Deadline: 18-Nov-21
The London Borough of Lewisham is seeking applications for its Small Partnership Grants Program to deliver VCS sustainability by building strength and capacity to attract funds from wider sources rather than the Council trying to fund everything directly through short-term project-based grants.
The programme has focused on a range of service areas and approaches during its lifetime and has developed in accordance with the needs of local residents, always with input from the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) to ensure its focus is effectively targeted.
The aim is that the new Main Grants funding round should deliver VCS sustainability by building strength and capacity to attract funds from wider sources rather than the Council trying to fund everything directly through short term project-based grants. This aim also takes into account the introduction of the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) which has the potential to fund local projects and services directly related to local need. The Council has identified that it is crucial for the VCS to maximise the benefits that NCIL brings and that this will be best achieved by the Main Grants programme strengthening the capacity of the sector to achieve this.
Priorities
The new priorities for the main grants programme are:
- An economically sound future (specifically Advice Services and Enabling Digital Access for All)
- A healthy and well future: including a coordinated social prescribing service, social prescribing activities, volunteering, and connecting people to their local community or communities of interest as a means of improving their well-being.
- A future they all have a part in: including investments in infrastructure to enable the VCS to be independent.
Funding Information
- Amount: up to £10,000 per year
- Grants will generally be for up to circa £50k per year apart from exceptional circumstances. It is intended that there will be larger partnership grants for the delivery of a borough-wide advice service and a coordinated social prescribing service.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible for a grant from Lewisham Council you must be a not for profit organisation. The following types of organisation are eligible to apply for a grant:
- Registered Charity
- Company Ltd by shares
- CIC (Community Interest Company)
- Cooperative
- Other – constituted (including CIO’s and Social Enterprises)
- Other – un-constituted
For more information, visit https://communityfunding.lewisham.gov.uk/maingrants/main-grants-application