Funding

Many voluntary and community groups are largely dependent on the receipt of grants from a range of agencies in order for them to continue to run services or develop projects. The funding world is very large, varied, inconsistent and sometimes complex.

The aim of BAVO's funding service is to help groups to wade through the complexities of fundraising as easily and efficiently as possible and to share the funding knowledge and experience gained.

BAVO is able to provide a range of funding services to voluntary and community groups in the County. The funding web pages give information on:

The BAVO Community Small Grants Scheme (up to £2k)
The support that is available from BAVO staff to identify funders who are likely to support the work that groups need funding for
The support available to make funding applications
The range of information sheets available to support groups with applying for funds and finding the right funder
The support available to develop a fundraising strategy
The Big Lottery- Community Voice
The Big Lottery Fund- Bright new Futures

Funding Advice Services and Support

BAVO provide a free service helping you to find sources of funding appropriate to your group's activities.

Using the extensive resources of Funderfinder and Grantfinder, and online databases we can search a wide range of charitable and grant-making trusts. In addition, the staff hold current information about local and national government grants, and directories and guides to other funding sources.

Having identified appropriate funding sources, BAVO can help you through the application process - obtaining and helping you to complete application forms, or proof-reading your application forms before they are submitted and/or where necessary liaising with funders.

To access this service please email bavo@bavo.org.uk or contact us on 01656 810400.

BAVO has been awarded new funding under the Welsh Assembly Government's Community Facilities and Activities Programme (CFAP) and therefore the BAVO Community Grant Scheme has now been reopened.

There are new guidelines in place as under the new funding, the grant scheme is available for capital items only. Under the new guidelines there is now NO provision for revenue/consumable items.

The funding has been reduced and is likely to be heavily subscribed. Therefore, applicants are advised that when considering whether to apply to the scheme, they ensure that it is the most suitable funding stream for their application.

What is the BAVO Community Small Grants Scheme?

The scheme is a local initiative to support the development of sustainable projects that help improve the quality of life for current and future generations. The funding will support proposals that focus on environmental, social, cultural and economic aspects of life and meet the priorities of the scheme.

The limit for applications remains at £2000 and applications will be considered at two monthly intervals.

Please be advised that if your application is tied to a specific timescale, you are advised to submit it in plenty of time (ie with more than one months notice) in case the panel has further questions and the application is deferred. The scheme cannot provide retrospective funding, that means if you have already ordered or paid for items prior to your application being considered, you cannot then claim for them through the grant programme.

PLEASE NOTE:

Applications that are not for developing sustainable projects or do not meet the priorities set in the guidelines, will not be prioritised.

Applications that do not follow the guidance notes, or are submitted without copies of the relevant policies and constitutional documents will be rejected and/or returned unconsidered by the panel.

Previous applicants who have received a grant, but have not submitted the required final receipts for audit trail purposes, cannot apply until outstanding issues relating to their previous grant have been resolved. For further information on this please contact Pat Lindsay.

The panel does monitor and take into consideration the number of previous awards given to an individual organisation as well as the level of unrestricted reserves an applicant organisation holds. This is to ensure equity and spread in what is a competitive grant scheme. They also aim to limit reliance on the grant scheme.

Application forms and guidance notes are available to download here. Application form (pdf) Application form (word version) and Guidance notes.

For more information on the BAVO Community Grant Scheme contact Andrea Queeley or Tracy Evans on 01656 810400 or email bavo@bavo.org.uk.

The next deadline date for applications is 16th March 2012.

Wales Economic Growth Fund

The Welsh Government recognises how challenging it is for business right now, which is why £15 million has been launched for Wales Economic Growth Fund.

This is a short-term, fast-track fund for businesses, providing immediate access to non-repayable capital funding for investments that will create and retain jobs.

If your company has projects planned that will improve productivity and create and maintain jobs, then the Wales Economic Growth Fund could help.

With minimum funding starting at £100,000, the Wales Economic Growth Fund offers a great way of putting your business into the best possible shape for 2012.

Applications are open from 12 December 2011 with a closing date of 31 January 2012 and funding will need to be spent by the 31 December 2012

For more oinformation please click here

Local Energy Assessment Fund

The Local Energy Assessment Fund is a new £10million fund to support community action on energy efficiency and renewable energy. It aims to help communities to equip themselves to work with the private and public sector to deliver meaningful projects through mechanisms such as the Green Deal, Feed in Tariffs and the Renewable Heat Incentive.
This fund is a short-term intervention to be completed by 31st March 2012. It is expected that average grant values will be around £50,000. The maximum grant available under LEAF will be £130,000. Applicants should be aware that they will be responsible for checking whether their grant application will be effected by European State Aid rules.

For more information and the guidence document please click here.

GwirVol Grants 2011

The aim of the GwirVol Youth Volunteering Grants scheme is to support the delivery of a wide range of new volunteering opportunities in Wales and overseas that will support the step change in access to volunteering for young people aged 16-25 and especially for disadvantaged young people. The GwirVol grant scheme offers five different strands of funding: Creating Opportunities, Promotions, StreetGames, International and Millennium Volunteers grants.

GwirVol Grant Strands

Creating Opportunities: For organisations looking to create new youth volunteering projects, new youth volunteering roles or to recruit more young people into existing volunteering roles. Creating Opportunities grant applications can be for up to a maximum amount of £10,000.

Promotions: For organisations looking to promote the benefits or challenge the perceptions of volunteering to young people or about young people to their local communities. Shout it out! grant applications can be for up to a maximum amount of £3,000.
StreetGames: For organisations looking to develop volunteering opportunities in doorstep sports within deprived areas. StreetGames grant applications can be for up to a maximum amount of £2,000.
International: For organisations looking to develop overseas volunteering opportunities that benefit young people and their communities in Wales as well. International grant applications can be for up to a maximum amount of £30,000.
Millennium Volunteers: For organisations looking to recognise the commitment young people give to volunteering through offering the 200 hour award of excellence. Millennium Volunteers grant applications can be for up to a maximum amount of £10,000.

What they don’t fund:

Volunteering activities for those outside the age range of 16-25.
Young people who are carrying out the activities as a part of their Welsh Baccalaureate qualification or any other compulsory community work required for education such as work experience for degree courses or diplomas.

To find out more about the funding please go to www.GwirVol.org.uk Completed applications need to be returned to: GwirVol Youth Volunteering Grants, WCVA, Baltic House, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff CF10 5FH. Dates to be announced end of March.

An emailed copy of the final version of your application needs to be sent to GwirVol@wcva.org.uk in addition to sending a signed hard copy as this will help them to process you application as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Bridgend Youth Funding Panel

The Bridgend Youth Funding Panel, made up by young people from the Bridgend Borough will be awarding grants of up to £1500 for organisations that are supporting youth volunteering. Previous sucessful applicants to the scheme Solid Rock Youth Centre stated "the grant was much appreciated and made the HOPE event in May very successful. The young people really enjoyed the projects around various communities as well as the celebration evenings." If you would to promote youth volunteering in your organisations then please contact Sharon or Geraint at BAVO for more information on the Bridgend Youth led Funding Grant. The deadline for completed applications is Friday 20th January 2012.

To download aplication form click here

To download guidelines click here

GrantsNet - Do your funding searches at the click of a button...

BAVO can run free funding searches with specialist funding software and in-house knowledge for its members and provide tailored support and advice for your fundraising needs, but you may want to have a look at what is available yourself through a very simple web based service!

GrantsNet gives information about grant schemes available to businesses and charities in the UK. Here you will find comprehensive information and be able to identify relevant and appropriate funding streams for your organisation's work.

Go to the GrantsNet website.

Guide to the Welsh Assembly Government's Voluntary Sector Grants

This guide provides information on all Welsh Assembly Government's voluntary sector grants. Download the guide.

Sustainable Funding Cymru

Sustainable Funding Cymru is a resource that provides practical information to voluntary and community organisations in Wales on how to develop a sustainable funding approach.

The website provides practical advice and guidance to organisations that want to develop an entrepreneurial outlook to funding in order to achieve long-term financial sustainability through income diversification.

It offers guidance on the various income sources available to the sector and the approaches and skills required to adopt, manage, and maintain these sources.

It also provides case studies of organisations already working towards sustainability, source of further help, regular news updates on Sustainable Funding Cymru, and details of relevant training and events.

The website will be frequently updated and organisations will have the opportunity to join an e-mailing list to receive a free monthly newsletter. For help and assistance, call 0800 2888 329 or email sfc@wcva.org.uk

Visit the Sustainable Funding Cymru Website.

Please also check BAVO's training pages for Sustainable funding workshops being held in Bridgend County.

Commissioning

An important aspect of the voluntary sector’s role in relation to public services is that it is also a major provider of public services.

The voluntary sector’s contribution to delivering public services is significant in a number of ways:

A diverse supply base is more competitive and more likely to meet service users’ requirements.

A thriving voluntary sector can contribute to community engagement and prosperity.

Many voluntary organisations share the government’s aspirations for citizen-centred public services.

The national policy environment is currently favourable to developing the voluntary sector’s role in delivering public services as reflected in, for example, the Welsh Assembly Government’s Making the Connections (2005) and in its response to Beyond Boundaries, the Beecham Review of Public Services in Wales (2006); and in its Voluntary Sector Scheme Strategic Action Plan.

There is a body of work that BAVO needs to look at in terms of supporting the local voluntary sector to enter into procurement, commissioning and tendering, especially inlight of the EU Convergence Funding programme which may open up tendering opportunities for the voluntary sector.

The Big Lottery Fund- Bright New Futures

The Big Lottery Fund has launched the Bright New Futures - a programme that aims to build resilience of young disabled people and young parents in Wales so that they have the life skills, knowledge and ability to manage key transitions in their lives.
Research and consultation have shown us that both groups have a range of complex needs. They may experience gaps in service provision, duplication of some services, and be unwilling to use services due to previous bad experiences.

Under our Bright New Futures programme, we are making £12 million available for projects across Wales, working with young parents and/or young disabled people aged 14 – 25.
Grants of between £200,000 and £1 million are available to projects running for between three and five years. Third sector organisations with experience of working with at least one of the target groups will be eligible for funding.
Applicants must register their interest in the programme on our website by 12 noon on 13 October 2011.

We have organised eight briefing and partnership events during November for those who have registered. These events will explain further about the programme, and give you an opportunity to meet other organisations working in your area. We will only be able to fund a limited number of projects so we want organisations working with the same beneficiaries in the same area to know about each other and work together where appropriate.

Registration information, key dates and more information can be found in the Bright New Futures leaflet or by visiting the Big Lottery Fund website, www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/brightnewfutures

Please also take some time to read the Our Bright Futures comic-style case studies of the types of people this funding could help.
There are also videos and podcasts on the website and a video of a flash mob performed by partially sighted young people to mark the launch can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teYPBXgGkBg
Please contact us on 0300 123 0735 if you have any questions about the programme