The Strategic Legal Fund, which is funded by a partnership of the Trust for London, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Unbound Philanthropy the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Trust for London, and managed on behalf of the funding partners by the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (IPLA), aims to tackle injustices and inconsistencies in law and practice that disadvantage or discriminate against people as a result of their migration status.
The Strategic Legal Fund (SLF) is designed to support legal work in the UK that goes beyond securing justice for an individual and makes a significant contribution to law, practice, and procedures to uphold and promote the rights of people seeking asylum, refugees and, more generally. migrants.
The SLF will fund strategic legal work in any area of law where asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants experience disadvantage or discrimination as a result of migration status. This includes (but is not restricted to) potential cases in the areas of:
o Access to justice.
o Asylum and asylum support.
o Community care.
o Discrimination.
o Education.
o Housing.
o Human rights, and
o Welfare benefits.
Grants up to £30,000 are available. However, as the fund has a limited budget, lower applications are encouraged. The average grant size is likely to be around £12,000. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate how their proposal represents value for money. Grants may be approved for a lesser amount than requested.
The SLF aims to complement longer-term funding with short-term grants to respond to legal opportunities. The maximum grant length is 12 months, and most grants are for six months or less.
The SLF will support strategic legal work in the UK which benefits asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants. This is defined as:
o Migrants or the children of migrants.
o Those who are living in poverty.
o Those who are under 25, and
o Those who face significant disadvantage or discrimination in connection with their (or their parents’) migration status.
Funding is not available for:
o Applicants based outside of the UK. Partnership applications where the lead partner is based in the UK may be considered.
o Instances in which the funding will not produce any significant positive change to the rights of vulnerable young migrants in the UK.
o It is judged that the goals of the application may be more successfully achieved through an alternative route (for example, policy work).
o Not-for-profit organisations that have significant unrestricted reserves (including designated funds). Generally, reserves up to the equivalent of six months’ expenditure are acceptable.
o Organisations have already received two grants from the SLF in the last 18 months, except in exceptional circumstances.
o Organisations that are in serious financial deficit.
o Pre-litigation research on an issue where work is already in progress by other legal representatives, or
o Situations where there is an unreasonably low prospect of a positive outcome for vulnerable migrant children and young people.
Further information, guidance and details about how to apply are available on the IPLA website.
There will are 4 remaining rounds of the Strategic Legal Fund in 2022, with the following application deadlines:
o Tuesday 5 April at 5pm.
o Tuesday 31 May at 5pm.
o Tuesday 30 August at 5pm, and
o Tuesday 1 November at 5pm.
Contact details for the fund are:
Claire Tindale
The Strategic Legal Fund
IPLA
Lindsey House
40-42 Charterhouse Street
London
EC1M 6JN
Tel: 020 7251 8383
Email: claire.tindale(at)ilpa.org.uk
