London Councils new funding priorities 2013-15

The papers for London Councils grants committee meeting of 12.09.12 are now available online. These papers lay out the final recommendations for future commissioning of services delivered on a pan-London basis in the previously agreed priority areas of:

a) tackling homelessness amongst individuals and households through direct services and/or developing new ways of working with partners to generate housing and accommodation and access services
a. early intervention and prevention of homelessness
b. emergency accommodation and advice services
c. support services that promote new ways to prevent homelessness and access to accommodation

b) preventing violence against women and girls and assisting women and girls affected by violence to access emergency services and access to services by women and girls at risk
a. prevention
b. emergency accommodation and advice and support for people and organisations
c. services that support women and communities affected by forced marriage and harmful practice

c) tackling poverty by promoting access to employment and training drawing on opportunities for match funding provided by boroughs working with London Councils and the European Social Fund
a. preparatory training and support to improve access to employment and further training opportunities for people not eligible for the Work Programme affected by long term conditions

d) providing support to London’s voluntary and community organisations enabling those organisations gain access to funds, skills and resources to provide effective services to communities
a. services that support voluntary and community organisations deliver effectively and including opportunities for front-line services to gain from funding opportunities
b. Services that achieve efficiencies and improve stability through delivering services jointly through partnerships or mergers.

Indicative spend in each area is:

Homelessness 1.1 Early intervention and prevention   £2,700,000
Homelessness 1.2 Youth homelessness £750,000
Homelessness 1.3 Support services to homelessness voluntary sector organisations £150,000

Sexual and Domestic Violence 2.1 Prevention £200,000
Sexual and Domestic Violence 2.2 Advice, counselling, outreach, drop-in and support for access to services   £1,500,000
Sexual and Domestic Violence 2.3 Helpline and coordinated access to refuge provision £200,000
Sexual and Domestic Violence 2.4 Emergency refuge accommodation that offers services to meet the needs of specific groups   £450,000
Sexual and Domestic Violence 2.5 Support services to the sexual and domestic violence voluntary sector organisations £350,000
Sexual and Domestic Violence 2.6 Specifically targeted services FGM, Honour based violence (HBV), forced marriage and other harmful practices £300,000

Support to VCOs 4. Providing support to London’s voluntary and community organisations £1,400,000

Total spend £8,000,000

In addition to the above, the committee are also being asked to agree the following timetable:

12 September 2012 Grants Committee Members to consider and agree 11 specifications including specific outcomes
September 2012 Publish invitation to apply for a grant to deliver commissions based on specifications agreed by the Committee
26 October 2012 Closing date for applications
November 2012 Assessment of applications for eligibility and then scored by London Councils officers. Draft reports to lead members; budget recommendations considered by Leaders’ Committee and boroughs. Grants and Leaders’ Committee to meet and consider budget recommendations
January 2013 Papers and recommendations to Grants Committee; organisations advised of draft recommendations and offered Right to Reply if they wish to respond to the Committee. Boroughs asked to consider recommendations; agree budget for 2013/14
February 2013 Committee meets to consider the 2013/15 programme. Organisations advised of decision and invited to start new commissions on 1 April 2013 or as soon as practicable after; grant agreements issued.
March/April 2013 New schemes start on 1 April 2013 or as soon as practicable

For the list of papers and specific priorities, see Item 6 - Future Grants Programme 2013 -15

The formal commissioning process for London Councils 2013-15 has now been announced. For each priority, London Councils has produced a service specification to define what they want to achieve through their funding. Priorities 1 and 2 have been divided into a number of ‘strands’ with a service specification for each.

The service specification explains:

* what service outcomes London Councils wish to achieve through their funding
* the needs they are trying to meet
* equalities information

You need to read the relevant service specification before you apply for funding.

The grants budget for 2013/14 will be set in November 2012 by London Councils. Indicative figures for each service specification are provided. Applicants should use this as a guide as the total budget may be decreased or remain the same when London Councils makes its recommendations to the 32 London Boroughs and the City of London.

The deadline is 12 noon Friday 26 October 2012.  They will not accept applications submitted after this time.

For more information, see 2013-15 Funding