[WiLT] Section 64 General Scheme of Grants

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Section 64 General Scheme of Grants

Funding area: England
Next Application Deadline: 15/08/2007

The Section 64 General Scheme of Grants is the Department of Health's
main source of funding to the voluntary and community sector (VCS) in
England. The scheme is designed to strengthen and further develop the
partnership between the Department of Health and the VCS. For the
2008/09 funding round, applications are invited that clearly focus on
the theme of 'making a difference to the quality of people's lives'.
The department seeks innovative proposals of national significance
that will complement statutory services, and help secure and promote
high-quality health and social care in England.

Total Fund Value: £ 17,200,000
Grant value average: £ 50,000

The total fund value is what was allocated in 2007/08, and includes
funds that have already been allocated in previous years for three
year long projects. The amount of funding available to new projects
beginning this year is in the region of £5.7 million.

Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 gives the
Secretary of State for Health the power to make grants to voluntary
organisations in England whose activities support the Department of
Health's priorities.

Section 64 priorities for 2008/09 are linked to the Department of
Health's white papers Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, and Commissioning
Framework for Health and Well-Being. The priorities fall under the
following categories:
* personalisation of services and maintaining independence and dignity
for older people and disabled people;
* promoting health and wellbeing;
* improving access, information and choice;
* innovation in service delivery.

Included within the priorities is a strategic, cross-cutting theme:
* cross-cutting proposals that enable third sector organisations to
contribute their expertise to the development of improved health and
social care services.

There are 32 individual priorities which fall under the above
headings. Applicants should refer to the document 'Section 64 Funding
Priorities for 2008/09' for detailed descriptions and criteria
relevant to each the particular priorities, which can be downloaded
from the bottom of this page. For each priority there is a 'sponsor
contact' listed, who can provide advice about that specific priority
and discuss proposals.

Latest Information:

A review of funding to the Third Sector will take place in 2007/08.
This will cover grant funding through Section 64, OFV and from other
programmes. Details of the review and arrangements for consultation
will be available at http://www.dh.gov.uk (opens new window).

The department cannot award grants if:
* an organisation supports party political activities;
* the grant will finance fundraising efforts;
* the project is of purely local significance;
* the grant will support research. (The department defines research as
'creative work carried out systematically to increase knowledge'.
There are some instances where the Department may award grants,
including for development projects, information services, routine
surveillance or data-collection activities).

The department will not usually award grants for work that:
* another voluntary organisation has carried out;
* is for a service for which an economic charge can be made, for
example a training course or producing a report.

Eligible organisations must be carrying out activities that involve:
'providing a service similar to a service provided by the National
Health Service or by local authority social services, promoting,
publicising or providing advice concerning the provision of either a
National Health or local authority social service or a similar
service.'

The organisation must also:
* be non-profit making (that is, carrying out not-for-profit
activities but is not a public or local authority);
* work in England (there are similar funding schemes in Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland);
* be carrying out activities of national significance (this means
activities relating to health and social care in England, that can be
applied nationally and are not just for local communities. If an
organisation's activities are local, it should contact its local
social services or Primary Care Trust for possible funding);
* be a corporate body, or have a formal constitution (set of rules) or
governing document which shows its objectives and management
structure;
* be registered with the Charity Commission, if registration is
required;
* have, or be in the process of producing, an equal opportunities
policy relating to the services to be provided, employing staff and
involving volunteers.

Applicants should note there are additional criteria related to each
funding priority, which are described in the document 'Section 64
Funding Priorities for 2008/09'.

There are two main types of grant under the Section 64 General
Scheme - national project grants and core grants. Project grants
contribute towards the cost of a voluntary organisation's project,
designed to achieve the Department's Section 64 policy priorities.
This could be by testing an innovative idea or helping to develop a
particular pattern of service which is of potential national
significance.

Core grants are intended to help with a national voluntary
organisation's central administrative costs. The rules regarding core
grants have changed for 2008/09. The department is not accepting
applications for new core grants at this time. Organisations currently
receiving a core grant that runs out in 2007/08 may apply to extend
their existing three-year grant for an extra year. The department has
taken this decision as a result of the planned strategic funding and
investment review into its funding for the Third Sector, and this will
allow it to implement changes to the programme from 2009.

In 2007/08 £17.2 million was available for new and existing awards.
Demand for Section 64 funds is high; out of 1109 applications received
132 new awards were made, with the average new grant being £50,000 per
year. 80% of the new awards were for innovative projects of national
significance while 20% of the new awards were for core funding of
national VCOs central administration costs. 256 awards will continue
from previous years.

Prospective applicants should read the guidance documents (see Section
64 Notes of Guidance 2008/09, which can be downloaded under Documents
and Links below) and determine that they are eligible for funding from
this programme in the first instance. They should also ensure that
they can accept the terms and conditions of the grant (see Appendix B
of the Notes of Guidance) before applying.

Applicants must register on the Department of Health's Section 64
Grants System at http://www.info.doh.gov.uk/Sect64/S64users.nsf (opens
new window) in order to submit an application. The department does not
have the facilities to process hard copy applications so where
possible all applications should be submitted online. Applicants
without email or internet access should contact the Third Sector
Partnership Team (TSPT) at the Department of Health on 0113 2545450 to
discuss options for submitting an application.

The deadline for the first stage of applications is Wednesday 15
August 2007. These first stage applications will be assessed by the
policy team that sponsors the funding priority selected. Successful
applicants will be notified within 4-6 weeks of the closing date and
will be invited to complete a comprehensive application to be
submitted by Friday 26 October 2007.

The department's Third Sector Team manages the online application
system and can answer questions on using the system or general advice
and information about the scheme (see contact details below). Queries
about the programme's individual priorities should be directed to the
relevant sponsor contact.

Contact Information:
* Third Sector Partnership Team, Department of Health, 5E40 Quarry
House, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7UE
Phone: 0113 254 5450
Email: vcspt at dh.gsi.gov.uk
Web: http://www.dh.gov.uk/section64

Downloadable Documents and Other Links eg:
* Section 64 Funding Priorities for 2008/09
* Section 64 Notes of Guidance 2008/09
* Section 64 Online Application User Guide 2008/09
can be found at
http://www.governmentfunding.org.uk/VCSSearch.aspx?WCI=htmSchemeView&WCU=DSCODE=DSCLIVEGF,SCHEMEID=12-S10,SEARCH=DS=DSCLIVEGF

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