Aims/priorities: The Ideas Fund aims to enable the public to develop and try out ideas that address problems related to mental wellbeing in local communities by connecting them with research professionals who will help bring their ideas to life.
To be eligible applicants must:
- Have an early stage idea related to mental wellbeing that they want to explore and develop, and that focuses on a problem that their community wants to solve.
- Be based in one of four specific regions in the UK:
Metropolitan Borough of Oldham., City of Hull., North West Northern Ireland - specifically the area covered by Derry and Strabane District Council., Highlands and Islands of Scotland - in the council areas of Highland Council, Moray Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council), Orkney Islands Council, Shetland Islands Council, Argyll and Bute Council along with the Isles of Arran and Cumbrae.
- Be keen to collaborate with research professionals to bring the idea to life. (As part of the application process, the Fund's Development Co-ordinators can introduce applicants to researchers they can collaborate with.)
Organisations will need to show that they already have a relationship with the community they want to work with, and they will also need to demonstrate that their idea focuses on an issue the community itself wants to address.
Researchers who are applying must be able to clearly show how their project is led by the community. (Projects where people are involved as research participants will not be funded.)
Who can apply? Applications will be accepted from:
- Community groups (individuals, someone linked to a community group, an informal group, constituted group, charity, CIC or a social enterprise).
- Researchers (defined for this funding as someone who has a track of carrying out and publishing new research and is connected to the wider research world through their work).
- Existing partnerships between a community group and researcher.
Grant amount: A further £1.2 million is being made available in 2022. It is anticipated that up to seven new partnerships will be funded in each of the four locations within the UK.
Two grants are available:
- Development or ‘incubator’ grant of £3,000 will be available to all community groups who have their Expression of Interests shortlisted. This is to cover the time for both researcher and community partner to work together to build their relationship and develop an idea.
- Larger Grants - There is no set minimum or maximum. In the first round, grants ranged from £12,000 to £91,000. They are intended to cover:
- Salaries or fees for people who are essential to the proposal such as project lead, researchers, artists or consultants.
- Participant costs, if relevant.
- Materials and consumables.
- Equipment that is essential to the project.
- Production costs, including marketing.
- Travel and subsistence relevant to the proposal.
- Room hire.
- Catering.
- Accessibility costs (eg BSL translation, childcare).
- Evaluation and dissemination of the work.
- Overheads - these can only account for a maximum of 20% of the grant.
There is no minimum or maximum length that a project needs to run for.
Application process: An online application form and guidance are available to access on the Ideas Fund website.
The following webinars are being offered via Zoom:
- Thursday 12 May (10.30 am - 11.30 am) Introduction to The Ideas Fund and support with the expression of interest process
- Wednesday 18 May from 3.00 pm Researcher Q&A.
Deadline: The deadline for Expressions of Interest is Wednesday 8 June 2022 (midday).
Contact information: The Ideas Team Tel: 0870 770 7101 Fax: 020 7581 6587 Email: hello@theideasfund.org
Website: The Ideas Fund | Home