Building Connections Fund

Deadline 24th August 2018

The £11.5 million Building Connections Fund is a partnership between Government, Big Lottery Fund and the Co-op Foundation which was set up in response to the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness to support projects that prevent or reduce loneliness.

The fund aims to:

• increase social connections, helping people form strong and meaningful relationships and creating a sense of community and belonging, and helping people feel more connected
• support organisations to build on their existing work, eg by reaching more people, or working in a new area or with a different method or group of people
• encourage organisations to join up with others locally
• improve the evidence base and use learning to inform longer term policy and funding decisions.

The main fund is made up of close to £9 million, which will be distributed by the Big Lottery Fund, making grants of between £30,000 and £100,000.

These could include (but are not limited to):

• staff salaries
• training and organisational development
• equipment to facilitate activities
• venue hire
• communications campaigns
• marketing
• project activities and other resources to help run the project or intervention
• resources to implement or develop the project
• costs for learning and evaluation (recognising that you will be working with an evaluator as part of your funding).

For more information please visit the Big Lottery website here.