The National Lottery Community Fund (UK Office: The New Infrastructure Programme

Overview

A £400,000, UK-wide, new fund offering 8-10 grants for grassroots, community-led and frontline organisations to redesign themselves to become more flexible and responsive to the changing environment, become fitter for the future, renew their relevance and be better able to support communities.

Aims to give each infrastructure organisation the advice and freedom to explore the ways it can reinvent itself for the digital age. Will also provide on-site coaching and expertise provided by a Design Lab over 12 months. The Design Lab will be a dedicated team which will provide expert advice and practical support.

Infrastructure organisations support informal groups, local social action, specialist communities, and voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK. Although they may work directly with communities too, that’s not their only purpose. They’re looking to fund two different types of infrastructure organisations - established and emerging.

For established infrastructure organisations, the Design Lab will support organisational redesign and renewal. For emerging infrastructure organisations, it’ll help strengthen efforts and build additional capacity.

What do they mean by ‘digital’?

The term ‘digital’ is as much about the culture and practice of digital as it is about digital technologies and hardware. It’s about ways of working (working openly and collaboratively) and its capabilities (basing design decisions on evidence and testing with users).

What types of projects they'll prioritise

They'll fund projects that meet their funding priorities, as well as making sure they have a mix of established and emerging infrastructure organisations from across the UK.

Eligibility

You can apply if your infrastructure organisation does at least one of these:

• supports voluntary and community sector organisations, networks, groups and/or communities  
• develops the work and capacity of civil society organisations and groups  
• convenes and advocates on behalf of the sector and the communities you serve  
• connects local organisations to assets and wealth.   

In particular, they want to fund two different types of infrastructure organisation: 

• established infrastructure organisations 
• emerging infrastructure organisations.  

Established infrastructure organisations

They define established infrastructure organisations as 'local infrastructure, made up of local and regional charities with the main remit of supporting the sector'.  

An established infrastructure organisation must be able to fulfil these criteria:

• show they’re still playing a vital role in terms of an infrastructure offer
• show they’re willing to re-imagine and re-deliver what they do in a way that makes use of digital approaches 
• show a willingness to make changes to trustee and staff teams to make change possible  
• show organisation-wide commitment to digital change and an understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead 
• be frank and detailed about the strengths and weaknesses of digital skills within the applicant organisation 
• show a generosity of spirit in how they intend to share their learning, technology or opportunities with other civil society organisations 
• show that their networks and/or membership are active and representative
• they have a small core team that can demonstrate that, by investing in them to change, there will be a ripple effect in terms of value and impact
• show how up to £50,000 will free up staff time to engage in the capability building function of the Design Lab and that the work will lead to sustainable change in how they work.

Emerging infrastructure organisations

They define emerging infrastructure as newer in terms of how long it’s existed for or in terms of its structure (it might be more networked or self-organised for example), or its offers.

An emerging infrastructure organisation must be able to fulfil these criteria:

• be frank and detailed about the strengths and weaknesses of their skills and the additional capacity that they need
• be clear and detailed about how additional capacity and funding can benefit them
• show a generosity of spirit in how they intend to share their learning, technology or opportunities with other new and emerging infrastructure organisations
• can show that their networks and/or membership are active and representative
• show how up to £50,000 will stabilise their organisation in order to engage in the Design Lab offer and that the work will lead to sustainable change in how they work.

Your organisation also needs to be a:  

• voluntary or community organisation  
• registered charity  
• constituted group or club  
• not-for-profit company or community interest company.  

You can apply for this funding, even if your organisation has already applied to them and/or was awarded a grant for round one of the Digital Fund.

What can be funded?

This funding is to help free up staff and leadership time to engage with the Design Lab process. It could be used for bringing in temporary cover or extending existing posts.

They can fund a wide range of items for one year. This list does not include everything. So, if you’re not sure, contact them.

They can fund:

• staff costs
• transport
• utilities/running costs
• volunteer expenses.

If you’re invited to the next stage, they’ll talk to you to agree what the funding will cover.