On Wednesday 28th June, the UK government took a significant step towards enhancing efficiency and preventing fraud through its Find a Grant digital service. This service has been created to assist organisations applying for government grants and will result in huge cost savings for taxpayers.
With the launch of the Find a Grant service, the government will streamline the application process, reduce duplication, and save up to £270 million. It aims to provide a centralised platform for organisations, businesses and individuals to easily find and apply for government grants, promoting fairness and accessibility across the UK.
Efficiency and fraud prevention
The Find a Grant digital service has successfully completed a pilot program with four government departments, demonstrating its effectiveness in increasing efficiency and preventing fraud. By automating and standardising processes, the service eliminates duplication, therefore saving significant time and resources for officials and applicants alike. The reduction in administrative burden is estimated to cut the time spent on grant management by an impressive 72%, resulting in substantial cost savings for taxpayers.
Additionally, the service incorporates the Spotlight tool, which enables departments to enhance risk due diligence and fraud prevention. This approach ensures that irregular payments and fraudulent applications are detected upfront, safeguarding the integrity of the system and protecting the public purse. Initial estimates suggest that that these fraud prevention measures could save up to £270 million within two years!
Promoting accessibility and fairness
The Find a Grant service demonstrates alignment with the government’s commitment to boost economic growth and level up opportunities across the entire UK. By centralising the grant application process, the service enhances accessibility, enabling a wider range of applicants to compete for funding.
In the pilot program, the service has already witnessed a significant 43% increase in funding awarded to beneficiaries in the North of England, reflecting the government’s focus on equitable distribution.
Savings and benefits
As mentioned above, potential savings and benefits resulting from the Find a Grant service are substantial; let’s look a little close at the numbers.
The service streamlines the application process, reducing the time users spend on grant applications by 34%. This efficiency gain not only saves valuable time but also improves the overall experience for applicants, leading to a 17% increase in customer satisfaction.
Moreover, the service ensures that grants are advertised in one centralised location on the GOV.UK platform. Over 200 schemes, worth over a whooping £5.3 billion, have already been advertised on the service, with more than 93,000 individuals accessing the platform.
Going forward, the Cabinet Office will collaborate with devolved administrations and local authorities, offering them the opportunity to advertise their grants on the Find a Grant service. This expansion will further enhance the visibility and accessibility of available funding opportunities.
Testimonials and impact
The Find a Grant service has received positive feedback from various stakeholders, including Enable, a Glasgow-based charity supporting young people with disabilities into work across Scotland. Enable has not only benefited from UK government grants but has also collaborated with the Cabinet Office to develop the Find a Grant system.
Theresa Shearer, the Chief Executive Officer of Enable, said:
“Recent research has found that identifying and applying for grant funding is a significant and costly challenge for too many charities and social enterprises, diverting essential time and resources away from delivering for our beneficiaries.
The Find a Grant service cuts through so much of that. This tool will make applying for grant funding a much faster and more efficient process for the team at Enable and charities across the country, boosting our sector’s productivity so we can make a greater impact supporting and delivering services in our communities.”
Alex Burghart, Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, said:
“This great new service will help organisations find the grants they need at speed – saving everyone time and money.
That will allow us to focus more money and resources on things that matter to people’s lives, families and communities.
This will increase accessibility and fairness, making sure that different regions of the UK get their fair share.”
For more information on the scheme, visit the GOV.UK website.
Have more questions?
If you have questions about any aspect of your finances, please get in touch with the Trinity team.