Aims/priorities: The key objective of the Challenge Fund 2 is to produce products or resources which can be utilised by local areas to support a greater number of families at risk of parental conflict, including through digital support offers. The Challenge Fund 2 will build upon the evidence and learnings from Phase 1 of the Reducing Parental Conflict Programme (including the first Challenge Fund) and to help fill evidence gaps.
Up to £3.6 million is available in total for initiatives that will generate evidence in the following two strands:
- Universal Digital Support for Families (Digital Support)
- Support for a diverse range of families who may have additional stressors for conflict (Supporting Diverse Families).
As a key aim of this fund is to encourage innovation, DWP will not fund activity which is already taking place unless there is a strong case for doing so. The Fund will not pay for research conducted in isolation of delivery. Applicants cannot make a profit from their involvement in a Challenge Fund initiative.
Who can apply? Applicants can be from the private, public (including local authorities) and third sector, including organisations such as voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises.
Digital Support applicants must be based within the United Kingdom to submit applications to the Digital Support strand. Initiatives will be required to focus on an English audience although this support will be available to families living elsewhere within the United Kingdom. For the Support for Disadvantaged Families strand, applicants and activity must be based in England.
Organisations will need to have a certain level of capacity to deliver effectively to the Challenge Fund budgets and timescales. Smaller organisations may want to partner with a larger organisation, and for them to act as the lead applicant.
Organisations can apply to each of the two Challenge Fund strands. Initiatives must be distinct and applicants should complete a separate application to each strand of the Fund.
Grant amount: The minimum spend per initiative is £150,000.
Application process: There are three stages to the application process:
- Applicants will be able to complete an online checklist before deciding if they wish to submit their initiative idea for an eligibility check
- Eligibility checks will be accepted until 8 February 2023. Initiative ideas that clearly do not meet the Fund criteria will not be allowed to proceed past this stage.
- Organisations that have completed an eligibility check and have been invited to apply to the Fund will be able to access the online application portal between mid-January and 24 February 2023.
Deadline: Eligibility checks will be accepted until 8 February 2023
Contact information: Tel 020 7712 2171, Email challengefund2@ecorys.com
Website address: rpcchallengefund2.co.uk