Freedom of information
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 has created a statutory right of access to public information.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000
As a public body, if we receive a written request for information, which states a name and contact address, we have an obligation to provide that information within 20 working days, unless a Freedom of Information exemption applies.
The Publication Scheme
The Act requires us to produce a Publication Scheme. By ‘publication’ we mean information that is available to the public in a variety of formats: for example, reports on paper or web pages.
The publication scheme is a document that describes the information we routinely publish, where you can find it, and whether we charge for it. It is not a list of our publications: it describes the kinds of information we publish. A full list of our publications is available in the publications section of this website. 
Big Lottery Fund publication scheme
- 89KB (89Kb)
Our publications are available, on request, in Braille, large print, audio-tape, Welsh and community languages.
How to request information from us
Much of the information we hold is already available to you. Before you make an official request you should:
- search our website for the information
- check the Big Lottery Fund’s publication scheme.
If you still cannot find what you are looking for, or you require information available on our website in a different form (a hard copy, for example) you may ask for it under the Freedom of Information Act. To do this you should contact Robert Holland our Head of Corporate Governance by emailing foi@biglotteryfund.org.uk or by writing to:
Head of Corporate Governance
Big Lottery Fund
1 Plough Place
London EC4A 1DE
Please refer to your request as a Freedom of Information request and be specific about the information you want, as this will help us to deal with your request efficiently. We will acknowledge your request and must reply in full within 20 working days.
It is possible that some of the information may not be available because it falls within one of the exemptions of the Act. When that happens, we will tell you which exemption applies and, in most cases, why the information cannot be released.
Environmental Information Regulations 2004
The Environmental Information Regulations 2004
Requests regarding information relating to the state of the environment are handled under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. The Regulations have a presumption of disclosure. To request information under these regulations you should follow the same process as for Freedom of Information requests.
Disclosure logs
Between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2007, the Big Lottery Fund has received:
416 requests for information, requesting 845 separate pieces of information.
We are committed to openness and only use exemptions where we feel there is a strong public interest argument to do so. We have received only five requests for an internal review of our decision and no complaints to the Information Commissioner. Statistics on the types of requests received between 2005 and 2007 and disclosure logs for each year are below:
- Freedom of Information Act – Three Years On
- 160KB - Freedom of information disclosure log 2007
- 95KB - Freedom of Information disclosure log 2006
- 89KB - Freedom of Information disclosure log 2005
- 92KB
Award partner advice notes
The award partner advice notes provides guidance on the implications of the FoIA and EIR on the Big Lottery Fund's Award Partners.
Our commitment to openness and good customer service
If your application for Lottery funding was not successful, you will receive a letter explaining why. Due to the large volume of applications we receive we don’t automatically offer detailed feedback to all unsuccessful applicants. We may also be restricted in our feedback to protect our anti-fraud procedures.
However, we remain committed to openness and if you do require more information about your unsuccessful application you should write to the office that sent your decision letter. We will do our best to explain without the need for you to need to make a Freedom of Information request.
Releasing information under the Freedom of Information Act makes it available to anyone, anywhere in the world and we feel it is more helpful to provide information about your own application as good customer service rather than requiring you to rely on legislation.
If you would like to discuss the Freedom of Information Act or Environmental Information Regulations you can call Robert Holland on 020 7211 3736.
Requests for personal data
Personal data requests are dealt with under the Data Protection Act 1998. If you want to know whether we hold personal information about you, you should write to:
Head of Corporate Governance
Big Lottery Fund
1 Plough Place
London EC4A 1DE
Please refer to the Data Protection Act in your request.
You are required to supply proof of your identity:
- a photocopy of the identification pages of your current passport
- a current photo driving licence
- the original of a current utilities (for example, electricity) bill, credit card or bank statement which includes your name and address.
If you need these documents back, we will return them to you.
It would also be helpful if you could indicate which part of Big Lottery Fund (which department, directorate or office) you believe might hold your data to narrow the search. We may withhold access to your information where we have the right to do so under the Data Protection Act 1998.
- Freedom of Information Act – Three Years On
- 160KB - Freedom of information disclosure log 2007
- 95KB - Freedom of Information disclosure log 2006
- 89KB - Freedom of Information disclosure log 2005
- 92KB
Award partner advice notes
The award partner advice notes provides guidance on the implications of the FoIA and EIR on the Big Lottery Fund's Award Partners.
Our commitment to openness and good customer service
If your application for Lottery funding was not successful, you will receive a letter explaining why. Due to the large volume of applications we receive we will not automatically offer detailed feedback to all unsuccessful applicants. We may also be restricted in our feedback to protect our anti-fraud procedures.
However, we remain committed to openness and if you do require more information about your unsuccessful application you should write to the office that sent your decision letter. We will do our best to explain our decision without the need for you to need to make a Freedom of Information request. As releasing information under the Freedom of Information Act makes it available to anyone, anywhere in the world, we feel it is more helpful to provide information about your own application as good customer service rather than requiring you to rely on legislation.
If you would like to discuss the Freedom of Information Act or Environmental Information Regulations you can call Robert Holland on 020 7211 3736.
Requests for personal data
Personal data requests are dealt with under the Data Protection Act 1998. If you want to know whether we hold personal information about you, you should write to:
Head of Corporate Governance
Big Lottery Fund
1 Plough Place
London EC4A 1DE
Please refer to the Data Protection Act in your request.
You are required to supply proof of your identity. This should include a photocopy of the identification pages of your current passport or of a current photo driving licence; and the original of a current utilities (for example, electricity) bill, or credit card or bank statement, which includes your name and address. If you need these documents back, we will return them to you.
It would also be helpful if you could indicate which part of Big Lottery Fund (which department, directorate or office) you believe might hold your data to narrow the search.
We may withhold access to your information where we have the right to do so under the Data Protection Act 1998.