Applications Open for Change Grants Programme (UK)

Deadline: 31-Aug-22

The Bank of Scotland Foundation is seeking applications for Change Grants Programme.

Bank of Scotland Foundation recognises the significant impact that the cost of living crisis is having on people across Scotland. To ensure their funding can reach those in real need, the Change grants programme for 2022 will have a strong focus on helping charities address the crisis.

For the second year running, charities can apply for unrestricted funding through their Change programme. They hope that unrestricted core cost funding will give charities greater flexibility over how they use their resources, allowing them to respond quickly to a changing environment and adapt accordingly.

Offering up to £200k over two years, our Change programme extends a lifeline to charities allowing them to apply for whatever is their greatest priority and area of need – whether that be capital costs, project work, specific operating costs or unrestricted funding.

Funding Information

• Applications are accepted for grants between £1,000 and £25,000.

Specific Criteria

• Reach 
  • Your charity’s income must be £1 million or less per annum
  • Grants are awarded for one year
• Chnage 
  • Your charity’s income must be between £500K and £5 million per annum
  • Applications are accepted for grants between £50,000 and £100,000 per annum over 1-2 years
  • Your funding request should focus on project costs, capital costs or unrestricted core costs and ensure continued and reliable support for people across Scotland
• Invest
  • Your charity’s income must be between £50K and £1 million per annum
  • Applications are accepted for grants between £10,000 and £50,000 per annum over 2-5 years

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for this programme charities must have a minimum of 3 years accounts lodged and checked at OSCR. (Please note these 3 years accounts must be for the charity number on the Change grant application.) In addition the annual income inserted in your application form, must be taken from the most recent accounts which have been lodged and checked at OSCR and must be between £500k and £5million.
• Charities should also provide the total amount of the contribution they would like the Foundation to make to their core costs, over one or two years. Charities are also expected to convey in their supporting documentation:
  • Why unrestricted funding of core costs is needed and important to the charity
  • Why the charity is helping their group of service users, what they aim to achieve and how

Note: They will NOT fund certain unrestricted core costs such as: project costs or overheads incurred before the grant application is received, any costs not related to delivering outcomes such as a contribution to reserves, notional costs and costs that will never be incurred e.g., rent free premises.

 

Few mportant things to know before Applying

• Each application is stand alone to give each applicant the best possible chance. They therefore do not consider information provided on previous grant applications or evaluations.
• If your charity is currently in receipt of a grant from us, you cannot apply for further funding from any of their programmes, even if it is for a different purpose.
• Your charity cannot apply for further funding until a satisfactory evaluation form has been submitted.
• Your charity must be registered with OSCR and must have been operational for more than one year.
• Your charity’s Annual Return must be up to date with OSCR.
• If a Limited Company, your charity’s Accounts and Confirmation Statement must be up to date with Companies House.
• Your charity must provide a copy of its signed Annual Accounts with the application – they will accept accounts that have typed, scanned or computer-generated signatures but will not accept accounts where no signatures are visible or where there is a blank space where the signatures should be.
• Your charity must submit one A4 page explaining how your charity will spend any award and how your users / community will benefit.
• Your charity must not be one that redistributes funding for subsequent grant-making to other organisations and/or individuals.
• Your charity’s purpose must not be political, for animal welfare or the promotion of religion or medical research.
• Your charity cannot apply for donations to individuals, advertising, sponsorship, foreign trips or overseas projects.

Ineligible

• To enable the application to be fully assessed please provide the information requested:
  • One A4 page detailing your project/charity.
  • You’re most recent signed accounts (including Independent Examiner’s Report) which have been lodged and checked at OSCR.
  • Your charity’s constitution or Memorandum and Articles of Association.

For more information, visit Change Grants.

For more information, visit https://bankofscotlandfoundation.org/funding-programmes/change