Launching the Big Change That Lasts Fund

Towards the end of last year, we launched Change Takes Trust, our three-year delivery plan that aims to move us closer towards becoming a social change organisation.

A key commitment within this plan is to develop our systems change funding, strengthening how we support work that can drive long-term change in Scotland.

Over the past few months, our team has been working closely with colleagues, partners, advisors and organisations across the country to review and evolve our existing Programme Awards funding stream. This has included extensive consultation to understand what’s working well, where there are barriers, and how we can better support work that aims to tackle the root causes of poverty and trauma.

Where we’ve come from

Launched in 2022, our Programme Awards have supported work aiming to deliver “big change that lasts” on poverty and trauma in Scotland.

This has meant funding projects that go beyond addressing immediate needs, instead focusing on the root causes and underlying factors that hold in place the levels of poverty and trauma we see in Scotland today. This has included supporting projects that develop early-stage ideas, test new interventions and approaches, that influence policy and practice, and undertake research clearly linked to change.

Through this work, we’ve invested over £14 million and supported a wide range of organisations working towards long-term change, with some really strong impact.

What we’ve learned

However, as part of our commitment to continuous learning and through the consultation process, a few important themes emerged.

We’ve seen that the strongest ideas are often developed collaboratively, rather than through “cold” applications. We’ve heard that using open calls as an approach, often with short deadlines, don’t always lead to the right mix of proposals and limit the ability for applicants to take the time they need to develop their ideas. We also know that clearer guidance and more accessible language can make a real difference.

Just as importantly, relationships matter. Taking time to support development, build connections, understand the context, and learn alongside the organisations we fund leads to stronger work and greater potential for lasting change

Introducing the Big Change That Lasts Fund

In response, we’re evolving our approach.

Firstly, we’re changing our language, with Programme Awards now becoming Big Change Grants, delivered through our Big Change That Lasts Fund, which we’re pleased to launch this week (27 April).

The fund opens with a focus on Financial Security, with further themes to follow over time, building up to a spend of £10m next year. The refreshed approach also includes:

• An always-open application route, with regular decision points – replacing short deadlines with the ability for organisations to apply whenever their idea is ready
• A streamlined two-stage application process
• Clearer, more accessible guidance
• A stronger focus on supporting development and building relationships
• Significant improvements to internal assessment and decision-making processes to free-up staff to focus on supporting greater impact through the Big Change That Lasts Fund

We’ll also continue to create opportunities for learning, connecting grant holders and other organisations together, and helping to build a really strong set of projects that can best deliver meaningful, long-term change.

This is an evolution of our approach, building on what we’ve learned to better support the kind of work needed to create big change that lasts in preventing and reducing poverty and trauma in Scotland. We’re looking forward to working alongside organisations across Scotland as this next phase begins.

To find out more, you can view the guidance here.

You may also be interested in viewing our webinars (What is big change that lasts? & Examples of big change that lasts). While the webinars are from 2024, the core information is still relevant. We plan to do more Big Change webinars in the future and you can keep up to date by signing up for our mailing list.