[WiLT] HMRC Grant in Aid Funding Programme

[WiL Admin]

HMRC Grant in Aid Funding Programme

Funding area: UK wide
Next Application Deadline: 24th December 2007

The aim of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is to administer
tax and customs systems fairly and efficiently, and make it as easy as
possible for individuals and businesses to understand and comply with
their obligations and receive their tax credits and other
entitlements. HMRC has £2 million per annum available for the next
three financial years, aimed at funding Third Sector Organisations
(TSOs). HMRC is committed to building its funding relationship with
TSOs so that they play an increased role in public service delivery,
particularly socially inclusive services to those who are hard to
reach or who do not engage directly with them. The funds are available
in the form of grants in aid to help with the costs of activity
contributing to the HMRC's key aims, outcomes and priorities.

Total Fund Value: £ 1,500,000 - represents the amount available for
new projects in 2008/09.

Funding can be awarded for up to 3 years. As a guide only, for 2008/09
HMRC expect bids to fall into the following funding brackets:
* up to £20,000 - for locally based or smaller organisations;
* up to £80,000 - for more significant projects involving work on a
wider geographical scale;
* up to £250,000 - for a major programme of work on a National scale.

HMRC recognises the vital role that the TSOs play in helping to
achieve its aims, and respects the right that its customers have to
draw upon the TSOs for help in complying with their obligations and
receiving their entitlements. HMRC understands that customers may
prefer not to come to HMRC direct and appreciates that TSOs
organisations and advisers get alongside customers that are, for HMRC,
hard to reach. For further information, see the HMRC Strategy for
working with the Voluntary and Community Sector
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vcs/strategy-for-working.htm.

Funds are available to help TSOs with the costs of a range of
activities aimed at particular HMRC-related customer groups and
products, and to help develop the capacity of the Third Sector itself.
Projects that take a holistic approach and cover more than one of
those customer groups and products are welcomed.

For further information on HMRC's key customer groups and products,
applicants should refer to their strategic outcomes and priorities
which can be found in the HMRC Grant in Aid Funding Guidance
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vcs/guidance0809.htm.

Restrictions:
* Funding is offered as grant in aid only.
* Bidders should only make one funding application. Additional
applications would only be considered in exceptional circumstances,
for example where there is a partnership application involving two or
more bidders.
* HMRC seeks bids from organisations to carry out activity that do not
require support or resources from HMRC.

To be eligible to apply for grant in aid funding applicants must be a
third sector organisation (encompassing voluntary and community
organisations, charities, social enterprises, cooperatives and mutuals
both large and small) and be able to demonstrate that their
organisation follows these broad criteria:
* it is constitutionally independent and not directly controlled by a
for-profit organisation or the state;
* it is recognised as being independent of the state where there is a
majority of non-statutory bodies, appointees or representatives on its
'board of trustees' and a majority of non-statutory members;
* it is self-governing with its own internal decision making process;
* it is non-profit distributing or surpluses are reinvested to further
social, environmental or cultural objectives;
* it is able to demonstrate that its objectives would benefit the
wider public;
* it has a formal constitution or governing document which shows its
objectives and management structure;
* it is financially viable.

As grant in aid, the funds are a contribution towards costs that TSOs
legitimately incur on activities that are within their normal
operations. TSOs are expected to operate at arm's length from HMRC,
and this grant in aid funding aims to cover the full costs of
projects, including overhead costs for activities that are focused
directly on achieving the HMRC strategic outcomes and priorities.

Funding is not available for costs that are specifically funded by
grants or contributions from other sources; no grant in aid is
available towards the cost of activity that is fully and directly
funded from elsewhere.

Where appropriate, HMRC may provide partial funding for some projects
and will also fund partnernerships.

Potential applicants should refer to the HMRC Grant in Aid Funding
Guidance http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vcs/guidance0809.htm to ensure they
can demonstrate the outcomes they are looking to achieve and how they
are linked to HMRCs strategic outcomes and priorities.

For 2008/09 HMRC are operating a two stage application process. The
first stage will involve the completion of a pre-bid application,
which can be obtained by emailing hazel.kilpatrick at hmrc.gsi.gov.uk or
contacting her on 0191 2247416. Only pre-bid applications received by
the 24th December 2007 will be assessed and scored. Pre-bid
applications received after this date will not be considered.

For further information about the application process, see the HMRC
Grant in Aid Funding Guidance
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vcs/guidance0809.htm.

Contact Information:
* Hazel Kilpatrick, Room BP7201, Norham House, Benton Park View,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE98 1ZZ
Phone: 0191 224 7416
Email: hazel.kilpatrick at hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
Web: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk

Guidance:
* HMRC Grant in Aid 2008/09 Funding Guidance
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vcs/guidance0809.htm

Useful Links:
* HMRC Grant in Aid 2007/08 - Successful Projects
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vcs/funding0708.htm
* HMRC Voluntary Sector webpages http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vcs/index.htm

Source:
http://www.governmentfunding.org.uk/VCSSearch.aspx?WCI=htmSchemeView&WCU=DSCODE=DSCLIVEGF,SCHEMEID=12-S89,SEARCH=DS=DSCLIVEGF

Posted on WiLT blog at
http://www.freecharity.org.uk/~womeninlondon/?p=460