Apply for an International Grant

Apply for an International Grant

Comic Relief aims to treat applications from all organisations fairly and efficiently. Faced with limited resources and significant competition for grants, we are unfortunately unable to fund all of the applications we would like to support.

Furthermore, to keep things fair and equitable:

  • organisations can only submit one application at a time, unless they are applying for an Organisational Development grant under the Common Ground Initiative
  • if an application is unsuccessful, you will not be able to reapply for the same project until the end of our current grants strategy in 2012.

Please read all the information below in full before applying

  • We make grants to UK-registered charities (including charities registered in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) whose main aim is development and who work closely with identified local organisations.
  • Applications to our Trade programme, and to the Enterprise and Employment programme under the Common Ground Initiative, may be made by any UK-registered organisation as long as they can show that all profits generated from the project will be reinvested in the project.
  • We expect all applicants to share and discuss these guidelines with the local organisations they plan to work with. This will mean the application and budget has been jointly agreed and there is a clearly set out way of working together.

It is important that you read the full grant making policies before completing the application process as they contain Comic Relief’s policies relating to:

  • funding Institutional Care
  • funding Capital Costs and Basic Services
  • funding Organisations that Evangelise and Proselytise
  • responding to Fund-raising appeals.

Existing Grant Holders

If you want to apply for follow-on funding for an existing project you will need to have undertaken an independent review or evaluation before submitting an application.

Please note: When you submit your Project Grant summary application you will have the option to choose:

1. whether you want to complete the full application within the same cycle (you will have three weeks from notification of success at short-listing to complete the full application); or

2. whether you would like to spend more time compiling your full application and submit it into the following cycle (approximately six months later).

Depending on the route you choose, you should hear whether your application has been successful in either four or ten months from your summary application.

Deadlines

Cycle 7

Opens for Applications
27 February 2012

Application deadline
12:00 (Noon) 09 May 2012

Shortlisting Ends
13 June 2012

Full Application (by Invitation) Deadline
12:00 (Noon) 09 July 2012

Assessment period
13 July 2012 – 21 September 2012

Notification of Decision
Early December 2012

Please note: You can now print a copy of your applications at any stage before and after submission.

IMPORTANT NOTE
Cycle 7 will be the last funding cycle under our current grants strategy. Applications will reopen in Summer 2013. Please check the website periodically for further information on new programme strategies and application cycles.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR EXISTING GRANT-HOLDERS
Comic Relief will not be able to process any applications for follow-on funding after the cycle 7 deadline. If this deadline cannot be met, grant-holders are strongly advised to seek other sources of funding in order to prevent any funding gaps. Grant-holders with research, consultation and planning grants can either submit project applications in cycle 7 if the research, consultation or planning has completed, or apply within the new strategic period. Please refer to the Guidance to Grant-holders document for more information on follow-on funding. Applications will reopen in Summer 2013. Please check the website periodically for further information on new programme strategies and application cycles.

Funding

How long and how much?

Most of our grants are for between three and five years. Small grants for project research and development are usually for between three months and a year. Note that Research, Consultation and Planning Grants are only available to organisations with an income of less than £1m per year, or Diaspora-led organisations.

You can apply for up to £1 million for Project Grants and up to £25,000 for Research, Consultation and Planning Grants. Please check the relevant programme strategies for any variations to this.

Contact us

Please contact us if you have any other queries about the application process:

020 7820 2000
internationalgrants
@comicrelief.com
 

Make an application

Please note: you will need to complete and tick all four steps before you can apply for a grant

Step 1
Check that your work fits with one of our International Grant Programmes
Done
Step 2
Check you are eligible for funding under our Grant Making Policies
Done
Step 3
Check you have read the relevant guidance notes and have downloaded the summary budget form. Both are found on the 'Resources' page.
Done
Step 4
Decide whether you are applying for a Project Grant or a Common Ground Initiative Research, Consultation and Planning Grant. **
Done
  • ** For Project Grant applications, you will need to complete a summary application form and budget, giving basic details about your work. If you are successful, you will then be required to complete a full application. For Research, Consultation and Planning Grants there is only one application form. However, eligibility is limited so please check the International Guidance Notes before applying.
  • Please do not send any other information, as we will not consider it at this stage.