Under the Localism Act 2011, voluntary and community bodies as well as groups of two or more local authority staff, are able to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to run a local authority service.

This ability is governed by the Community Right to Challenge provision of the Act. The provision came into effect on 27 June 2012.

When to submit Expressions of Interest

Relevant bodies that wish to submit an EOI must do so during specified periods. The next specified period for submission to the Royal Borough of Greenwich is between 1 May to 30 June. The submission should be addressed to Royal Borough of Greenwich.

An application form covering the information needed for your EOI is available using the Right to Challenge form.

If your group submits an Expression of Interest outside of the specified period, you will receive an acknowledgement. You will also receive information about the period that the Royal Borough has specified for considering EOIs.

Right to Challenge process and time scales

The following steps describe the process the Royal Borough of Greenwich will follow when EOIs are received between 1 May and 30 June:

1. Within 30 days of the EOI being received you will be informed of the time scale for a decision on the EOI.
2. Within six months of the submission (no later than 31 December), the Royal Borough will inform you of the outcome of your EOI.
3. Within four months of the outcome (no later than 30 April), if your EOI is accepted, the Royal Borough will begin a procurement process.