Sport England is looking at possible changes to the way it distributes National Lottery money for community sport. Views are welcomed on ways to improve application and award processes as well as any particularly valued features of the current Community Investment Fund.

Go to http://www.sportengland.org/index/get_funding/homepage-lottery_consultation.htm and respond by 12th September. Sector support umbrella body NAVCA has welcomed the consultation - http://www.navca.org.uk/news/sportfunding.htm.

This year’s TalkTalk Innovation in the Community Awards are open for entries.

This enables charity and community groups throughout the UK to harness the power of the internet, with 30 winners receiving grants of £2,000 each to fund technology related projects, and five overall winners will also get technology equipment of their choice. Last year’s winners ranged from chat rooms on health issues to web-based support networks.

See http://www.talktalk.co.uk/innovation, and apply by 30th September.

Futurebuilders England has a new Tender Fund, offering three year loans of between £3,000 and £50,000 to third sector organisations who need relatively small sums of money to help them tender successfully for specific public service delivery contracts.

See http://www.futurebuilders-england.org.uk/content/Funding/TenderFund.aspx

The Welsh Assembly Government’s Deputy Minister for Regeneration, Leighton Andrews, has declared that he is “committed to implementing the findings of the Quirk review in Wales”, which called for more community ownership of public buildings, “across all of Wales not just the most populated towns and cities”. He hopes to make a further announcement in the autumn on establishing a community asset fund to help to make the buildings fit for purpose. News item at http://new.wales.gov.uk/news/presreleasearchive/2321519/?lang=en.

The Deputy Minister has also announced a “new fund to boost community regeneration” of at least £25 million over the next three years. This should have a sharper focus than previous Communities First funds on stimulating practical improvements to tackle poverty, contribute to wider regeneration initiatives and improving employability. See http://new.wales.gov.uk/news/presreleasearchive/2315902/?lang=en.

A thirty million pound Scottish Investment Fund is being set up by the Scottish Government to help trading charities and social enterprises increase their turnover or become financially sustainable. It will provide a mixture of loan/repayable finance and grant funding to mature established social economy organisations who have been trading successfully for at least three years. Official news item at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/06/18150321, or see fund manager Social Investment Scotland’s information, including a pdf download (61KB) of the Investment Strategy.

As reported by Charity Finance (http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=1993), organisations at an earlier stage of development will be able to apply to the separate Third Sector Enterprise Fund, which will have £12 million over three years available in amounts of up to £100,000. Details are to follow in the next few months.

The Scottish Government has also published ‘Enterprising Third Sector Action Plan, 2008-11′ to “help to create the right conditions in which an enterprising Third Sector - including social enterprises - can thrive, enabling the Third Sector to play a full role in the development, design and delivery of policy and services in Scotland.” This is a large pdf, see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/15300/Actionplan for introduction and link.

The Social Development Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly met away from Stormont for the first time last week, visiting the offices of Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, with over 50 representatives from the sector having an opportunity to see how it operated.

NICVA gave a presentation on the tight funding situation with government efficiency savings squeezing services. More in NICVA news item at http://www.nicva.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/assembly_committee_nicva.

‘Buy and make a difference - How to address Social Issues in Public Procurement’ is a pamphlet issued by the Office of Government Commerce for public sector bodies. It explains how “social objectives” can be pursued alongside cost issues.

News item at http://www.ogc.gov.uk/About_OGC_news_8440.asp, direct link to pdf, 1012KB, http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Social_Issues_in_Public_Procurement.pdf.

Children and Young People Now reports that up to eight million pounds is to be used to give voluntary sector parenting projects supported by the government’s Parenting Fund more time to get long-term funding from local authorities.

Funding for second round projects was due to end this month (June 2008), but they could now continue to March 2009. http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletins/Daily-Bulletin/news/817560/.

A research study examining how well Primary Care Trusts and charitable hospices work together is being undertaken by the Commission for the Compact in partnership with Help the Hospices.

It will look at different local relationships, explore successes to date and remaining challenges through anonymous case studies. Findings are due out in September. Commission for the Compact news item.

A Capacitybuilders Social Enterprise Programme was announced by third sector minister Phil Hope at the Capacitybuilders conference this week.

Some six million pounds will be distributed over the next three years, working with social enterprise networks and other local partners, such as Regional Development Agencies, in each English region to identify the best ways to meet local needs. It will be spent on areas such as new mentoring schemes, more accredited advisers and work to develop emerging markets.

Office of Third Sector News item, which includes information on awards under the Improving Reach programme too, or see Capacitybuilders with more details of the programme.

A new service aims to help rural communities in Scotland apply for a range of funding programmes aimed at tackling climate change, reducing waste and improving environmental management.

Rural Direct is operated by the Crofters’ Commission and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. Its phone number is 0845 838 8598.

Rural Gateway news item, with email address, at http://www.ruralgateway.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=2295&d=11&h=24&f=46.

A Funding Commission that will look at future financial provision across the whole range of civil society after 2010 is being established by NCVO, the English umbrella body.

Due to start work early in 2009, its job will be “to come up with practical and public policy proposals that ensure secure funding for the voluntary sector, for the longer term.” Announcement at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/press/releases/?id=9290.