Aims/priorities: The Community Based Debt Advice (CBDA) Grant scheme is provided by the Money & Pensions Service (MAPS) to reduce the impact of problem debt on individuals and communities, improve financial resilience and wellbeing, and strengthen local support networks. The funding is intended to ensure services reflect and address local need across England and will thus be broken down into 15 geographical lots, across the nine English regions.
The aim is to enable:
- More localised, community-focused service design
- Greater opportunities for smaller and specialist organisations
- Stronger partnerships rooted in local networks
- Better alignment with devolved structures and local priorities.
Applicants are expected to design services that deliver against four key objectives:
- High-quality effective debt advice by providing regulated, high-quality debt advice through multiple channels, achieving the best possible outcomes for clients and ensuring compliance with MaPS Standards and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requirements.
- Community-based benefits by embedding services within local communities, using local knowledge and networks to reach priority groups and underserved populations. Integrate with wider support services such as housing, welfare and energy advice for holistic client outcomes.
- Organisational resilience and sustainability though building organisational resilience and sustainability by investing in workforce wellbeing, technology and continuous improvement.
- Learning and insight by generating and applying evidence to improve services and inform future commissioning, sharing learning across the sector to drive innovation and best practice.
Who can apply: For-profit and not-for-profit organisations based in England can apply.
Round 1 applications are for potential lead grant-holders for the CBDA programme in specific areas of England.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Provide audited accounts for its preceding three financial years or, where audited accounts are unavailable (eg for newly established entities), alternative evidence of financial standing.
- Comply with Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR regulations.
- Hold FCA authorisation (or have 'minded to approve' status) at Stage One. Delivery partners handling debt advice must meet this requirement by Stage Two.
- Hold (or commit to holding by point of Award) a MaPS-accredited Quality Standard. This includes delivery partners.
Applicants must demonstrate how their service will deliver:
- Improved access to debt advice for priority groups
- High quality advice providing positive experience for client
- Positive debt resolution outcomes that prevent escalation and enforcement
- Enhanced financial capability and resilience
- Improved wellbeing and reduced stress for clients
- Stronger local networks and partnerships, driving diversity of provision
- Organisational sustainability for long-term delivery.
Grant amount: A total of £108 million is available for the two rounds with grants ranging from £1 million to £21 million. Round 1 is for service commencement on 1 April 2028 and the funding allocated across lots ranges from £1.5 million to £6 million per year.
Application process: The grant application process is being run via the MAPS eTendering portal, Atamis. The application pack can be found on the Money & Pensions Service website. The application process will run in two round: Round 1 is now open.
There is a two-stage application process:
- The stage 1 application window is open for Round 1 areas only via Atamis. Registration is required to participate in this process.
- Shortlisted applicants are invited to a feedback meeting to discuss their Stage One bid in further detail, and to outline the Stage Two process.
Deadline: 5 June 2026 (13:00)
Contact info: commercial@maps.org.uk
Website: Community-based debt advice | Money and Pensions Service