A new major fund has been launched to support organisations across England to deliver critical frontline services.

Voluntary and community organisations can apply now for funding to maintain or expand critical cost of living services in communities from now until the end of March 2024. The main priority is to fund organisations supporting low-income households and individuals.

The fund is part of the £100M for charities announced in the Spring Budget and will be administered by The National Lottery Community Fund.

Applications can be for amounts from £10,000 to £75,000 and you must already have already run a service around one of the following areas:

• food and emergency supplies – food and other ‘banks’
• emergency shelter – homelessness services
• safe spaces – domestic abuse services and youth services
• warmth – warm spaces / hubs
• financial and housing advice.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate both increased costs and increased demand. 

The funding can be used for the costs of delivering, expanding or adapting existing critical service(s) or to pay for retrospective costs of running existing critical service(s). 

The range of eligible costs related to critical service delivery it can cover included staff, volunteers, training, development, overheads and minor refurbishments.

Funding will be awarded from October 2023 until January 2024 and it must be spent by March 2024.

Small and medium-sized front-line organisations with an annual turnover of between £10,000 and around £1 million are likely to be favoured.

Larger organisations can apply if they both show that they work closely and effectively with local communities and fill a gap in essential local services.

The closing date for applications is midday on Monday 16 October 2023.

For full details and to apply, visit the The National Community Fund Community Cost of Living Fund webpage.