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Futurebuilders - New Website

Futurebuilders has launched a new customer-focused website which sees it do away with its application form. Futurebuilders offers loan financing at 6% interest to third sector organisations in England that need investment to help them bid for, win and deliver public service contracts. Loans are often combined with grants and professional support.

Instead of an application form, organisations will be offered a menu of options on the website to begin the application process, including submitting an online enquiry, requesting a callback, sending an email, or calling the information line.

With customer-focused content such as success stories, top tips and application resources, the new website has been designed to cater to the needs of potential applicants, with the aim of increasing high-quality applications to the fund. In addition to providing information about Futurebuilders products and services, the site also includes interactive tools such as a loan repayment calculator and an investment search function.

Futurebuilders Small Organisation Tender Fund

The Small Organisation Tender Fund offers grants to small third sector organisations who need small sums of money to help them tender successfully for specific public sector contracts. Grants are invested in amounts up to 10% of the contract, with a maximum investment of £15,000.

There is a limited pot of £220,000 for this Fund, £150,000 of which has been contributed by the National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning.

Eligibility criteria: You must be a third sector organisation with a turnover of less than £250,000 in the last financial year; You must be preparing to tender for a specific public service contract worth a minimum of £30,000; You must have a good chance of winning the tender; You must have been incorporated for a minimum of one year.

There is no application form for this fund. To begin the application process please submit an enquiry.

Futurebuilders Tender Fund

The Tender Fund is a new Futurebuilders programme offering interest-free three year loans of between £3,000 and £50,000 to third sector organisations that need money to help them tender successfully for specific public service delivery contracts. The Fund was set up in response to feedback from third sector providers and public sector commissioners, who confirmed that there is a real need for resources to help the third sector compete on an equal footing with providers from other sectors.

National Learning and Skills Council (LSC)

The funding body for all post-16 education outside the University sector. LSC funding, specifically the new allocation for family learning, can therefore be used to support parenting education and the training of people to deliver it. Family learning is defined by the LSC as 'Learning as or within a family; learning to help people operate as or within a family, including parenting skills'.

Parenting Support Strategy Grant

The Local Authority Circular for the Parenting Support Strategy Grant (2008-2009) is now available on the DCSF website. It sets out the conditions, allocations and payment arrangements for this ring-fenced grant to local authorities. The grant is to be spent on funding Parenting Experts, the Parenting Early Intervention Programme (PEIPs) and Family Pathfinders.