The Neighbourhood Challenge Fund launched

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD CHALLENGE has been launched to support community-led innovation.

The new programme from NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), working with the Big Lottery Fund, aims to show how community organisations – when equipped with the right skills, tools and small amounts of money – can help people to work together to create innovative responses to local priorities, particularly in neighbourhoods with low levels of "social capital" i.e. community activity, connections, relationships and trust between people.

Community organisations across England are invited to apply to the 18-month programme. NESTA will select ten organisations, with ideas for community projects or social enterprises and provide them with funding to trial an approach to community organising that reflects their own vision for what will work best in their area.

The Neighbourhood Challenge will deliver tangible impact and powerful case studies in local areas. At the same time, it will be rigorously evaluated to inform the Government’s thinking about how to make the Big Society work for all communities in the UK.

Find out more about The Neighbourhood Challenge from the NESTA website. The launch date for expressions of interest is 26 October 2010, the call will close on 22nd November 2010 at 12 noon.