Big Lottery Fund How to make a good application

1. Big Lottery Fund How to make a good application How to make a good application

2. What we’ll cover today Overview of Big Lottery Fund in Scotland Brief look at funding available How to make a good application How to make a good application

3. Big Lottery Fund Overview BIG distributes 14p of every £ spent on Lottery UK wide but Scotland has own programmes £257million for Scotland between 2006 and 2009 Bringing about social change to communities most in need Commitment to voluntary and community sector How to make a good application

4. Funding Programmes Small grants programme (up to £10k) for one-off costs run in partnership with other Lottery distributors Programme run in conjunction with BBC Scotland £3m for projects aimed at encouraging the over 50s to have a healthy body and mind Young People’s Fund • £25m put into projects aimed at encouraging 11-25 year olds to • take part in activities that make them feel good about themselves UK wide small grants programme promoting improvement of green spaces and biodiversity amongst community groups People’s Millions gives the public the opportunity to decide where lottery money in spent by funding local community-based projects How to make a good application

5. Main funding Investing in Communities Investing in Ideas Life Transitions Supporting 21st Century Life Growing Community Assets Dynamic, Inclusive Communities How to make a good application

6. Investing in Communities One to five years funding Up to £1,000,000 but average grant c£300k Capital and/or revenue Up to 100% How to make a good application

7. Process Outline Proposal (10-15 days) Quick process for early feedback Application form (6 months to complete) You’re in control, most take around 4 months Grants officer allocated Writes report for Committee Assessment (4-6 months) How to make a good application

8. Important Information Deadlines Investing in Communities Outline proposal form 1 August 2008 Full application form 1 December 2008 Investing in Ideas Application form 30 January 2009 (but sooner if you want to apply to Investing in Communities) How to make a good application

9. What this session will cover What this session will cover Assessment Criteria Key elements of an application Supporting Documents Points to remember How to make a good application

10. Introduction The key elements of writing an application: Criteria Feedback letter Project Activities Evidence of Need Sustainability Outcomes Planning Budgeting Measuring Progress How to make a good application

11. Criteria Make sure your read our criteria and judgement points, as these is what your application will be scored against (in guidance notes). criterion one Your project outcomes meet an identified need and help to achieve the changes we want to make through the area of investment relevant to your project. criterion two Your organisation can deliver the project well and achieve the proposed project outcomes. How to make a good application

12. Feedback Feedback Your Grants Officer will check to see that you have responded to feedback. Read your feedback letter and requirements Check you have addressed every point Respond to any feedback we’ve given in other correspondence or meetings How to make a good application

13. Activities It should be clear what your activities will be and how people will engage with the project Focus on what you’re asking us to fund – don’t give us too much organisational history Be consistent – avoid confusing the application with details of other projects Use short (a paragraph) case studies Avoid broad terms – you must tell us what you’re actually doing How to make a good application

14. Activities Activities Example What they say… ‘Facilitate a wide range of environmental engagement opportunities for disengaged young people experiencing ongoing confrontational lifestyle issues.’ What they mean… ‘Take 35 young people on a 2 week outward bound trip. They will take part in 5 different team-based activities, such as canoeing, rock climbing and orienteering. The young people all have a history of being involved in territorial gangs and have been excluded from school.’ How to make a good application

15. Evidence of need You must be able to demonstrate that there is a need for your project and this must be backed up with evidence. Our assessments can only be based on what is contained in the application form, and we are unlikely to fund projects which appear to be based on assumption or hearsay. How to make a good application

16. Evidence of need Evidence of need • Your evidence should: • be relevant to the project you are applying to us for and specific to your client group • be in proportion to the size and scale of your project • show why your project is the most appropriate way to meet the identified need • show user involvement in project development How to make a good application

17. Evidence of need Evidence of need • Evidence could include: • good quality recent inclusive consultation internally (with participants, staff board members etc) and externally (with stakeholders, partners, wider community etc) • recent relevant research undertaken in-house or using results from research already undertaken by other organisations • beneficiary engagement in the development of the project • the experience & knowledge of people in your group (e.g. highlighting a case study) • relevant, recent statistics (e.g. census, SIMD figures) • evaluation of a successful pilot project or previous similar work How to make a good application

18. Outcomes What are outcomes? Outcomes are the changes that will come about as a direct result of your work. Why are outcomes important? Our assessment of your application is based around your outcomes – how well your outcomes are meeting an identified need, how likely you are to achieve them and how well they fit with the aims of our funding. How to make a good application

19. Outcomes – Who, how, what Who – organisations or people who will benefit How – should relate to change or difference What – what is changing? • Young people • Lone parent • People with learning disabilities • Older people who are experiencing loss of mobility • Improve • Decrease • Reduce • Expand • Develop • Sustain • Knowledge • Skills • Environment • Ability • Relationships • Opportunities 25 young carers experience improved support through better coordination of services How to make a good application

20. Outcomes Tracking and Measuring outcomes Your Milestones tell us how your project will progress. You can also use Outcome Indicators to tell us how you will measure progress. Milestones - Progress of Activities Milestones - Outcome Indicator Outcome • 40 people with ongoing mental health difficulties have increased confidence by the end of the project. • 40 service users attended discussion meetings by month 6. • 20 people take part in shopping trips with befriender by month 8. • 40 people able to take part in discussion. • 20 people report feeling less nervous about going out in public. How to make a good application

21. Sustainability Tell us how your projects will provide benefits beyond the life of the grants Demonstrate how the project complements or fits with national and local objectives Tell us how you will create and develop good working partnerships Show clear systems for evaluation and learning as the project progresses, and how this learning will be able to inform the future development of the project Show how your project adds to existing services or fills a gap in services Show a clear exit strategy – who are you going to approach for funding? If your project can generate an income, tell us how this will work How to make a good application

22. Budgeting Check that your totals add up Poor budgeting, calculation of costs or inconsistencies in totals do not demonstrate good financial management, and could not only delay your assessment, but could affect your grading. Full Cost Recovery We can provide a proportionate contribution towards overheads that are indirectly incurred as a result of the project. You must show how you have worked this out – we have spreadsheets that can help you. Size of Grant • Find out what our average grant size is – we have a very high demand for funding • Match funding - it’s important to build relationships with other funders • Focus what you’re asking for on what fits best with our aims • Ask for fewer years of funding • Think about tapered funding to show a commitment to sustainability How to make a good application

23. Tracking and measuring progress Evidence that plans are in place for monitoring progress on this particular project What systems you will use to effectively measure progress on your milestones and outcomes How you will involve beneficiaries in measuring and tracking progress Evidence of ongoing self-evaluation and how you will recognise internal issues and build on successes How to make a good application

24. Business Plans Your Business Plan (if required) is a useful tool. It should: Should show exactly how the project will work, down to the last detail. Show that you are aware of the risks involved in the project Tell us who will be responsible for delivering the project Tell us how the project fits into your organisation's wider work (if relevant) How to make a good application

25. Skills and experience Tell us what you can bring to the project. Learning and evaluation from previous work or a pilot Individual skills and experience Existing partnerships Learning from other organisations or similar projects Plans for recognising training needs and building capacity as project progresses How to make a good application

26. Points to remember • Be simple, clear and specific and consistent; • Don’t assume that we know anything about your area of work; • Remember to budget for everything i.e. inflation, auditors, • evaluation costs; • Act on any feedback we have given; read the guidance notes • Don’t rush – plan carefully. It might take longer than you think to set up your project; • Proofread your form or ask someone else to read it; talk through what you’ve written. 1 2 3 4 5 6 How to make a good application

27. Where to get help • Factsheets: • Sustainability • Full Cost Recovery • Outcomes • Evidence of Need • Business Plans • 6 steps to a • good application Information Team: 0870 240 2391 enquiries. Scotland@ biglotteryfund .org.uk 1:1 Meetings Feedback Letter Guidance Notes Help Notes Explaining the Difference Guide How to make a good application

28. Questions How to make a good application