BBC Children in Need: Core Costs

Overview

Overview

• The Core Costs funding stream has no application deadline – you can apply at any time
• They will not fund any work that has already taken place, or any costs incurred, before the date they give you a decision
• The first step in applying for Core Costs is to fill in a short Expression of Interest (EOI) form online
• Use the EOI form to tell them a bit more about your organisation, and the work you want them to fund
• You’ll be able to access the EOI form in your online account when the funding stream is open
• If they would like to support the work outlined in your EOI form, they’ll send you a full application form to complete
• Their National and Regional Plans will help you understand how they prioritise decisions

BBC Children in Need commits to fairness and making a positive difference for children and young people. It is their responsibility to embrace a diverse, equitable, and inclusive approach to everything they do. Children and young people are great at this and we need to be too.

What are Core Costs?

Core Costs support essential organisational and administrative spending. These are the key expenses required to keep your organisation running.

Their 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

Their Core Costs Funding Stream is for charities and not-for-profit organisations. Applicants to this programme can apply for grants for up to three years. They aim to give quicker decisions for grants of £15,000 or less per year.

The information below will help you decide whether to apply for Core Costs. If you want to apply for Project Costs instead, please visit their Project Costs Funding Stream page.

Are Core Costs grants counted as restricted or unrestricted funding?

Their Core Costs grants are awarded as restricted funding. They must be used to cover your organisation’s essential running expenses.

Unrestricted funding could be used by an organisation for any charitable aim at any time, entirely at the grantee’s own discretion. They do not award completely unrestricted funds of this type.

What is 'full cost recovery'?

The ‘full cost recovery’ model of funding is designed to cover the entire cost of an activity, plus a proportion of the organisation’s overheads during its delivery. These might include rent, utilities, or administrative costs.

BBC Children in Need grants cannot be used to support full cost recovery models.

Who can apply?

• 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

How much should you apply for?

• Applications for grants of £15,000 or less per year will receive a quicker decision from us, and so will be able to start sooner if successful
• Their Core Grants stream supports organisations for up to three years
• 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
• They do not make grants of over £120,000 (or £40,000 per year), and most grants they make are for much less than this. Each year they receive far a higher number of funding requests than they are able to support. Applications for larger amounts are always more difficult for them to fund
• If your work directly supports certain groups of especially vulnerable children and young people, you’ll be unable to apply for less than £15,001 per year
  • In particular, this means work with children affected by child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation, or serious youth violence
  • Their approach to funding work in these areas involves making larger grants, and building deeper relationships with delivery organisations