Comic Relief Invites Applications to New Fund

Funding for not-for-profit organisations working to prevent long-term homelessness and shelter insecurity in the UK, India, South Africa, Zambia and Nigeria.

Comic Relief has launched this funding opportunity focussed on preventing homelessness and insecure shelter. The fund is for ‘locally rooted’ organisations working to prevent long-term homelessness and shelter insecurity in the UK, India, South Africa, Zambia and Nigeria.

These particular countries have been selected as they have high levels of poverty, inequality and rising numbers of people who are homeless or living in insecure shelter with some track record of Government support and infrastructure to tackle these issues.

Comic Relief is inviting locally-rooted organisations to set out what solutions they believe will work, demonstrating their approach is built on working directly with people affected by these issues. There is particular interest in solutions which link local organisations into global movements for change. Support is available for organisations to invest in telling compelling stories, drive learning that will shape future practice, and engage in effective advocacy and influencing on the issue.

The funding is available as follows:

• Funding is for three to five years.
• Single applicants can apply for between £150,000 to £300,000
• Consortiums can apply for up to £750,000.
• Funding can be used to cover the core costs/ overheads of an organisation/partnerships, or specific projects and activities, or a mixture of the two.

Comic Relief ‘believe’ that a tailored digital approach using a range of technologies (low or high tech) can contribute to preventing homelessness, and enable bigger, better and more ambitious services and solutions to be achieved. It will therefore consider supporting a small number of Social Tech projects.

Applicants will need to demonstrate that:

• They understand how to manage a successful digital project
• They have sound internal or external technical expertise in their management and delivery team.
• At a minimum, some research into the need, demand and expected value of this digital project will have already taken place
• The proposed solution is appropriate for the context in which they are working.
• The project focuses on specific user needs in the design, delivery and development, with potential to improve or disrupt existing service models that offers scale or sustainability.

There is a two-stage application process.

The deadline for applications is 1 October 2018.

Full details…