Grants and Funding

Learning Revolution Transformation Fund

The Learning Revolution Transformation Fund of £20 million offers grants of various sizes to help projects get started. Funding will be allocated this summer so that you can bring your most inspirational ideas to life by March 2010.

To find out more information and how to apply http://www.dius.gov.uk/~/media/publications/L/learningrev_prospectus

2012 London Cultural Skills Fund

This fund is designed to support the advancement of cultural and creative skills so that more people in London can have the chance to learn and develop through the arts during the Cultural Olympiad.

Click the link for more details on this new fund http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/documents/news/2012LondonCulturalSkillsFundProspectus_php0zl7XW.pdf

An opportunity to go to a free workshop on how this fund will be initiated can be found at the following link http://www.londonfirst.co.uk/documents/London_Cultural_Skills_Fund_Event_11_June_09.pdf

Equalitis and Human rights Commission Funding

The Commission today announced a new £10.2 million Strategic Funding Programme, providing three-year project-based funding of up to £450,000 for community and voluntary sector organisations.

A first priority area will fund organisations providing guidance, advice and advocacy services in areas including education, health and employment, as well building capacity where there are gaps in local provision, for example for women who have experienced violence.  A second priority area will support increased co-operation between groups - including ethnic or religious communities - in areas where there are known tensions.

A third priority area is support for legal advice and awareness of legal rights.  This will operate as a separate Programme which is expected to launch in June. 

Read More  

Help a London Child Grants

Help a London Child aims to give opportunities to the Capital's children and young people who experience poverty and disadvantage; have/are experiencing abuse, neglect, homelessness, violence or crime; or who have an illness or disability.

Over  two rounds of funding in 2008, £705,165 was awarded to 400 charities and voluntary groups through our Small Grants programme, benefiting over 127,000 of the Capital’s less advantaged and most vulnerable children and young people.

The 2009 application pack will be available from Friday 8th May. You will be able to download it, or alternatively you are welcome to request a form by post - please send in an A4 sae (61p stamp) to: Help a London Child 2009 Applications, 95.8 Capital FM, 30 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LA. Read More

Sport England Grants

Sport England is committed to the creation of a world-leading community sport system. This means focusing our investment on organisations and projects that will grow and sustain participation in grassroots sport and create opportunities for people to excel at their chosen sport.

In addition to our investment in key partners to deliver specific objectives, we are launching funding programmes open to a wide range of organisations. These include sports clubs, voluntary or community organisations, local authorities, schools, colleges and universities.

Click to see the FUNDING PROGRAMMES

Secret Millionaire Fund

The Big Lottery Fund is supporting the The Secret Millioniare website through its Awards for All programme. Visitors to the site will be able to

1. Nominate a community project they think would benefit from Big Lottery Funding. The organisation will then be contacted by the Big Lottery Fund to see if it is eligible for its small grants scheme, Awards for All and sent the relevant information.
2. Apply directly. If people have an idea for a project that can bring real improvements to the lives of communities, and can pass a simple eligibility test (see information below), they can apply to Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All programme

Successful applicants to The Secret Millionaire Fund may then be selected for filming by Channel 4 and appear on the website. Applicants will be asked to opt in to this at the point of application.

Follow the link for more information on how to apply http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_secret_millionaire_fund?tab=2

Social enterprise access to investment programme

There can be a missing link between social enterprises and the finance they need. While, Social Enterprises can benefit from a wide range of financial products, they are not always able to access the finance appropriate for them. Evidence suggests that this might be due to the fact that many social enterprises are not always investment ready and can have low levels of financial literacy.

In the Social Enterprise Action Plan, the government made a commitment to develop a financial skills and investment readiness programme following consultation with experts in the sector.

In partnership with NESTA, the Office of the Third Sector is launching a year long Social Enterprise Access to Investment programme to help social enterprises make the most of the new investment that will be available. The overarching aim of this initiative will be to find ways for social enterprises to gain the advice and support they need from Investment Readiness Providers (IRPs) to access new forms of growth finance.

The programme will be available to IRPs that are working with an eligible social enterprise to access risk capital.

This programme is jointly funded and will be run by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA).

More details about the programme will be available following a seminar on the 10 June with Investment Readiness Providers, social entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders. Further information will be available on this website shortly.  

Greenprints

A partnership of five of the country’s leading not-for-profit organisations have come together to provide support and funding to help young people improve green spaces in their communities. SITA Trust, v the youth volunteering charity, BTCV, The Wildlife Trusts and the BBC’s Breathing Places campaign, have joined forces to develop a two-year programme called GreenPrints which will offer funding of up to £10,000, as well as support and practical expertise from the partners, to enable 16–25 year olds to make a real difference to the communities in which they live by improving  green spaces for people and wildlife. The funding is open to not for profit organisations for projects designed and delivered by groups of volunteers aged 16 to 25. SITA Trust and v have each pledged £1 million to fund the programme, making it one of the largest single investments made by either organisation to any funding programme. The overall programme will be managed using the expertise and experience of SITA Trust and BTCV. One of the most unusual elements of this programme is the individual, dedicated mentor-support that will be provided by the BTCV and The Wildlife Trusts to assist with the practical delivery of every single project that is supported.

Visit: http://www.sitatrust.org.uk/greenprints/ for more information.

GRASSROOTS GRANTS ELIGIBILTY CRITERIA CHANGED

The Office of the Third Sector yesterday announced an important change to the eligibility criteria for Grassroots Grants.

With immediate effect, Grassroots Grants is open to voluntary and community groups with an annual income of up to £30,000 taken as an average over the last three years or since the formation of the group if it is less than three years old. The previous level was £20,000.

If you would like to apply please contact please call Beverly Burton at MVSC 020 8685 2277.

City Bridge Trust new grants programme - Accessible London

A new funding opportunity which recognises there still remains barriers preventing disabled people from leading independent or fulfilling lives.

To support work that removes these barriers and enable disabled people to participate fully in society, City Bridge funding opportunities cover things like Access audits, disability equalities training and related consultancy up to a maximum of £5,000 or work which improves access to buildings in the third sector.  For more information visit  http://www.bridgehousegrants.org.uk/CityBridgeTrust/Grants/GrantsProgrammeGuidelines/Accessible+London.htm

Top tips for successful bidding/consortia development

Futurebuilders England Outreach Team have compiled a selection of top tips on how to submit a successful funding application.  For more information visit

BIG Lottery Fund          

Millions of pounds available under the Changing Spaces programme for London projects to benefit.   For more information click here             

•  Young People’s Fund 2 Local Grants programme. Click here for more information.     

Capacity Builders Funding

Capacitybuilders funding - London Social Enterprise CB funded events and survey mapping social enterprise support.  For more information click here

London Compact Awards

London's Compact Working Group has launched its own London Compact Awards 2008. For more information and to make your own nominations click here

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) has set up the to put young people at the heart of local issues and services that affect their lives. It’s a chance for young people to lead on developing activities and services that they want in their local area. Up to £38 million is available across England. 

London Development Agency