One-off grants are available for front-line charities, voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations based in England that are struggling to meet increased demand for their critical services due to the increased demand for their critical services due to the cost of living.
The £75 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund is the first portion of funding from a total pot of £101.5 million announced by the Chancellor at the Spring 2023 Budget. The remaining quarter of the funding announced at Budget, worth £25.5 million, will be used to fund measures over the next two years to help the long term energy and financial resilience of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, as well as supporting the Government’s commitment to meeting a net zero target by 2050.
Objectives of Fund
The funding is intended for charities and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations that are experiencing increased demand for critical services and increased costs in delivering them – the main priority is to fund organisations supporting low-income households and individuals.
Grants of between £10,000 and £75,000 are available.
All funding must be spent by 31 March 2024
Applications will be accepted from the following organisations:
- Registered, exempt or excepted charities (either incorporated or unincorporated).
- Charitable incorporated organisations (CIO).
- Not-for-profit companies limited by guarantee who are a registered charity or have a not-for-profit ‘asset lock’ clause in their articles of association.
- Community interest companies (CIC).
- Community benefit societies.
- Co-operative societies who have a not-for-profit ‘asset lock’ clause in their society rules and are registered with the Financial Conduct Authority.
To be eligible, applicants must already run critical services around at least one of the following:
- Food and emergency supplies, eg, food and baby banks or the provision of hot meals, clothes or toiletries.
- Emergency shelter, eg, night shelters or other accommodation for people experiencing homelessness.
- Safe spaces, eg, domestic abuse services and youth services.
- Warmth, eg, warm rooms and spaces.
- Financial and housing advice, eg, giving people advice because of the increased cost of living.
Organisations must also be facing
- Increased demand for these critical services, and increased costs of delivering these critical services.
(Small and medium-sized front-line organisations with an annual turnover of between £10,000 and around £1 million are more likely to be successful)
However, larger organisations can also apply if they do both of the following:
Show that they work closely and effectively with local communities
Fill a gap in essential local services
The following are not eligible for funding:
- Unincorporated associations (unless they are also a registered charity with the Charity Commission).
- Organisations that have already applied for this funding.
- Statutory bodies (including town, parish and community councils).
- Schools.
- Individuals.
- Sole traders.
- One organisation applying on behalf of another or a partnership.
- Organisations that try to make profits and share these profits out privately. This includes organisations without the right asset locks. Or organisations that can pay profits to directors or shareholders.
- Critical services that are not experiencing increased demand and increased costs.
- Brand new services. Funding is only for existing, adapted or expanded services.
- Services being delivered outside of England.
- Applications that only ask for retrospective costs, without any cost for future delivery of services.
- Expanding or adapting existing services between 24 July 2023 and when the grants are offered (note: existing services in this time can be funded).
- Larger building works or maintenance, or any refurbishment work that is not completed and paid for by 31 March 2024
- Purchase of buildings or land
- Campaigning, political or lobbying activities (only the delivery of direct services will be funded)
- Religious activities (religious organisations will be considered if their project benefits the wider community and does not include religious content)
- Gifts or activities that make profits for private gain.
- Activities that petition for additional funding.
- Goods or services that the applicant has a statutory duty to provide.
- Giving cash direct to people experiencing hardship.
- Loan repayments.
Eligible Expenditure
The funding can be used to cover;
- Staff salaries for the service(s) being applied for.
- Volunteer costs for the service(s) being applied for.
- Service delivery – including any direct costs associated with delivering, expanding or adapting the services such as materials, new equipment or room hire.
- Very small-scale refurbishment needed to deliver the expanded or adapted service(s) being applied for. For example, installing a partition in a community centre so people can access financial advice privately, or upgrading a kitchen to provide meals in a warm hub. These must be fully complete and paid for by 31 March 2024.
- Improvements to systems and infrastructure needed to deliver the expanded or adapted services.
- Training and development for staff and volunteers delivering the services being applied for.
- Organisational development and capacity building (as long as this is not the focus of the application).
- A share of the applicant organisation’s overheads needed to run the services, for example, any fixed costs to support the running of the organisation, such as overall management, administration and support staff costs, rent and utilities.
How To Apply
Decisions are usually made within 12 weeks. The deadline for applications is 16 October 2023 (12 noon).
Find out more about the fund at our webinars. Book your place
Monday 21st August 11:00am – 11:45am
Tuesday 12th September 14:00am – 15:00am
Tuesday 28th September 11:00am – 12:00 noon
For further information on how to obtain this fund please click on the following link: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/community-organisations-cost-of-living-fund
- Enquiries
National Lottery Community Fund
Apex House
3 Embassy Drive
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 1TR
Tel: 0345 4 10 20 30
Email: general.enquiries@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk