accommodation providers invoice Invasion group
• Invasion finance team review against the contracts and invoices the Trust, with a copy of the invoice from the Activity and Accommodation provider
• 4 layers of due diligence are applied at increasing levels of seniority, each requiring sign-off.
• Payment is made to invasion group for the exact amount that the invoices total
• Invasion pay activity and accommodation providers and provide the Trust with proof of payment to each provider, they hold no money from the Trust for any length of time as they pay it out within 24hours of it hitting their account- usually within a matter of hours