The head of the U.K.’s aid agency announced the first ever challenge fund exclusively for small charities, as well as a new capacity building initiative to help boost public trust in the third sector during a wide-ranging speech to civil society groups.
Speaking at the annual Bond conference in London on Monday, international development secretary Priti Patel also emphasized Britain’s role as a global leader in development and said the country should exert its influence to encourage other governments not to “turn your back on the world.”
The minister said the small charities challenge fund would be launched this summer to provide financing to U.K.-registered civil society groups operating overseas with an annual income of less than 250,000 pounds. These groups have traditionally missed out on opportunities to work with the Department for International Development, she said. Charities can apply for grants of up to 50,000 pounds and the fund will have a total budget of 4 million pounds over next two years.
About the authors
Sophie Edwards
Sophie Edwards is a Devex Contributing Reporter covering global education, water and sanitation, and innovative financing, along with other topics. She has previously worked for NGOs, and the World Bank, and spent a number of years as a journalist for a regional newspaper in the U.K. She has a master's degree from the Institute of Development Studies and a bachelor's from Cambridge University.
Molly Andersmollyanders_dev
Molly Anders is a former U.K. correspondent for Devex. Based in London, she reports on development finance trends with a focus on British and European institutions. She is especially interested in evidence-based development and women’s economic empowerment, as well as innovative financing for the protection of migrants and refugees. Molly is a former Fulbright Scholar and studied Arabic in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco.
