External Funding Opportunities for the East Midlands

External Funding Opportunities for the East Midlands:

Consultation on Big Lottery Fund's infrastructure programme
The Big Lottery Fund has published a discussion paper, entitled Building capabilities for impact and legacy, about its new £20million infrastructure programme, which will complement the Transforming Local Infrastructure fund. The paper aims to stimulate debate and thinking to shape, influence and inform their future thinking and investment. The Big Lottery Fund want to be more purposeful in their investment and leave a legacy that demonstrates measurable impact of this form of investment and to help organisations to be able to do this as well. The consultation is open to 15 March. Download the discussion paper here

The Big Lottery Fund would also like to discover if you would like a discussion event in the East Midlands on the consultation during the last two weeks of February. The event would not replace the requirement for you to contribute to the consultation, but would provide an opportunity for the Big Lottery Fund regional office to support the discussion process, explain their thinking behind Building Capabilities and gather your views. If you would be interested in attending the discussion event, if one was held in the region, email your interest to: sean.tizzard@biglotteryfund.org.uk

£150million Community First endowment fund launched
The Community First endowment fund, which aims to raise £150million of investment to deliver around £12million in annual returns to provide grants to local community and social action projects from 2015 onwards, has been launched. The endowment will be delivered by Community Development Foundation (CDF), who are also delivering a £30million small grants scheme through the government's Community First programme, encouraging in-kind investment, such as expertise or time dedicated to a cause, in return for funding of up to £30,000.
CDF was chosen to deliver the Community First programme after delivering the government's four-year £130million Grassroots Grants programme which closed in March last year. It has also been chosen to deliver the £200million Big Local Trust endowment. For further information click here