Deadline extended to find grant maker to manage £14m in levelling up funding

The government has extended the deadline in its search for an intermediary grant maker to manage its Know Your Neighbourhood Fund, set up to tackle loneliness in disadvantaged areas through volunteering initiatives.

The Fund has been created through the government’s levelling up agenda aims to back projects that encourage volunteering and community schemes to tackle loneliness in up to nine of the most deprived council areas in England

The funding was announced in August and the original deadline to find an intermediate grant maker (IGM) had been set at September 29.

But this has now been extended to October 4 and shortlisted applicants will be invited for interviews on October 19.

The new deadline is part of a raft of clarifications made this week by the government to the application process.

This includes an assurance to national charities looking to manage grants through the fund that charities within their network will still be eligible to apply.

“As long as the IGM creates an open and fair process for onward grants that does not favour charities within their own federated network, their federated network would be eligible to apply for onward grants,” the government has assured charities.

It adds: “Prospective onward grantees must not have any involvement in the decision-making panel.”

Consortiums involving charities are also invited to apply to be IGM, but their combined annual income must be £12.4m or more. Also, consortium members will not be able to apply for onward grants through the fund.

Other clarifications around the IGM application process are that the fund is aimed at “a wide range of demographics and age groups” and is “not just a youth focused programme”.

In announcing the Fund, the government said that “our primary ambition is to develop our understanding of what works to improve wellbeing and pride in place in these communities through volunteering and community initiatives tackling loneliness”.

It added: “Citizens will be able to participate in local projects which build their skills, wellbeing and social networks.”