The first round of the Centre for Social Action’s £14 million Innovation Fund has opened for applications from charities and social enterprises, as well as public sector bodies and commercial organisations.
The Fund, which is being managed by Nesta, is looking for innovative ventures and programmes that use social action to achieve impact in four areas:
Ageing well: Helping people to age well, particularly by supporting people over 50 years to have a purpose, a sense of well-being and to be connected to others;
Long-term health: Enabling people with long-term health conditions to have a better quality of life, particularly through the use of peer-to-peer networks and groups
Young people: Supporting and encouraging young people to succeed and find employment, for example through mentoring, coaching, and peer-to-peer networks
Impact volunteering: Using new approaches to ‘impact volunteering’ to mobilise volunteers to increase and enhance the outcomes achieved by public services
Grants will range from £50,000 to £500,000 and successful applicants can also access non-financial support such as business advice and making new relevant contacts.
Nesta claims that the projects funded will be required to “work alongside public services and be sustainable as well as supported by a strong management team”.
They will also be expected to commit to measurement of their impact, in line with Nesta’s Standards of Evidence for Impact Investing.
The Innovation Fund will be open for two years from April 2013 and will look for innovations in specific priorities. The first four priorities will be open for applications until the end of October 2013.
For further information and to apply, visit: www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/public_services_lab/giving_and_social_action/csa_innovationfund/assets/features/centre_for_social_action_innovation_fund_fund_details