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Third sector funding and finance guidance

Although OTS does not provide funding for individual projects, potentially useful resources  include the options listed below.

Funding Central is a free smart website funded by the Office of the Third Sector which provides access to thousands of funding and finance opportunities, plus a wealth of tools and resources supporting third sector organisations to develop sustainable income strategies appropriate to their needs. The site provides a comprehensive list of funding opportunities (grants, grant in aid and contracts) available from government and government non-departmental bodies and agencies, local and regional government, charitable organisations and foundations, and the EU.

Details of the OTS's key funding programmes can be found on the OTS core funding programmes section.

Some other potentially useful resources include:

• Directgov [external website]
  The Government’s website has some useful information for third sector organisations looking for funding, including where to look locally, and information about the Big Lottery Fund and Grantnet.
• Business Link [external website]
  This is the national business advice service which offers support and advice to small businesses and supports social enterprises in their business plans. The website provides straightforward information for business, access to a wide network of business support organisations and includes a directory of sources of finance.
• The Directory of Social Change [external website] is an independent source of funding information for voluntary and community organisations. They publish comprehensive details of funders, including charitable trusts and foundations.
• The Association of Charitable Foundations [external website]
  The website of the leading membership association for grant-making charities in the UK lists useful information regarding various grant providing trusts and foundations.

The  Guide to Government assistance to the third sector [PDF, external website] aims to provide an overview of the key sources of financial support available through the Government for the third sector.

Guidance on the funding relationship between Government and the third sector can also be found in:

• Improving financial relationships with the third sector: guidance to funders and purchasers (HMT 2006) [PDF 680KB, 74 pages]
• Compact Code of Good Practice on Funding and Procurement (Compact Working Group, Home Office 2005) [PDF 642KB, 34 pages]
• Think smart...think voluntary sector: good practice guidance on procurement of services from the voluntary and community sector (OGC, Home Office 2004) [PDF 179KB, 35 pages]

Social investment and access to finance

As well as looking for funding from the public sector, grant-making trusts and foundations, and seeking finance from banks and mainstream commercial investors, third sector organisations may also want to consider social investors who are experimenting with different ways of channelling investment for social purpose. Examples of social investors and innovative sources of finance can be found in the Social Investment and Access to Finance section.