Round 1 Overview

Round 1 for Postcode Local Trust was open for 7 days, opening on 24 February at 9am and closing on 3 March at 12 noon. This overview aims to give more insight into applying to Postcode Local Trust in future funding rounds and to help outline common trends. In Round 1 we had 53 successful applications with a total amount awarded of £990,733. Please note, future funding rounds are not guaranteed to have the same success rate as this changes with the level of demand for each funding round.

Each application goes through an robust assessment process, utilising an internal scoring process that considers the strength of the answers provided, as well as the supporting documentation. We will also consider our funding priorities when rounds are oversubscribed.

Overall Numbers

In total, 255 applications were received in Round 1 from organisations applying to Postcode Local Trust. 53 of these were successful and 18 of these were deemed ineligible. This means in Round 1, Postcode Local Trust had a success rate of 21%.

Funding Priorities

Our funding priorities are different to our funding themes. More information can be found in our funding guide on this. Postcode Local Trust was oversubscribed this round, meaning that our funding priorities were required to help with decision making. It is important to note that the strength of an organisation's overall application is still the primary factor in our decision making.

For reference, our funding priorities are:

• Funding organisations with an annual income of £250,000 and below
• Funding for communities that rank as being within the top 15% on the English Indices of Deprivation
• Funding for groups that are set up to support people from the following minority/marginalised groups
  • Communities experiencing racial inequity
  • Disabled people
  • LGBT+ people

Due to the level of demand, the 53 successful groups funded in Round 1 all met at least three of two of our funding priorities. Groups that either one or zero funding priorities were unfortunately not able to be funded. Although we were able to support some organisations that met two priorities, due to the demand other factors were considered in this funding round that meant not all groups that met two priority were funded. 85% of supported organisations in Round 1 had an income of less than £250,000.

Tips

Here are a few tips that may help a future application:

• Focus on answering the question as it is written, ensuring all parts of the question have been answered.
• As our funding is unrestricted, the questions are focused around your organisation as a whole. It is best not to focus on future activities or specific projects, but answer the questions about your organisation as a whole.
• Our funding priorities are different to our funding themes. Groups must choose one funding theme to link to their application. It is best to choose the funding theme that links best to your organisation overall. Mentioning multiple themes in your written answers does not benefit your application.

Common Eligibility Fails

Out of the 18 applications that were deemed ineligible in Round 1, common eligibility issues included:

• The organisation did not provide any link to the funding theme selected
• The organisation was overdue in their reporting to Charities Commission/Companies House
• The submitted governing document was incomplete or did not meet our standard
• The organisation applying are a smaller branch of a charity already funded by a Trust supported by People’s Postcode Lottery.

Reapplying

Groups that were unsuccessful in Round 1 can apply once more in 2025. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team. You can reach us via email at info@postcodelocaltrust.org.uk