BBC CHILDREN IN NEED: CORE COSTS AND PROJECT GRANTS
Grants of up to £120,000 over 3 years are available to a range of not-for-profit organisations in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man working with disadvantaged children and young people aged 18 and under. Grants are available to cover core operational and running costs as well as for time-limited projects.
__________
o Application deadline: none – applications may be made at any time, initially by submitting an Expression of Interest.
o Funder: BBC Children in Need (charity registration 1988 in England and Wales, 2008 in Scotland. Charity numbers: 802052 in England and Wales, SC039557 in Scotland. Total charitable expenditure during the year ended 30 June 2023: £39,823,000).
o Who can apply: registered charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs) and other forms of social enterprise, Housing Associations, Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools, Hospices, Industrial and Provident Societies, religious organisations, companies limited by guarantee in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
o Key words: Disadvantaged Children and Young People Aged 18 and Under, Core Operational/Running Costs, Project Costs, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, United Kingdom.
__________
1. CORE COST GRANTS
BBC Children in Need’s Core Costs grants are available for not-for-profit organisations in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man that are working with disadvantaged children and young people aged 18 or under.
The Core Costs programme supports essential organisational and administrative spending. These are the key expenses required to keep an organisation running.
Core Costs funding can be spent on your organisation’s central day-to-day operations. These might include, for example (please note that this is not an exclusive list):
o Accountancy and audit.
o Communications and outreach
o General office expenses.
o Governance, regulatory, and compliance costs.
o HR and payroll.
o Management and administration, and/or
o Monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
Applications for grant support should demonstrate how their proposal meets one or more of Children in Need’s current priorities of:
1. Acting flexibly.
2. Building partnerships to bring communities and investors together.
3. Sharing power with children and young people, and/or
4. Using its voice to build awareness and empathy around issues.
Grants of up to £120,000 over 3 years are available, although grants at this level are rare. Most awards are for significantly lower amounts. Children in Need gives quicker decisions for applications of £15,000 or less per year.
Priority is also given to applications from smaller, local organisations that can show an annual turnover of less than £1 million in their most recent, complete financial year.
The Core Costs programme has a 2-stage application process, consisting of:
o Stage 1: an Expression of Interest form, followed by
o Stage 2: completion of a Full Application form which should be completed within 4 months.
Applications may be made at any time. Further information about the Core Costs grants is available on the BBC Children in Need website.
2. PROJECT GRANTS
Children in Need’s Project Grants programme provides grants for not-for-profit organisations working with disadvantaged children and young people aged up to 18 years in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
As with Children in Need’s Core Costs grants, applicants should demonstrate how their proposal meets one or more of the funder’s current priorities of:
1. Acting flexibly.
2. Building partnerships to bring communities and investors together.
3. Sharing power with children and young people, and/or
4. Using its voice to build awareness and empathy around issues.
Grants of up to £120,000 over 3 years are available, although awards at this level are rare. Most grants are for significantly lower amounts. Requests for grants of £15,000 or under per year are normally assessed at a faster pace.
Smaller organisations are prioritised. Please note that organisations with an annual turnover of more than £2 million in their most recent, complete financial year are unlikely to be offered a grant.
For both Core Costs grants and Project Grants, funding is not available for:
o Awareness-raising work, except where targeted at children or young people most at risk.
o Bursaries, sponsored places, fees, or similar costs
o Capital or building projects.
o Costs passed on to other organisations.
o Educational institutions, including schools, universities, and pupil referral units. Special schools are the only exception.
o Expenditure unable to start within 12 months of the grant award date.
o Full cost recovery models.
o General appeals or endowment funds.
o Help with budget shortfalls or debt repayments.
o Holidays where there is little or no project involvement.
o Individuals.
o Local government, prisons, or NHS bodies.
o Medical treatment or research.
o Political activity, including party political organisations or direct lobbying.
o Pregnancy testing or advice, information, or counselling on pregnancy choices.
o Retrospective costs.
o Trips abroad, or other activity taking place outside the UK.
o Unspecified expenditure.
o Work that promotes religion, or
o Work that statutory bodies (such as schools or local authorities) have a duty to fund.
The Project Grants programme also has a 2-stage application process:
o Stage 1: an Expression of Interest form, followed by
o Stage 2: completion of a Full Application form which should be completed within 4 months.
Applications may be made at any time. Further information about the Project Grants programme is available on the BBC Children in Need website.
Contact details for BBC Children in Need are:
BBC Children in Need
MediaCityUK
Salford
M50 2BH
Tel: 0345 609 0015
Email: pudseygrants@bbc.co.uk