Voluntary organisations and charities should have their funding deals extended to three-year periods, providing them with more stability and security. Scottish Conservatives have called for action to help the third sector as part of their official business in the Scottish Parliament. As it stands, many organisations face almost constant uncertainty because their funding is limited to 12 months, making it riskier to embark on long-term projects or offer valued workers long-term security. It also means staff are tied up for much of the year putting in place new bids for funding when they could be spending time on their organisation’s area of work. The motion has the backing of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), and should lead to greater efficiency and productivity for thousands of Scottish third sector set-ups, should it be accepted by fellow MSPs. Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife said: “For far too long third sector organisations have only been given funding on a yearly basis, and that leads to great uncertainty and inefficiency. “We value the sector highly, and believe if it was given longer-term funding it would be able to maximise its potential. “There is an agreement with councils and the Scottish Government that three-year funding cycles should be typical, but in practice this has been the exception rather than the norm. “In some cases, organisations have to spend months handing out redundancy warnings and pleading for new funding, before eventually being able to return to normal for a brief period. John Downie, SCVO director of public affairs, said:“It’s important to remember that this debate is not about trying to secure more money for the sector. “Instead, it’s about taking a more strategic and longer term approach to funding which gives charities and other third sector organisations extra security. “This means that they can make long-term plans and build more sustainable services, which will better meet the needs of the vulnerable people who use and rely on these services across Scotland.”