This fund which is only available in England was launched in Autumn 1998. It is due to run until March 2002. It aims to encourage community based learning activity and improve basic skills among adults. It wants to bring in people who don't usually participate in learning and to open up access to learning. It also wants to build the capacity of community based organisations that provide learning opportunities and to promote effective partnerships. The prospectus says: As a minimum we want to see at least one community or voluntary group involved as a lead or equal partner in all bids.

The fund is looking for projects that:

• are innovative
• are sustainable
• build effective partnerships
• involve participants
• ensure quality

There are 3 types of grants available

• Small grants: one-off up to £10,000 towards expenditure costs for the delivery of new learning opportunities;
• Major grants: available over more than one year up to £30,000 for development and delivery of learning opportunities through new or existing mechanisms, capital expenditure up to 50% possible in first year.
• Planning grants: one-off up to £10,000, to organisations in partnership to develop local capacity to deliver learning opportunities.

Organisations will be expected to obtain matched funding from other sources.

The fifth bidding round closes on 31 March 2000. The DFEE are considering whether to issue further calls for bids.

The fund will be managed by the Basic Skills Agency (BSA) and the National Institute for Adult Continuing Education (NIACE). The BSA will manage projects with a major basic skills content and NIACE will manage other projects.

For further information contact:

Adult and Community Learning Fund, Basic Skills Agency, 7th Floor, Commonwealth House,
1-19 New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1NU.
Telephone: 0207 405 4017.

Widening Participation Team, NIACE, 21 De Montfort Street, Leicester LE1 7GE
Telephone: 0116 204 4249/4250/4270.

For a Prospectus:
Telephone: 0845 602 2260, or visit the Adult and Community Learning Fund website.

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