New Platform Features Now Live: Making Collaboration Smoother Than Ever
We’re excited to roll out three impactful updates that will make managing projects and supplier offers even easier. These new features aim to enhance transparency, streamline user management, and improve visibility of resources. Here’s what’s new:
🔍 Real-Time Feedback Visibility for Authorities Previously, authorities could only see project feedback once both the community organisation and the supplier had submitted their feedback. This sometimes meant authorities were left in the dark if only one side had responded, creating delays and stalled progress.
The Update: Now, when either the community organisation or the supplier submits feedback, the authority can see it immediately, even while the project remains “In Progress.”
Here’s how it works: If either the community organisation or the supplier leaves feedback, the project will still show as “In Progress,” but the card will now display a clear message: “In progress – [Community/Supplier] feedback given.” This allows the authority to see that one side has already provided feedback, even if the other hasn’t. These projects will appear at the top of the “In Progress” list, making it easier for authorities to spot where progress has been made and where action might be needed. The feedback will be fully visible to the authority and can be approved for public view as usual. This change gives authorities better visibility on project momentum and the opportunity to intervene early if support is needed.
🗂️Community Organisations Can Now Transfer Projects and Delete Users We know staff and volunteer changes are inevitable, and they shouldn’t disrupt your project delivery.
The Update:
Community-based organisations (CBOs) now have the power to delete users from their accounts and transfer ownership of ongoing projects to another user within the organisation. This ensures continuity of communication and smoother transitions when teams evolve.
📤 Suppliers Can Now Add Documents to Their Offers Suppliers often want to include more detailed descriptions or visuals, such as flyers, product specs, or images, to give CBOs a clearer picture of the support on offer.
The Update: The Supplier Offer Form now includes a file upload option. Suppliers can attach documents with the same constraints and layout in the CBO project forms. Once uploaded, the documents will be viewable and downloadable from all related project info pages. This feature helps CBOS make more informed decisions when choosing offers that suit their needs.
Why These Updates Matter At Match My Project, our mission is to create a seamless and transparent platform where community groups, suppliers, and local authorities can collaborate confidently. These new tools support that goal by improving communication, ensuring smooth handovers, and making project offers more informative and engaging. We’re excited to see how you use these features to drive even more impact in your communities!
💡 Have suggestions for future updates? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at support@matchmyproject.com.
For more information on choosing an authority to sign up with, see below.
2. From the authority landing page, click ‘Sign up’ in the top right corner
3. You can then choose whether to signup as a community organisation or business / supplier.
4. Complete the Sign Up form. Guidance is available for common queries at the top of the page.
5. The authority will review your registration and you will be notified of their decision. If you are accepted, you will be sent a link to finish creating your account. And once logged in, start matching!
Organisation types
Community organisations are voluntary sector organisations – typically charities, social enterprises, unincorporated associations and schools. They can register to access support from businesses for their social impact projects.
Businesses or suppliers can register to support voluntary sector organisations by donating resources such as expertise, materials and funding. These donations can form part of your Social Value or Corporate Social Responsibility.
Authorities are the organisations behind the scenes, using Match My Project with their suppliers and community partners and collecting the data. Please get in touch for a demo to explore how Match My Project could work for your organisation.
Individuals can sign up to Match My Project to access jobs, training and work placement opportunities offered by businesses.
Which authority should I sign up with?
If you already have an existing relationship with an authority, you can sign up with them. If not, you can choose the right authority for you based on location.
In the North West region:
Stockport and Wigan council just cover their boroughs.
Onward works in Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.
Sanctuary works in Warrington, Liverpool and the Wirral.
To check the exact locations an authority operates in, see the list of locations on that authority’s community organisation signup form.
What if I want to signup to multiple authorities?
To access multiple authorities, you’ll need to complete an initial signup with one authority.
After you’ve logged into your account, you can then apply to other authorities through your profile.
Are you a supplier or local company keen to support your local community?
The Match My Project platform is an online marketplace where community organisations and groups can ask for help for their projects from our supply chain. Local companies can also post their jobs and free resources on the platform.
Here are some things to think about when using Match My Project:
When signing up for an account, DO:
Sign up with accurate information about your organisation
Wait for an email to set up your password and access your account, once the contracting authority has accepted your registration.
Add colleagues to your account as additional users.
Check the Directory for community projects that you can match to.
Post your own resources for Community Organisations to request – especially if there aren’t any community projects that meet your requirements.
When reviewing a project and matching, DO:
Check information that is relevant to the project, for example, does it require a DBS check if working on site? If the building is leased, are the relevant permissions in place to undertake any work? etc.
Verify internally that your organisation can meet the specific requirements mentioned before matching
Contact the Community Organisation about their requirements before making an offer to support their project.
Ensure that you’re both aligned on the project scope and outcomes (e.g. do they need to see copies of insurance? Names of staff working on the project? Etc). Make sure that you’re happy to go ahead with them as a project partner.
Once a match is made, communicate clearly with the community organisation about timelines and expectations
Be prepared to make a site visit if necessary
Ensure that each party agrees and understands its responsibilities and all necessary steps for delivery of the project.
Maintain open and honest communication with the community organisation at all times. This will help build long-term relationships.
After completing the Project, DO:
Update the project status by leaving feedback. This will mark the project as ‘completed’ and your feedback for the community organisation will be visible to others on the platform. This helps maintain transparency and improves the platform experience for everyone.
The Benefits of Match My Project are:
Place-based Social Value/Impact
Builds and strengthens cross-sector relationships
An additional tool to access opportunities to deliver Social Value / CSR
Free and easy to use for businesses and organisations
Enhances collaboration between the private and public sector
Case Studies and impact can be reported
Captures underutilised social value resources/ opportunities
Free advertising through social media.
Aids effective contract management
Targeted Social Value delivery to local communities with asks in real-time.
Produces qualitative tangible results
Businesses can post offers – work opportunities/ venue hire/ old digital devices
Is Agnostic so can be used alongside other Social Value monitoring tools to evidence Social Value delivery.
Here are some things to think about when posting projects and using Match My Project.
When signing up for an account, DO…
Sign up with accurate information about your organisation
Wait for an email to access your account, once the contracting authority has accepted your registration
Remember to look and check at whether there are supplier offers that you can match to, which will help your project without having to make a request
When posting a project, DO…
Include information that is relevant to the project, for example, does it require a DBS check if working on site? If the building is leased, do you have relevant permissions to undertake any work? etc.
Think about if your project adds a social, environmental or economic benefit to our customers, communities or society.
Remember that there are other resources available for projects from our suppliers, including time, materials, advice, training and jobs. This isn’t just about funding
Upload a breakdown when asking for funding – with quotes where possible
Ensure your project has a very clear title and description
Highlight whether communities and residents are already engaged in the project
Highlight if projects are time sensitive. Please then upload with as much notice as possible to increase the likelihood of a match. For example, if you have a Christmas activity, then post the project by the end of October
Remember that the “ideal value” of a project is between £1,000 to £3,000. Larger projects have been matched, but this is rare
Be aware that larger requests are less likely to be matched. So, can they be broken down into smaller separate requests and uploaded in stages?
Remember that your project will appear in the ‘Directory’ for Businesses to view
Get ready to receive offers from businesses to complete your projects and respond promptly
Contact the business about your requirements before accepting the offer to ensure you’re both aligned (do you need to see copies of Insurance? Names of staff working on a project? Key contact details? Etc). Make sure that you’re happy to go ahead with them as a project partner
Ensure that each party agrees and understands its responsibilities
Accept the offer
During project matching, DO…
Get started with the project once you’ve accepted an offer from a business. Reach out to them via the contact details provided
Make sure you keep track of the hours, donations and resources that the business is donating during the project. Verify this information with the business as well
Share feedback once the project has completed. You will be able to see your feedback from the business once you’ve given them feedback
Keep trackof your progress using your dashboard
…DON’T
Post a project if you don’t have the relevant permissions or can’t provide evidence for it
Apply if you think it’s purely a way to save on budgets
Additional things to consider
Have you thought about other means of support for your project?
Empower other community groups by encouraging them to register and post their own projects
Please note that there is no guarantee of a match on the platform and we don’t have unlimited resources from suppliers
Once a project is complete, please upload your feedback onto the platform to ensure verification of the project can take place and other groups can see what parties are like to work with
Please note that support and resources are limited. All requests will be assessed, but unfortunately making a request doesn’t guarantee a match
Top Tips based on feedback from businesses using MMP
Make your project title specific and clear!
Scenario 1 (Example taken directly from supplier)
A community organisation is requesting mobile devices, computers and tablets
DON’T put your project title as: “Request for mobile devices, computers and tablets for volunteers”
DO put your title as : “10 tablets for volunteers” (this is more specific)
Scenario 2
A community organisation is requesting books for students
DON’T put your project title as: “Reading books for [Community Organisation]’s student reading programme”
DO put your title as: “15 reading books for students”
Reason: The title of the project provides the supplier with a clear understanding of the request from the outset, which can increase the attraction to the request. This is how you win the supplier over, so be specific and concise.
Upload a breakdown when asking for funding!
If you are asking for an item, for example a printer or desk, then:
DO: include the make and model of the item you need
DO: include a quote where possible or link to the item
DON’T: leave this information out
Reasons: Suppliers need to know the financial impact of the request and what exactly the money is being used for.
This ensures that there is no confusion regarding what the community organisation requires.
Break down projects into smaller projects!
If the financial impact of the project is high, break it down into separate projects with each having a financial request of no more than £2,000.
Using Scenario 1:
DON’T write:
Mobile devices, laptops and tablets needed for Volunteers
10 mobile devices, 10 laptops and 10 tablets needed for volunteers across Cambridgeshire to enable them to connect with others and take notes.
DO write:
Project 1
10 mobile devices
To provide 10 volunteers across Cambridgeshire with a mobile device to enable them to connect with others.
Project 2
10 laptops
To provide 10 volunteers across Cambridgeshire with a laptop to enable them to take notes.
Project 3
10 tablets
To provide 10 volunteers across Cambridgeshire with a digital tablet to enable them to create documents.
Reasons: Breaking down the project will give you a greater chance of being matched as the average value of projects that get matched across the platform is £1,100.
More than one supplier can then meet your individual request as opposed to rejecting the request because the financial impact is too great.
Where possible and if your cash flow allows it, consider paying for the project and invoicing for reimbursement.
How this looks practically: If a supplier accepts a project, consider paying for that project then sending the invoice to the supplier to receive reimbursement.
Reason: Once committed to a project suppliers will likely deliver, however, the nuances around your request may be better served by you. Where this is the case, this approach will benefit both parties. Please ensure that you have this documented and agreed prior to the start of the project.
ADDITIONAL TIPS
Provide as much information as possible, especially the cost to get better results!
Here is a blog about top tips for community organisations.
