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Big Lottery Fund £20m infrastructure programme

13 January 2012

The Big Lottery Fund has published a discussion paper about the programme, which is called ‘Building Capabilities for Impact and Legacy’. Interested parties have until 15^th March 2012 to submit comments via BIG’s online survey. A revised paper will then be drawn up.

The paper says the programme, first announced in July 2011, will not be a traditional grants programme: "It is not sustainable in the present situation to use limited lottery investment specifically to maintain the current structure of voluntary sector infrastructure bodies at national, regional or local level".

It says there is no single solution to the diverse needs of front-line organisations and this programme should "test different approaches" that enable front-line organisations "to get the support they need".

Bill Freeman, director of development at Navca, said the paper appeared to signal a shift in the BLF's approach to capacity-building towards a more demand-led system. He said he welcomed this, but added: "The downside is that infrastructure providers do other things as well, such as represent the sector."

BIG have also published a tender for a £6 million investment over three years to administer the first phase of the programme and ‘improve the quality of support services for voluntary organisations’. The sum could be extended by £4m over another two years, subject to evaluation. The investment aims to develop the capabilities of local and specialist support providers so they can offer higher quality support to frontline voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises to increase their effectiveness as well as respond to changing needs and a changing funding environment.

Organisations interested in tendering to administer the first phase of the programme had until 9^th January 2012 to complete pre-qualifying questionnaires. Five organisations will be shortlisted and a chosen applicant is expected to be named in March 2012.

Dharmendra Kanani, England director for the BLF, said: "The investment aims to develop the capabilities of local and specialist support providers so they can offer higher quality support to front-line voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises to increase their effectiveness as well as respond to changing needs and a changing funding environment."

Links

Further information on the programme - http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/building_capabilities

BIG Discussion paper - http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/buildingcapabilitiesv2.pdf

Questions and Answers - http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/building_capabilities_qa_091211.pdf

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