Aims/priorities: The funding is intended to ensure continued access to specialist social welfare legal advice to some of the most marginalised communities in England and aims to transform lives, address systemic issues, and empower individuals, families, and communities in need by funding organisations working at the frontline.
Marginalised communities is defined for the purposes of this grant programme as ‘communities of place, people or interest most in need, experiencing exclusion and at risk of facing barriers to accessing advice services’.
There will be two funding rounds:
- Round one is focused on funding specialist legal advice organisations.
- Round two will prioritise funding to groups led by and for marginalised communities. These can be organisations delivering advice services, and/or those working closely with advice organisations to improve access for marginalised communities. Further information will be made available in Autumn 2023.
Who can apply? To be eligible for funding, organisations must be:
- Registered with the Charity Commission.
- Working in England.
- Able to demonstrate a track record of delivering legal advice in one or more of the following areas of law:
- Asylum.
- Community care.
- Debt.
- Disability.
- Discrimination.
- Education.
- Employment.
- Housing.
- Immigration,
- Mental health.
- Public and administrative law.
- Welfare benefits.
- Able to demonstrate a track record in delivering advice at specialist level including carrying out end-to-end casework for clients, carrying out representation in a court or tribunal and/or holding legal aid contract.
The advice must relate to a legal problem or the resolution of a legal problem. Some examples are:
- Acting for a client in a homelessness or eviction case
- Appealing a refusal of benefits (after the initial application)
- Dealing with legal threats from creditors
- Applying for debt relief orders/insolvency
- Advising on immigration and asylum applications and appeals
- Advice on employment rights or disputes
- Challenging decisions of public bodies
- Challenging cases of discrimination etc.
- Providing assistance and advocacy in Courts or Tribunals.
Grant amount: A total of £30 million is being made available. It is anticipated that approximately 75 organisations will be granted funding over two funding rounds.
The amount of the grant will depend on the size of the organisation:
- Annual income above £250,000
grants of up to £100,000 per annum - maximum grant of £500,000 over five years.
- Annual income between £150,000 - £250,000
grants of up to £75,000 per annum – maximum grant of £375,000 over five years.
- Annual income below £150,000
grants of up to £50,000 per annum – maximum grant of £250,000 over five years.
Grants will run for five years from 2024 to 2029. Grants for the first round are expected to begin in March 2024.
Application process: There is a two-stage application process:
- Expressions of Interest to the first round are currently being accepted with a deadline of 15 September 2023 (4pm). Notification of decisions expected at the beginning of October 2023.
- Successful applicants will be invited to submit a second stage application which will open on 9 October 2023 and close on 17 November 2023. Notification of decisions is expected in December 2023.
A Q&A Zoom session will be held on 14 August (12pm) to answer about the programme and the application process. Registration is required.
A recording of the event will be made available on the Community Justice Fund website.
The guidelines, faqs and online expression of interest form can be found on the Community Justice Fund's website.
Deadline: The deadline for Expressions of Interest for Round 1 is Friday 15 September 2023, 4pm.
Contact information: Visit funders website.
Website: The Community Justice Fund | Community Justice Fund