The Faith New Deal Pilot Fund is a new, competitive grant programme to help support faith-based organisations to use their resources effectively within their community and to build trust between national government, local government and faith groups.
The Government wants to recognise the role faith-based organisations play in the resilience of our communities and the importance of local faith groups working collaboratively to respond to societal issues.
The Faith New Deal pilot fund has been designed to support faith-based organisations build on and expand the good work being carried out locally and to demonstrate the important role they play in tackling and responding to social challenges.
More broadly, the concept of the ‘Faith New Deal’ will aim to reset the public sector’s mind-set towards faith groups. Practically, the aspiration is that local public services routinely invite faith groups to co-design solutions to social problems and commission services with confidence. It would also mean that Faith groups are supported to enhance their particular strengths in social action by learning from the way that public services design interventions and deliver against outcomes.
The core aim of the Faith New Deal Pilot Fund is to test and strengthen the nature of engagement between national government, local government and faith groups – providing proof of concept of the role faith groups play in supporting communities to solve local problems.
Through effective partnership working with public service providers, such as local authorities or public health bodies, faith groups can use their skills to deliver solutions to local problems that offer communities coherent and sustainable change.
The Faith New Deal pilot fund will provide up to a maximum of 50% of the delivery costs of your project.
Up to £975,000 will be available for organisations to bid within two threshold caps:
1. Up to £125,000 – in-kind match (non-cash only)
The following ‘in-kind’ match funding (otherwise known as ‘non-cash’ match funding) will also count as an eligible source of match funding:
- Donations of goods and equipment
- Use of venues or professional services, including from: (individuals; community groups; funders; businesses)
2. Up to £200,000 – in addition to a ‘non-cash’ match must also include a ‘cash’ match from a philanthropic funder or delivery partner
Deadline: 7 October 2021