Funding Round Up Extra

We have had a busy week here for funding news, some of which is just too good to wait until the next regular Funding Round Up. So here goes:

Government Launches New £7 Million Fund to Improve Peoples Financial Capabilities (UK)

In support of the UK Financial Capability Strategy, the Money Advice Service has launched a new £7 million fund to help understand more about how to improve financial capability. The fund will be available to organisations to help them pilot new approaches to improving financial capability and evaluate their projects.  The What Works Fund provides financial support for projects which are focused on building evidence of the types of interventions that can make a measurable difference to people’s financial capability. Funding will be available for the evaluation of existing interventions as well as piloting and evaluating new approaches. There will also be funding available to scale up existing programmes which have already demonstrated results to test the effectiveness of the project when reaching a wider group of people.  Applications are welcomed from charities and other third sector bodies including trusts; commercial organisations;  social enterprises; local authorities;  housing associations; and  education bodies. The Money Advice Service is encouraging organisations to express initial interest by completing an expression of interest form by the 8^th July 2016.  Applications will need to register at https://mas.bravosolution.co.uk before being able to submit and expression of interest form.

The Royal British Legion External Grants Programme (UK)

The Royal British Legion External Grants Programme is open to applications from organisations running, or planning, charitable activities in support of the Armed Forces community. Grants of up to £50,000 are available and priority will be given to projects that support employment and training; family support; homelessness and outreach; supporting the elderly. The first stage in the application process is to submit and Expression of Interest (EOI) and if successful at this stage applicants will be invited to submit a full application. Previous projects supported include the Milton Keynes charity “Works for Us” which has received a grant of £19,972 to fund a 12-month programme to give 15 local ex-Service personnel full training and work experience in the media industry and to produce a Second World War commemorative magazine for Buckinghamshire; and Finchale Training College, in Durham, which with the help of the Legion’s External Grants Scheme, has expanded the advice, training and information they provide to assist more ex-Service personnel in moving from the Armed Forces to new occupations. The next deadline for submitting an Expression of Interest is the 12th August 2016.

Community Business Fund Opens for Applications (England)

Power to Change, which supports community businesses, has announced that its £10 million Community Business Fund will re-open for applications in July. Power to Change will be awarding grants between £50,000- £300,000 to support and develop Community Businesses in England. Funding is available to Community Businesses that address one or more of the following aims: Reduce social isolation; Improve health and wellbeing; Increase employability; Create better access to basic services; Improve local environment; Enable greater community cohesion; and Foster greater community pride and empowerment. Funding is available for both capital and revenue costs.

LACA chair calls for holiday hunger funding applicants