Latest updates… You asked, we delivered!

Un-blocker (noun). An intervention to remove a barrier. (According to the Match My Project team at least).

We recently rolled out the first phase of ‘un-blocker’ features, small but crucial tweaks to the way Match My Project works, to help people save time and energy – and ultimately create more matches.

These changes were the ones we saw as levers to create the most value for the greatest number of users. They were largely identified by our user groups (our valued inner-circle authority, business and community organisations) and by analysing the most frequently reported queries received by our help desk.

Follow along for the roadblocks 🚧, solutions ✅ and the results ✨ we hope these changes will unlock for you. As always, let us know if you have any feedback.

Signing up

1. New guidance at signup, for success first time

🚧 New users were signing up for the wrong account type, or signing up twice on behalf of their organisation.

✅ Guidance links are available at signup to help people quickly solve any questions they have about signing up.

✅ At the end of the form, there’s a summary of the next steps, to help new users know what to expect.

✨ The easier signup is, the more organisations available to match and the greater impact can be delivered.

2. We binned Twitter to focus on LinkedIn

🚧 Being asked to add their X account details was (understandably) putting off new users.

✅ Now the only social media account information we collect is your LinkedIn account.

✨ Sometimes a step back is a step forward. Follow us on LinkedIn where we celebrate and share the amazing work being done through Match My Project.

3. Suppliers state their contracts, to speed up approval

🚧 Authorities reported difficulties approving businesses, because sometimes they’d have to talk to different teams to understand if they should be on the platform.

✅ To help the authority understand their current relationship with the business signing up, businesses are now asked if they have a current contract with the authority, and the contract title.

4. Tell us how you found us – to help spread the word!

🚧 Authorities didn’t know how organisations heard about Match My Project, or which channels for promoting it were effective.

✅ Both business and community users are asked how they heard about Match My Project.

✨ This should help authorities to promote Match My Project more effectively to their stakeholders and get more organisations on board.

Logging in

5. New guidance on login, for smoother account access

🚧 Users were getting confused by the login process and trying to login to the wrong authority’s site.

✅ It’s now clearer which site users are logging into, with the authority’s name displayed in the guidance text. There are instructions about what to do if you need to login to a different authority, or access more authorities.

✨ The aim: people login successfully first time.

Adding projects and offers

6. Autosave is here!

🚧 Previously when adding a project or offer, you had to click the ‘Save’ button in order to save it. But this wasn’t clear and sometimes people’s login sessions timed out, meaning their work was lost.

✅ Now once you’ve added your title and description, a draft project or offer is automatically saved in My Projects and can be accessed from the project card.

✨ Saved work = saved time.

7. Clearer project summaries – to speed up matching

🚧 Businesses were getting confused because of how projects were being described, taking them longer to find out if a project was relevant to them.

✅ The project title and description questions have been tweaked and good examples added, to help community organisations describe the projects in the best light!

✨ Suppliers save time & community organisations get more matches.

8. Businesses can make their offers clearer by adding add documents

🚧 It was sometimes difficult for community organisations to understand what was on offer because they weren’t able to see it.

✅ Useful documents such as images and product specs can now be added to offers of in kind support.

✨ Clearer information = time saved.

Profile updates

9. Community users can easily update team members

🚧 Previously community organisations couldn’t manage their team very easily. When team members left, you had to contact the help desk so that someone new could take over the account.

✅ Now, users can easily be added and deleted from the Profile page.

✨ Keep your account more secure.

⚙️ New users are invited by email.

⚙️ If you need to delete someone’s account, their projects can be transferred to an existing user.

Authority updates

10. More flexible sorting and less scrolling

🚧 Previously, authority users could only sort through their applications A-Z or Z-A. This made things difficult you needed to view a category that was in the middle of the list, e.g. ‘Edits requested’.

✅ Now clicking the sort buttons cycles through options where there are more than two categories visible.

✨ Find the information you need more quickly and easily.

11. Authorities can see who’s given feedback

🚧 Previously it wasn’t easy for authorities to know who to nudge, for projects that were taking a long time to complete.

✅ Now authorities can see on the project card which organisation has given feedback. They can also see the details of the feedback on the project page.

✨ More visibility, more impact.

⚙️ Feedback details appear immediately.

12. Authorities can reverse matches that can’t be completed

🚧 Previously this was only available on community-led projects and not in kind support offers, meaning some projects were getting ‘stuck’ where organisations had gone into administration, for example.

✅ Authorities have the ability to ‘reverse match’ all matches. The relevant organisations are alerted by email. If the end date hasn’t passed for the project or offer, it is returned to the directory. If the project or offer has expired, the organisation is alerted to update or remove it.

✨ Up to date projects that are easier to track and manage.

13. All matches included in impact data

🚧 Previously the impact section only included information on community-led projects, not matches initiated by suppliers.

✅ ‘Matches’ has replaced ‘Projects supported’

✨ Stakeholders have a full picture of what’s happening.

14. More data points added to your data download

Stay tuned for a guide on how to make the most of your data download.

👀 Un-blockers round 2 is coming this summer – stay tuned!

💡 Have suggestions for future updates? We’d love to hear them. Email us at support@matchmyproject.com.

We’ve been listening to your feedback and are excited to roll out a new batch of updates to improve your experience with the platform.

Here’s what’s new:

💾 Autosave is here!
If you’re adding or editing a project or offer, the form will automatically save as you go, so you won’t have to worry about losing your work.

👥 Better Community user management
Community users have improved tools to keep their team members up to date. Check out your Profile and head to the Users section to see more.

🔄 Matched Offers won’t get stuck…
In the rare circumstances where a supplier offer is matched and can’t be completed, authorities will be able to close the match.

🗑️ Authorities can remove published Offers
Authorities can now remove a mistakenly approved supplier offer with just a few clicks.

🔍 New sign-up questions
To help authorities review and approve new users, two additional questions are asked during the sign-up process. “Where did you hear about Match My Project?” And “Do you currently have a contract with the authority? If so, what’s the title?“

We hope these updates make using the platform even more intuitive and efficient. As always, we’d love to hear what you think. Send us a message with your feedback!

New features

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.

We’ve heard your feedback, and while it’s still early in the year, we’re excited to share what’s in the works for summer and beyond!

These updates make Match My Project easier to navigate and more effective at connecting users to the right people and projects.

Here’s a preview of what’s coming:

🔐 Smoother Sign-up & Login for New Users

– Right Account First Time: The new sign-up flow will help you choose the correct account type.
– Helpful Info Upfront: To speed up approvals, we’ll ask how you heard about us and whether you already work with an authority.

💬 Better Feedback & Communication

– Track Feedback Progress: Authorities will be able to track progress, send reminders, and reopen the form if feedback needs updating after the usual 3-week window.

🔍 Smarter Matching

– Clearer Project Cards: See key info like location and timing at a glance.
– Flags for New & Waiting Projects: Easily spot what’s new or needs urgent support.
– Projects won’t expire when under offer to make the matching process smoother.

🚦 Better Offer & Match Management

– Add Tangible Impact: Suppliers can include numbers (like hours donated or items provided) in their feedback.
– Split Offer Alerts: suppliers matching one offer to multiple organisations will be notified if their offer is split into multiple projects.
– Upload Documents: Suppliers can add supporting documents to their offers to help community orgs understand what’s available.

👥 Community orgs: easier team management

– Add or Remove Users: Keep your organisation’s account updated by managing team members directly.

🎯 More Transparency

– See Key Dates: Post, edit, and offer dates will be visible across the platform.

These features aren’t live yet, but are on the way. We’ll keep you posted as updates roll out later this year.

New features

We’ve been listening closely to your feedback and are excited to share the updates we’ll be rolling out in the coming months.

These improvements are all based on your must-have requests, and we’re working hard to make your experience even better!

Here’s a sneak peek:

Clarified Login Process: We’ll make it easier for suppliers and community organisations to identify the authority they’re logging into so there is no more confusion!

Correct Account Sign-ups: We’re streamlining the sign-up process to ensure organisations select the correct account type—no more mix-ups.

Feedback Visibility & Nudges: Authorities will be able to see who has completed feedback and remind users to finish it, saving time and speeding up projects.

Unmatch Supplier Offers: Authorities will be able to unmatch offers that can’t be completed, making it easier to keep things on track.

Remove Supplier Offers from the Directory: If a supplier offer becomes irrelevant, authorities will be able to remove it from the directory.

Ask Suppliers About Contracts: We’ll add a simple question to help with approval processes and make identifying who you’re already working with easier.

Improved Directory Cards: The cards in the community project directory will include useful project details, such as dates and locations, for better matches.

Project Flags: Projects that have been waiting for support for a long time and new projects since your last visit will be flagged.

Edit Feedback After the Window: Authorities will soon be able to reopen feedback editing if it needs to be amended outside the usual 3-week window.

Feedback Edits & Requests: Authorities will be able to request edits to feedback directly on the platform, eliminating email back and forth.

Plus, there are many more improvements like easier search for locations, the ability for suppliers to add documents to offers, and making sure your projects don’t expire unexpectedly.

These updates are designed to make your time on the platform more efficient, transparent, and productive. Stay tuned for these exciting changes!

#ComingSoon #Product

In an era where businesses are increasingly held accountable to contribute to societal progress, opportunity creation is a powerful strategy for driving inclusive growth and Social Value. Our new jobs and training feature is here, and it’s making opportunities more accessible for local communities and businesses alike.

Businesses today are expected to do more than just make a profit. They need to operate in a way that benefits society as a whole.

The UK is one of the world’s most regionally unequal advanced economies. Wealth and opportunity are disproportionately concentrated in specific areas, posing a significant challenge to the nation’s economic potential and social cohesion.

For purpose-driven businesses committed to Social Value and community empowerment, tackling these regional imbalances presents a compelling opportunity to align corporate objectives with societal needs. By strategically investing in underserved regions and fostering local talent, companies can fulfil their ethical obligations and gain a competitive advantage through access to untapped talent pools, enhanced brand reputation, and stronger community relationships.

Regional Inequality

A study by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that average personal wealth in the North East is around one-third of the average level of wealth in the South East. Drastic imbalances in wealth, power and opportunity attest to the fact that our economy and democracy are not yet designed to help all places thrive.

Beyond statistics, these gaps and inequalities are taking a real toll, resulting in shorter, sicker, less fulfilling lives.

We need to work towards a future where all regions stand equally and offer opportunities for all to thrive within a healthy, prosperous, and equal country.

The IPPR’s 2024 State of the North report stresses the creation of good-quality jobs as imperative for restoring balance. The report says: “Rebalancing opportunity means creating not only jobs, but good quality, fulfilling jobs across the country.”

Businesses have an opportunity to be part of the solution. Through a commitment to Social Value delivery, companies can drive opportunity creation and empowerment for local communities in marginalised regions.

Sounds good … but what does this look like on a practical level?

Five principles for businesses to drive multi-stakeholder partnerships built on trust, cooperation and a shared goal of inclusive growth

Create direct pathways to employment. Partner with the local community to provide work experience, apprenticeships and mentoring schemes for students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Collaborate with community organisations, charities and social enterprises to offer skills training, adult education and employment support services tailored to the needs of the local area—co-develop programs to maximise impact.

Work with local government agencies to design policies and initiatives that drive inclusive economic growth, such as small business incubators in underserved neighbourhoods or infrastructure development to attract investment.

Sponsor community projects and events that support entrepreneurship, creativity, and cultural development. This stimulates innovation and job creation.

Encourage employee volunteer programs where workers share their expertise with vulnerable groups, helping build skills and confidence.

Creating work and training opportunities in less advantaged regions is not just an act of altruism; it is a strategic investment in the future. By tapping into local talent pools and providing skills training, we can unlock untapped potential and empower individuals to become active participants in the economy. This, in turn, stimulates local economies, generates tax revenue, and reduces dependency on welfare systems.

Rebalancing Power, Wealth and Opportunity

Investing in the local workforce contributes to a more cohesive, prosperous nation.

At its core, addressing regional inequalities through opportunity creation is about rebalancing power and wealth across the UK. By decentralising economic activity and spreading prosperity to underserved regions, businesses can help break the cycles of deprivation. This not only enhances social mobility but also strengthens the overall resilience of the economy by reducing its reliance on a few dominant regions.

One way to achieve this is to place Social Value at the heart of corporate strategy.

At Match My Project, we are determined to help businesses create employment and training opportunities that are responsible, empowering, and prosperous for themselves and the community. That is why we’ve developed our new Pathways to Work feature that allows businesses to find top talent while making a real difference for local jobseekers and organisations.

But that’s not all.

We have loads of exciting new features launching on our platform in the upcoming months. Watch this exclusive new conversation with our Product Lead, Ruth, to find out about what you can expect, and to learn more about what motivates the people behind Match My Project.

A Behind-the-Scenes Conversation: Our Exciting New Features

Unveiling our new “Pathways to Work” features – creating employment opportunities with local communities

At Match My Project, we’ve always believed in the power of connecting businesses with local communities to create positive social change. Today, we are thrilled to introduce our latest endeavour – “Pathways to Work“… groundbreaking features that redefine how businesses contribute to Social Value while empowering local talent.

More Social Value means more opportunity

Our customers in the public sector, particularly at the local level, are focused on creating apprenticeships and work placements.

These organisations, councils and housing associations – for example, are using Social Value to ask their suppliers to create new apprenticeships and work opportunities for local people.

But it’s not always easy creating these local opportunities. The data shows that only 1.5% of the UK’s 4.4 million employers are taking on apprentices. This number needs to change if our economic prospects are to change.

Finding local people to fill your apprenticeships and work placements can be a struggle

MatchMyProject is an award-winning platform that matches suppliers and businesses with good local community projects.

The platform was recognised by the Chartered Institute for Procurement and Supply (CIPS) as last year’s Best Initiative to Deliver Social Value through Procurement (for our work with Birmingham City Council).

The platform is a source of local community organisations – plugged into local networks, across local politics, and aware of local problems. MatchMyProject gives access to these organisations to suppliers and businesses looking for opportunities to deliver Social Value in their localities.

We are now introducing features which enable you to advertise apprenticeships and work placements that can be easily matched with local people.

You will be able to upload opportunities and receive candidate referrals from local community partners and, for the first time, self-referrals from individuals.

Posting your opportunity will be a quick process, with almost exclusively multiple choice questions, which has the added benefit of making opportunities easy to filter and sort for those accessing them.

And you’ll be able to manage all of this in one place.

JOIN US FOR THE LAUNCH EVENT!
To celebrate the launch of “Pathways to Work,” we invite you to join us for a special event on March 6th. Network with like-minded businesses, hear success stories, and witness the impact this feature can have on both businesses and communities. Sign up here!

Liz is the Head of Communities and Social Value at the Breyer Group, a leading property services provider that has been working with the public sector for over 60 years. We’ve been collaborating with Liz and her Community and Social Value Manager, Bobby Lorraine for the last couple of months and wanted to share what we’ve learnt about some of the work they’re doing. We caught up with Liz recently.

Breyer recently signed up to use Match My Project’s new features, which will help Liz and Bobby create more pathways to work for local people – and share Breyer’s good work far and wide. For a preview, have a look.

What’s a typical day like at Breyer?

Our role as the Social Value team is to support the Breyer Group through facilitating and delivering Social Value impact in line with the contract KPI’s. There is no typical day as it varies, depending on the needs of our communities and business priorities.

It can include bid writing, strategic planning, report writing, or collaboration with our contract teams and external partnerships, such as charities, local government, training organisations and SMEs.

We will also attend job fairs and community events where there are opportunities to meet and engage with residents.

What’s the community project you’re most proud of?

We worked with Allen Edwards Primary School in Lambeth to support their Eco Club. We donated both time and money to help students develop their fruit and vegetable growing areas. We gave £1,000 towards buying seeds and plants for the Primary School, which were chosen by the Eco Club students.

Then, later in the spring, a number of Breyer staff joined students and parents for a planting day.

Deputy Headteacher, Nicola Harris:

“We are so grateful to Breyer Roofing for helping transform our allotment area and for joining the Eco Club students on numerous occasions to discuss plants; help plant seeds; and to deliver and establish bigger flowers and vegetable plants. It has been an amazing learning experience for the students involved and the results will be enjoyed by all of us at the school. Thank you!”

That’s great. What’s coming up in the future? What are you really excited about?

We are very excited to be launching the Breyer Virtual Employability Academy. This will enable residents and students to access pre-employment training modules, that are usually only available to our employees online, in an environment in which they feel safe to explore construction.

Part of the programme offers access to a town hall Q&A session with Breyer professionals to hear about their career journeys and why the construction sector is a great place to have a lifelong career plan.

Each learner will receive certificates of completion and an interview to access suitable work placements, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities.

What would you change tomorrow if you had a magic wand?

One area we would change immediately would be the way Social Value is procured, measured and reported. It needs streamlining. We are a small team and the resource required to manage the multiple different approaches is confusing and unmanageable.

The key factor for us is to ensure the procurement requirements meet the demographics of the communities we are working in.

For instance, there is no sense in focusing on apprenticeships when the real need is to improve education for students, promote apprenticeships in construction and the built environment or to provide residents with clothes and food for their families because of the cost-of-living crisis.

Finally, what’s the best piece of advice anyone has given you?

Listen, collaborate and be innovative in order to find solutions that meet the needs of individuals and communities.

Thanks Liz!

If you are looking to create more successful apprenticeships in the local communities you serve, our up coming new features will be helpful – please take a look! If you want to know why we’re doing this, have a look here.