We have put together some answers based on common questions from our previous openings and from potential applicants to Advice for Health. Please contact us if you still have queries.
Please note that stage one applications for Advice for Health close on 19 June 2024.
Applicant eligibility
Can existing funded partners apply? Yes, if they meet the criteria.
When will we allow applications from organisations of over £500,000 income / why are organisations with higher incomes not able to apply? The size of organisation is considered for every opening in the Health Justice Fund depending on the focus. For Advice for Health, we are aiming to support small grassroots organisations.
You will need to provide your most recently published accounts at stage two to evidence your income. If you are a new organisation you will be asked to provide a projection of income and expenditure for your first year of operation.
We are a small group but come under the umbrella of larger charity who have an income greater than £500,000.Are we eligible? Unless you are separately constituted with your own governance and accounts, we would use the accounts and governance of the umbrella organisation.
Does an organisation need to have been established for at least three months to be eligible to apply to Advice for Health? Organisations need to have been established for three months by the stage two deadline. You can find a full list of the type of organisations that can apply here.
Do we limit number of applications from a single organisation? Yes, an organisation can only make one application.
Are there age limitations on who applicants can be working with? Yes, participants must be over 18.
Do the group/s of people we are working with meet the criteria for Advice for Health?
Advice for Health focuses on people who:
- are experiencing social and financial disadvantage
- and are experiencing marginalisation and discrimination
- and are currently unable to access advice services.
You need to clearly explain and evidence how the people you are working with experience all of these.
Where we are open
Why are we not open in some parts of the country? We are currently open for funding in areas where we currently have higher levels of good causes funding available. You can find out more about where our funding comes from here.
Do projects need to be based in 'fundable neighbourhoods' only?
When you tell us where you’re working, we’ll want to understand why you have chosen to work in this area. We ask that you provide evidence that the people you plan to work with meet the Trust’s primary focus, which is on people facing financial and social disadvantage. Our map shows places in the most disadvantaged 30% of neighbourhoods according to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and we recommend you include where the place(s) you plan to work is/are ranked according to IMD. However you should feel able to present other national or local evidence that you consider relevant. See the application guidance for more information.
Could we work across our county? The activity must be delivered within an area that participants involved would consider to be local. If you want to work in a wider area, we suggest you contact us to talk through the reason for this.
Qualifications and experience
How do you expect applicants to evidence their (or their partner organisation’s) suitability and experience in advice giving? This could be relevant accreditation, membership of relevant professional networks or advice associations, such as AdviceUK. Applicants will also be expected to demonstrate their track record in this area.
Partnerships
What would you consider a partnership agreement? Can this be in place by the start of activity? Examples of a suitable partnership agreement could be a service delivery contract, a memorandum of understanding, a service level agreement. Your partnership agreement will need to be in place before the funded activity starts. Funded partners can pass on up to 49% of the grant, and the applicant must be the main partner.
Do partner organisations need to meet our eligibility requirements? They must also be an eligible non-profit charitable organisation but do not need to meet the wider criteria, for example the size of the organisation. You can find a full list of the eligible organisation types here.
Can more than one partner be involved in the application? The Trust would need to understand the reason for this and how it would work in practice. Any partners would need to meet all the relevant organisation criteria. We suggest you contact us to talk about this.
What a project might look like
Can you give an example of what a project will look like? We are keen to hear your ideas based on the programme criteria, and all of the key elements are set out in the guidance.
How many regular participants do you expect projects to be working with? Activities should support improved social connections but how many people the project supports depends on the funded activity, who you are working with, the size of your grant.
Measuring outcomes
How should we measure outcomes? A robust approach to measuring changes to mental and physical health is important in order to demonstrate the impact of your funded activity. You may already have a way to measure success and gather learning, which could be applied in this project. If you need support with this please get in touch before completing your application.
Learning and decision makers
What does the People’s Health Trust mean by ‘learning’? Funded partners will work with the Trust to use learning gained through the funded activity to work with decision-makers locally, and potentially regionally or nationally, to make changes that improve provision of advice services for the communities the project is aiming to support. We will support funded partners with this, and bigger systems change efforts. You may already be involved in advocating for changes in policy and practice in your area and/or alongside the communities you are working with.
Could you provide more info on who People’s Health Trust define as local decision makers? Local government is a good example of local decision makers. Other local decision makers could include your MP, local NHS providers such as social care, regional NHS services and commissioners.
Professional Indemnity insurance
When does the professional indemnity insurance need to be in place? This needs to be in place before the funded activity starts.
Budgets
Can overhead costs be included in the budget? Yes, overhead costs related to project delivery can be included in the budget. We anticipate other costs might be for staffing, venue hire, volunteer expenses, management costs, costs to support access to the project such as creche or travel costs.
Making an application
After creating a new IGAM account my account shows pending applications (which is blank) rather than the application form. What should I do? Instead of using the link in the automated ‘welcome’ email about your account, use this link to access the application form.
Contact us
If you are unsure what to do or whether your organisation or idea is eligible you can contact us on 020 4548 0939 or email us and we will arrange a time to call you back or email you to help you to complete the online form.
If you are covered by the Equality Act 2010 and need help with your application, just ask .
We are available to support you from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays. We can arrange a time to talk to you on Zoom or Teams or talk to you on the phone or via email.
