Funding: 

The Big Fund will deliver a new £16.8m government fund released to support advice-giving not-for-profits in England which have suffered statutory funding cuts.

Grants of between £40,000 and £70,000 will be available to organisations offering free advice on debt, welfare benefits, employment and housing through the Advice Services Fund.

Organisations will apply to Big Fund, the non-lottery arm of the Big Lottery Fund, for the grants and must be able to evidence funding cuts of at least ten per cent for their advice services from central and local government funds for 2011/2012, with priority given to those suffering the most severe cuts.

Announcing the Big Fund as the delivery partner for the fund, which opens for applications at the end of November, Nick Hurd, minister for civil society, advised the Cabinet Office will also conduct a review of the services to conclude early next year. The review will look at the funding environment for these services as well as likely levels of demand and how the government will be able to assist them in the future.

For  more information go to the BIG Fund website