HMRC Voluntary and Community Sector Programme

Overview

HMRC has committed £2M per annum for the next three years to 2011-12 therefore the funding available taking out the funds they have already committed will be as follows:

• £1.05 million for 2009-10
• £1.28 million for 2010-11
• £2 million for 2011-12

As a guide only and not as criteria for eligibility, they expect bids to fall in the following three funding brackets:

• up to around £20,000 - from locally based or smaller organisations
• up to around £80,000 - for more significant projects involving work on a wider geographical scale
• up to around £250,000 - for a major project on a National scale

They don't expect bidders to make more than one funding application and will only consider additional applications in highly exceptional circumstances, for example where there is a partnership application involving two or more bidders.

They will consider bids from organisations already receiving funding for 2009-10 or 2010-11 only if the bid is for an innovative project outside the scope of the funded project or it relates solely to third year funding (2011-12).

You will need to focus your planned activity very clearly on one or more of HMRC's strategic outcomes and priorities in order to have a chance to secure your funding requirements.

HMRC Grant in aid funding programme - strategic outcomes and priorities 2009-10. They would expect successful bids to reflect clearly at least one of the strategic outcomes and to be clearly focused on some of the priorities identified.

Strategic Outcome Priorities

1. Deliver customer education, awareness and support for vulnerable groups resulting in an increased take up of HMRC products.

• A programme of work which targets increasing take up of a range of HMRC products
• An approach based upon life events to educate customers at an early stage about their entitlements and tax responsibilities such as having a child, students moving into work, prepensioners retiring and people becoming disabled including those with mental health issues
• A focus on targeting vulnerable customer groups such as lone parents, pensioners and prepensioners, disabled, where you have evidence of low take up of HMRC products.
• Innovative projects that deliver increased take up of a range of HMRC products such as Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and payment of self assessed tax
• Small businesses as well as individual customers are considered within this outcome

2. Deliver customer education, awareness and support to vulnerable groups that improves customer understanding and engagement with their financial responsibilities resulting in reducing their debt

• Increased understanding of financial responsibilities for customers resulting in increased direct engagement with HMRC and other government agencies
• Holistic approach to maximise customer financial capability such as coping with debt, claiming benefits and tax credits
• Raise awareness and education to help customers engage with HMRC and other government agencies at the right time
• Increasing the number of advisors able to offer advice on HMRC products and wider financial issues by building the capacity of the wider Third Sector.

Deliver projects that have a multiplier effect through training or learning for a range of Third Sector organisations

• Creative projects that provide a clear link to develop holistic capability of the Third Sector across the wider community
• Joint and collaborative bids that help advisors to reach out to help vulnerable groups and communities.
• Projects that help train those in the community who support vulnerable people to claim entitlements and reduce debt such as carers and midwifes

To qualify for funding from HMRC's grant in aid programme you need to satisfy them that your organisation is eligible ie being non-governmental organisations which are value-driven and which principally reinvest their surpluses to further social, environmental or cultural objectives.

You will need to confirm that you satisfy the criteria to be eligible for a grant in aid payment from HMRC. They may ask you to provide information to support your eligibility.

You will need to say whether you are a Charity; Voluntary and Community sector organisation, Social Enterprise, Mutual or Co-Operative. You can select more than one of these definitions.

Example Grants 2009-10

Advice NI - £29,820

A project to enhance knowledge, skills and confidence in the 4 key HMRC products - Child Benefit, Child Trust Fund, Tax Credits and National Minimum Wage across Northern Ireland. This will be done for advisors, Third Sector employees, hard to reach and vulnerable customers via training events, an online multi-lingual interactive e-learning resource and public information kiosks with interactive tools, advice and information points for all segments of the community.

Gingerbread NI - £30,000

Final year of a two year funded project for a comprehensive take up service to lone parents in Northern Ireland on the full range of HMRC products and services. Delivered by way of their Free phone Advice Helpline, giving advice by email and by developing HMRC information on their website; delivering talks and presentations to lone parents, VCS organisations and health and social care professionals.

Law Centre (Northern Ireland) - £1750

Second of a three year project production of a CD-ROM containing details of key Social Security Benefits, including working and child tax credits, including a separate sections on recovery of overpayments, annual renewal, child care rules and how to do a Tax Credit calculation. The CD-ROM will be distributed to Law Centres 450 member organisations, such as local CAB, independent advice agencies, libraries and other community based organisations. The material will also go on the Law Centres website. Funding will be matched by the Social Security Agency (SSA).

How to Apply

GT Team Update 6 January 2012

This scheme has funded the relevant organisations from 2011 - 15 so it is unlikely that it will reopen until 2015.