Deadline: 01-Dec-20
The National Lottery Community Fund has announced a call for proposals for the New Infrastructure Programme.
Strengthening and renewing infrastructure to be fit for the future. The National Lottery Community Fund gives between 8 and 10 infrastructure organisations a package of funding, combined with on-site coaching and expertise provided by a Design Lab over 12 months. The Design Lab will be a dedicated team which will provide expert advice and practical support.
Infrastructure organisations support informal groups, local social action, specialist communities, and voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK. Although they may work directly with communities too, that’s not their only purpose. The Fund is looking to fund two different types of infrastructure organisations – established and emerging.
- Established infrastructure organisations: The established infrastructure organisations as ‘local infrastructure, made up of local and regional charities with the main remit of supporting the sector’. An established infrastructure organisation must be able to fulfil these criteria:
- show they’re still playing a vital role in terms of an infrastructure offer;
- how they’re willing to re-imagine and re-deliver what they do in a way that makes use of digital approaches;
- show a willingness to make changes to trustee and staff teams to make change possible;
- show organisation-wide commitment to digital change and an understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead;
- be frank and detailed about the strengths and weaknesses of digital skills within the applicant organisation;
- show a generosity of spirit in how they intend to share their learning, technology or opportunities with other civil society organisations;
- show that their networks and/or membership are active and representative;
- they have a small core team that can demonstrate that, by investing in them to change, there will be a ripple effect in terms of value and impact;
- show how up to £50,000 will free up staff time to engage in the capability building function of the Design Lab and that the work will lead to sustainable change in how they work.
- Emerging infrastructure organisations: The emerging infrastructure as newer in terms of how long it’s existed for or in terms of its structure (it might be more networked or self-organised for example), or its offers. An emerging infrastructure organisation must be able to fulfil these criteria:
- be frank and detailed about the strengths and weaknesses of their skills and the additional capacity that they need;
- be clear and detailed about how additional capacity and funding can benefit them;
- show a generosity of spirit in how they intend to share their learning, technology or opportunities with other new and emerging infrastructure organisations;
- can show that their networks and/or membership are active and representative;
- show how up to £50,000 will stabilise their organisation in order to engage in the Design Lab offer and that the work will lead to sustainable change in how they work.
- Funding size: Up to £50,000;
- Total available: £400,000 (around 8 to 10 grants in total).
Eligibility Criteria
- You can apply if your infrastructure organisation does at least one of these:
- supports voluntary and community sector organisations, networks, groups and/or communities;
- develops the work and capacity of civil society organisations and groups;
- convenes and advocates on behalf of the sector and the communities you serve;
- connects local organisations to assets and wealth.
- Your organisation also needs to be a:
- voluntary or community organisation;
- registered charity;
- constituted group or club;
- not-for-profit company or community interest company.
- You can apply for this funding, even if your organisation has already applied to them and/or was awarded a grant for round one of the Digital Fund.
For more information, visit https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/new-infrastructure-programme