The Women’s Sector Resilience Fund Phase 2, is a £2.1m fund to support local networks of organisations working with and for women to make change to systems that cause women’s poverty in their area. It is a place-based approach to systems change that is open to networks in and around the following areas: Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Middlesbrough / Teesside, Kingston upon Hull, Newcastle, Liverpool / Merseyside and West Yorkshire (Bradford and Leeds).
In this round there is £1.5million available and with that, the Smallwood Trust want to fund approximately three networks over three years to achieve the programme goals of:
- Working with networks of organisations united by geography to reduce gendered poverty in their area
- Building capacity within local communities to help the local women’s sector to create sustainable change
The fund aims to fund approximately three geographical place-based networks. Each network can apply for up to £500,000 to be spent over three years. This funding will be awarded to a lead organisation who be responsible for distributing the money to the rest of the network.
This funding will pay for:
- Core costs for each of the organisations involved (70%) e.g. £350,000
- Support to coordinate the network (20%) e.g. £100,000
- Any advisory support / organisational development / capacity building that you might need (10%) e.g. £50,000
All organisations to be funded organisation must:
- Be a not-for-profit organisation (including registered charities and CICs) that is women only or has a track record in delivering services for women (aged 18+) facing multiple and complex disadvantage
- Have a written governing document e.g. a constitution or set of rules
- Have a governing body with at least three unrelated members
- Have a UK-based bank or building society account in the name of the organisation with at least two unrelated signatories
- Have an appropriate safeguarding policy in place
In addition, the lead organisation within the network must:
- Have some previous experience of either: subcontracting, coordinating a network, joint working or a combination of the three
- Have at least 12 months of draft or signed accounts
- Please see the full guidance notes to ensure you meet the full eligibility criteria.
To apply each network will need to nominate a lead organisation who will submit the bid.
This is a two stage application process. The first is with an Expression of Interest. After this a shortlist of networks will be invited and supported to submit a full proposal.
For more information and to apply click here
First stage applications close on 10 December 2021, 5pm
For more information join us a Q&A webinar:
20 October, 1pm-2pm register here
3 November, 10am-11am register here