The Democratic Engagement Fund

Summary

The Democratic Engagement Fund provides grants to civil society organisations (CSOs) to deliver politically neutral, place-based projects that support people to understand, engage with, and participate in democracy in England.  The Fund focuses on communities that are currently less democratically engaged, including young people, ethnic minority communities, disabled people, people experiencing homelessness, regular movers, and people from low socio-economic backgrounds. Projects should help overcome barriers to democratic participation related to knowledge, opportunity, motivation or trust, and must contribute learning on what works to increase democratic engagement.  Projects must be delivered in England.

Who can apply

Who can apply We welcome applications from civil society organisations with experience of, or demonstrable capacity to deliver, community based, politically neutral projects in England. Civil Society Organisations must be: a. a non-governmental, non-profit entity such as a charity, voluntary group, social enterprise, co-operative, or faith group that works independently from the state and market. b. based in the UK. The project can only take place in England and is encouraged to be undertaken at a local level rather than nationally. We are particularly interested in applications that reach places with historically lower levels of democratic engagement. Eligible organisations include: · an organisation registered as a charity with the Charity Commission · a company limited by guarantee registered with Companies House, that is established for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes. · Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO) registered with The Charity Commission · Community Interest Companies (CIC) registered with Companies House · Community Benefit Societies (CBS) or Co-operative societies registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) · an unincorporated community group or organisation, or an unincorporated association that is: - established for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes - has a governing body with at least 3 members - has an inclusive membership policy - has a governing document - can provide accounts for the last two financial years - has its own UK business bank account Partnership and consortium bids are welcome. One organisation must act as the lead, accountable body and will be responsible for managing the grant and ensuring funds are used appropriately. Please note local authorities cannot apply directly although they may support a CSO to deliver a project (for example, by providing venues, data insights) Eligibility Criteria Civil Society Organisation: a. Must be a non-governmental, non-profit entity representing community interests (e.g. charities, voluntary groups, social enterprises) b. Must be based in the UK. c. Project must be carried out in England d. Applicants must have an annual turnover of at least £50,000 and no more than £1 million. e. The organisation must have been operational for 2 years minimum f. Copies of financial accounts must be provided for the last 2 years. g. Applicants must confirm that neither their organisation nor its senior leadership/trustees have unspent convictions for electoral offences or other relevant unspent offences that could reasonably call into question the organisation’s ability to deliver an impartial, lawful and trustworthy project h. Commitment to evaluate and provide monitoring data. Political Impartiality: a. Must operate independently of political parties and avoid any activity that promotes or endorses a political agenda. b. Organisations must not use grant funding for lobbying, campaigning for elected office, or influencing legislation. Accessible Communications: Must commit to providing information in accessible formats (plain language, alternative formats, digital accessibility). Where appropriate British Sign Language (BSL) and Easy Read versions - along with plain English and digital accessibility (with regards for WCAG - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). Legal and Financial Standing: Must be legally constituted and able to demonstrate governance and financial controls. Projects must align with programme objectives: Please see the prospectus linked in the Additional Information section. Projects must target one of the following groups: Young people (aged 5-25 years) Ethnic minority communities Frequent movers People experiencing homelessness Individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds People with a disability

Full details

The Democratic Engagement Fund provides grants to civil society organisations (CSOs) to deliver politically neutral, place-based projects that support people to understand, engage with, and participate in democracy in England.  The Fund focuses on communities that are currently less democratically engaged, including young people, ethnic minority communities, disabled people, people experiencing homelessness, regular movers, and people from low socio-economic backgrounds. Projects should help overcome barriers to democratic participation related to knowledge, opportunity, motivation or trust, and must contribute learning on what works to increase democratic engagement.  Projects must be delivered in England.