The main purpose of the Innovation Fund is to fund targeted and specific projects addressing local health and life inequalities for people with severe mental health problems.
The Innovation Fund is delivered as a partnership between Voluntary Action Coventry (VAC), Warwickshire Community and Voluntary Action (WCAVA) and Coventry and Warwickshire Partnerships Trust (CWPT). Fund distribution is overseen by Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Fund Aims
The fund aims to support Coventry and Warwickshire residents aged 18+. Applications must use a Trauma-Informed/Person-Centred approach (see FAQs for further explanation) and meet one of the following criteria:
- Provide mental health interventions for people experiencing mental illness
- Improve mental health and wellbeing and/or promote recovery
- Involve people with lived experience of mental illness in the development and/or delivery of the project/service e.g., peer support
- Address health inequalities- people from under-represented groups/experiencing homelessness/experiencing poverty
Available Funding
Grants of up to £25,000 for organisations in Coventry and Warwickshire. Funding must be spent by March 2024.
Deadline for Innovation Fund applications: 12 noon, Friday 10 th March 2023
What will we support?
- Start-up costs for a new project or organisation
- To extend or develop an existing project/service
- For pilot project (to gather research or evidence)
- To purchase equipment or resources
- Funding a post to support the project/service]
Eligibility
You can apply to this fund if you are one of the following:
- Social Enterprise
- Independent Employee/Member/Retired Persons Social Associations
- Sports and Leisure Club and Societies
- Faith Organisation
- Registered Charity
- Constituted or Un-Constituted Community Group
- Company Limited by Guarantee with Charitable Aims
- Community Interest Company
Funding to Community Interest Companies and other non-charities may include conditions to restrict funding to charitable objectives only.
Funding to Un-Constituted Community Groups is subject to appropriate governance being in place.
Please note, we are unable to fund the following:
- Public and Private sector organisations
- Political parties, trade unions and party-political organisations
- Organisations or projects owned or controlled by public or private sector organisations (e.g., local authority controlled companies)
- Services directly replacing statutory obligations and public funded services
- Statutory work in educational institutions
Additional Supporting Information
To be eligible to apply you must be able to provide:
- A written constitution/articles/set of rules
- A copy of your Public Liability Insurance covering the services outlined in the application
- A copy of your Safeguarding policy
- A copy of your Health and Safety policy
It is preferred that you hold and can share:
- A copy of your Information Governance policy
Reporting will be quarterly with a final report being submitted by March 2024.
All grant applicants will be expected to participate in any appropriate publicity as requested by the Community Mental Health Transformation team.
How to apply
There are two options for applications:
- A written application detailing your project via our online application form
- A 3-minute video which you then attach to the online form
If you would like an offline copy of the application form, please email Eleanor Nunn, e.nunn@vacoventry.org.uk
For more information, please see our FAQs, or contact Eleanor Nunn or your local Liaison Officer.
Deadline for Innovation Fund applications: 12 noon, Friday 10 th March 2023
If you feel this fund is a better fit for your organisation and you have already submitted an application for the Micro-grant, please contact Eleanor Nunn before the deadline.
