BIG Fund
The BIG Fund is the non-Lottery funding operation of the Big Lottery Fund
The National Lottery Act (2006) gave the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) the power to handle non-Lottery as well as Lottery funding. BIG’s experience, infrastructure and expertise mean that it is perfectly positioned to deliver wider community funding.
BIG is already rolling out non-lottery grants through the Community Assets programme on behalf of the Office for Civil Society, the myplace programme which it administers on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE), and the Transition Fund on behalf of the Office for Civil Society.
While the Big Society Bank is being set up we’ve been asked to distribute up to £5 million raised from dormant bank accounts through The Big Society Investment Fund programme. This will realise some early benefits and provide a springboard for the future.
BIG is clear that any non-Lottery funding will be accounted for and promoted independently from Lottery funding. We will report annually on any grants made and regularly update the relevant funding programme pages on our website with details of grants awarded. This will be clearly branded as distinct and separate from Lottery funding.
In Wales the Sustainable Steps programme will use dormant accounts money to support communities to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to climate change by developing skills, changing behaviour and promoting wider sustainable development.
The Big Lottery Fund’s developing role administering non-Lottery funding therefore has a distinct identity, the BIG Fund. This is to ensure a clear distinction between the Lottery Funding we distribute and the non-Lottery funding we manage on behalf of third parties. The organisation doing the work is still the Big Lottery Fund.
The BIG Fund logo will appear on all publications, press releases and areas of BIG’s website that cover non-lottery funded programmes. It is also for use by recipients of funding of these programmes.
More information
BIG Fund programmes
BIG advice line 0300 456 4746
