Big Fund for advice providers

N.B. Priority will be given to organisations with higher levels of reductions in funds.

The Cabinet Office has announced that a £16.8m fund for free advice services in England will be delivered by the Big Fund, the non-lottery arm of the Big Lottery Fund.

The fund will open for applications by the end of November and will provide grants to organisations providing debt, welfare benefits, employment and housing advice services.

Applicants will have to provide advice in at least one of the four areas and be able to evidence public funding cuts of at least 10 per cent for those advice service areas from central and local government sources in 2011/12.

The fund will provide grants worth between £40,000 and £70,000 to be spent on service delivery.