15 February 2000 For immediate release

National Lottery Charities Board seeks information from organisations interested in external delegation

Under the 1998 National Lottery Act, the National Lottery Charities Board was given new powers to delegate grant-making to other organisations. These powers come with a number of detailed rules and processes which would have to be followed by any organisation that successfully applies to deliver Charities Board’s funds.

The Charities Board wants to find out whether there are eligible charities and voluntary organisations which are interested in receiving funding from the Board to deliver grants to other organisations.

Gerald Oppenheim, Director for UK and Corporate Planning, National Lottery Charities Board, said: "We need to know whether delegating money to another organisation will enable it to deliver grants in a way which is as cost effective as our current system of grant-making and in line with our objectives. So we want to discuss with those interested whether an external delegation scheme would be an improvement in terms of reach and flexibility on our existing range of grants programmes."

Any organisation which received funds to be used in this way would have to conform with a number of tightly drawn rules. The delegated organisation would have to satisfy a number of tests to do with public accountability. The Chief Executive of the Charities Board would have to be sure that the organisation had the necessary resources and procedures to run the external delegation scheme. The organisation would have to allow access to the National Audit Office to examine its systems, and it would have to comply with the full range of legal and financial constraints which apply when the Charities Board makes grants.

Organisations wanting to express an interest should do so in writing with a brief outline of why they are interested in the proposals and what skills they would bring, to be sent to

Gerald Oppenheim,
Director for UK and Corporate Planning,
St Vincent House,
16 Suffolk Street,
London SW1Y 4NL,

no later than Thursday 20 April 2000.

Media enquiries: Robert Blow 0171-747 5227

Note to editors

Once the Charities Board has received replies, it will either get in touch direct with the organisation concerned to discuss the proposals further, or it may hold a seminar to explain in more detail what will be involved in any external delegation scheme.