The Department for International Development has delayed the launch of a new funding programme intended to improve co-operation in the aid sector.
UK Aid Connect, which was announced at the end of last year, was supposed to invite proposals in March with a view to awarding funding later this year. DfID did not say how much funding would be available via this programme.
A DfID spokeswoman told Civil Society News that UK Aid Connect is due to launch “soon”.
It was one of four new programmes announced by DfID at the end of last year, following its Civil Society Partnership Review.
A number of funding programmes for charities ended in 2016 and will be replaced with the new funding - the recipients of which have yet to be announced.
Between 2011 and 2016 DfID provided just under £689m to 41 organisations. Oxfam was the largest recipient and received nearly £65m. DfID said that as part of its new programmes it was moving away from funding core costs.
The aim of UK Aid Connect programme is to support “coalitions of CSOs, think tanks, public, private and third sector organisations to help find solutions to current complex situations whilst tackling tomorrow’s challenges”.
Two programmes took applications for funding in January. Around 60 charities have applied for funding from the £30m UK Aid Match programme and around 600 have applied to the UK Aid Direct.
DfID is currently reviewing applications to these funds.
No timescales were attached to the fourth programme, UK Aid Volunteers, which intends to support International Citizen Service.
End of longstanding programme for large charities
When the Civil Society Partnership Review was announced in November Priti Patel, Secretary of State for International Development, said she want to support more smaller charities.
Last month she announced another fund for smaller charities, which will be run with the help of the Charity Commission. The size of the fund has not been revealed and more details are not expected until the summer.
In Charity Finance
Funding for development infrastructure
Bond, the umbrella body for international aid charities, has seen its sustainability questioned. Last year Devex, an international aid publication, reported concerns that the organisation faced closure if it could not secure additional funding from DfID.
Its funding from DfID came to an end in March last year but some of it was extended for nine months.
Bond’s accounts show that it was “uncertainty over DFID funding from January to March” this year, and that if there was no additional funding secured the charity would use its reserves.
“The most critical risk concerns long term DfID funding,” its accounts say. “Bond has developed outline contingency plans, which would require further significant reduction in costs and in the strategic scope of its work going forward. We plan to review the outlook for DfID funding in middle 16/17 and take appropriate action in order to ensure the cost of Bond’s work are in line with expected income levels.”
For the financial year ending March 2016, total income for the year was £2.8m, with nearly £1m coming from DfID. Nearly £350,000 for advocacy and representation and £645,000 for its effectiveness and futures programme. Both programmes were three-year programmes ending in 2016.
Bond received £1.3m from its membership and communications activity and the charity’s leadership said it was in discussions with DfID but that it would be able to continue regardless.
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