CF launches strategic grants

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The Community Fund has launched its new strategic grants programme, remodelled under its new strategic plan. The programme replaces two former schemes for multi-area and UK-wide projects. To qualify, a project must have geographical significance across three or more England regions or more than one home nation; or else it must have UK-wide applicability.

Priority areas reflect the fund’s general

• children and young people
• older people and their carers
• black and minority ethnic communities
• refugees and asylum seekers
• disabled people and their carers
• those disadvantaged by living in areas of social and economic decline.

Additionally, CF mentions cross-cutting themes such as mental health, drug abuse or homelessness as suitable subjects for support. It is placing a heavy emphasis on ‘innovative’ schemes and those that ‘add value’, which, according to the CF’s England and UK director Richard Gutch, means: ‘projects that test out a new approach or build on what already works.’ The programme has £31.6m available this year which is 11% of the budget. Gutch expects that this percentage will be maintained in future years. It is also distinctive in offering the possibility of up to nine years’ funding – three more than the maximum on other CF programmes (projects will still need to reapply for continuation funds every three years). Gutch says: ‘We’re recog-nising there could be certain kinds of project where they need to think about a much longer-term approach.’ There is no maximum grant limit, although the expectation is that most applications will fall within the £60,000 to £1m band for the CF’s large grant programme. Gutch points out, however, that scheme will support medium-sized applications for less than £60,000, to support, for instance, a feasibility study. Normal CF rules apply in respect of match funding and consortium bids. Bids for capital are possible, but with caveats: do not expect this programme to build your voluntary organisation a new national headquarters.

Applications will take five months to turn around, and the programme is continuous and rolling. Use the normal CF large (or medium) grants forms to apply, but you will need also to fill in a questionnaire relating to the strategic nature of your bid. The CF hopes to make its first awards announcements in March 2003.

For questions and answers about the programme see www.community-fund.org.uk/index2.htm