UK: Core Costs Funding Stream

Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity

BBC Children in Need is excited to announce the Core Costs Funding Stream.

The Core Costs funding can be spent on your organisation’s central day-to-day operations. These might include, for example:

• Management and administration
• HR and payroll
• General office expenses
• Accountancy and audit
• Communications and outreach
• Monitoring, evaluation, and learning
• Governance, regulatory, and compliance costs

Funding Information

• Applications for grants of £15,000 or less per year will receive a quicker decision from them, and so will be able to start sooner if successful.
• Their Core Grants stream supports organisations for up to three years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Not-for-profit organisations working with children and young people aged 18 or under
• Organisations that work with children and young people who live in the UK, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands
• They will only consider applications for over £15,000 per year from organisations who have registered with the appropriate regulatory body
• These include the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Charity Commission for Northern Ireland and the Scottish Charity Register
• If you are a Company limited by Guarantee, you must have registered with Companies House
• You can only apply for and hold one grant at any time.
• If you have a current BBC Children in Need grant that is due to end within 12 months, you can re-apply. If successful with your new application, funds will not be released until your current grant has ended.
• If they do not fund your application they will advise you when you are next able to apply to them.
• You won’t be eligible for their Core Costs stream if you have a current grant with more than 12 months left to deliver
• They seek to prioritise smaller, local organisations
• As a result, they will rarely fund Core Costs for organisations with an annual turnover of more than £1 million in the most recent, complete financial year
• They understand that some organisations with higher income deliver vital work for children and young people. They will accept applications from the following organisations regardless of turnover:
  • Hospices (including children’s hospices)
  • Housing Associations
  • Applications delivering work nationwide (across a whole nation) or UK-wide (across multiple nations within the UK)
  • They understand that, in some circumstances, larger and/or national organisations may be best-placed to deliver work to communities who need it most
  • Organisations may only hold one Core Costs grant at any time, regardless of where in the UK they deliver work
• The people and organisations that BBC Children in Need fund will be:
  • Working with children and young people aged 18 years and under
  • Working in the heart of their communities, particularly in times of crisis
  • Putting children and young people at the centre of everything they do, from design to delivery
  • Addressing challenges faced by children and young people, building their skills and resilience
  • Empowering children and young people, and extending their choices in life
  • Keen to keep learning about and developing their work with children and young people
  • Committed to making a difference in children and young people’s lives

Ineligible

• BBC Children in Need doesn’t fund:
  • Work that statutory bodies (such as schools or local authorities) have a duty to fund
  • Educational institutions, including schools, universities, and pupil referral units. Special schools are the only exception; 
  • Local government, prisons, or NHS bodies
  • Capital or building projects
  • Work that promotes religion
  • Trips abroad, or other activity taking place outside the UK
  • Medical treatment or research
  • Pregnancy testing or advice, information, or counselling on pregnancy choices
  • Awareness-raising work, except where targeted at children or young people most at risk
  • Bursaries, sponsored places, fees, or similar costs
  • Holidays where there is little or no project involvement
  • Political activity, including party political organisations or direct lobbying
  • Individuals
  • Costs passed on to other organisations
  • General appeals or endowment funds
  • Help with budget shortfalls or debt repayments
  • Work that has already taken place – or any costs incurred – before the date they give you a decision (retrospective funding)
  • Expenditure unable to start within 12 months of the grant award date
  • Unspecified expenditure

For more information, visit BBC Children in Need.

For more information, visit https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/grants/apply/core-costs/