Application Form - Improving Lives Through Advice 2026

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Introduction

Please read this guidance carefully before completing your application.

This programme will be administered in a single stage application process. The application stage will close on Monday 16th March at 12pm. No applications will be accepted after this time.

Key questions which will be scored are highlighted in this form. Scoring will be on a scale of 1 to 5.

Does not answer question
Poor answer with little relevant detail
Okay answer with some detail
Good response with good detail
Excellent response with high quality detail

Note:

Click Save my progress and resume later to save data and complete later.
After completing the form and clicking the SUBMIT button on the last page.
Please note that changes or amendments cannot be made once your application has been submitted.

If you require this in an alternative format please email grants@atjf.org.uk

1. Your Details

Organisation Information

1.1 Organisation Details

1.2 Organisation Name

This must match your registered name with the Commission/Regulator

1.3 Please provide the link to your organisation’s page on the Charity Commission or Scottish Charity Regulator (OCSR) website so we can review your financial information there

1.4 What is your Registered Address

Street

City

Postcode

County

1.5 Please confirm where you currently deliver services?

1.6 Primary Contact for this Application

Primary Contact First Name

Primary Contact Last Name

Primary Contact Job Title

Primary Contact Telephone Number

Primary Contact Email Address

1.7 Secondary Contact for this Application

We will need this information in case we need to get in touch and the primary contact is not available

Secondary Contact First Name

Secondary Contact Last Name

Secondary Contact Job Title

Secondary Contact Telephone Number

Secondary Contact Email Address

1.8 Signatory for Agreement

Please note that the signatory must be authorised to accept grant conditions on behalf of the organisation. They must be a current Trustee, Chief Executive Officer or equivalent. The signatory may be a different person to the contact for this grant.

Signatory First Name

Signatory Last Name

Signatory Job Title

Signatory Telephone Number

Signatory Email Address

2. Your Organisation

2.1 Please confirm the location/s where you plan to allocate this funding?

Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple

2.2 Within your selected location/s, please indicate how you plan to deliver services? (Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple)

(Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple)

2.3 Referring to the eligibility criteria in the guidance, please describe how you meet these requirements as an organisation offering free legal advice including details of your organisation’s track record and experience. (Maximum 250 words)

This question will be scored according to the following scale from 1 to 5: 1 - Does not answer question 2 - Poor answer with little relevant detail 3 - Okay answer with some detail 4 - Good response with good detail 5 - Excellent response with high quality detail

2.4 In which areas of law do you currently provide legal advice? (tick all that apply)

(Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple)

2.4.1 If Other, please specify

2.5 Does your organisation hold a Legal Aid contract?

3. Meeting The Programme Outcomes

Tell us how your organisation meets each of the programme outcomes. Please include how you uphold the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion. Ensuring that you:

Tell us what you're currently doing to meet these outcomes

AND

What is your vision over the next 3 years using this funding

For the purposes of this grant programme, we are defining marginalised communities as communities of place, people or interest most underserved, experiencing exclusion and at risk of facing barriers to accessing legal advice.

These questions will be scored according to the following scale from 1 to 5:

Does not answer question
Poor answer with little relevant detail
Okay answer with some detail
Good response with good detail
Excellent response with high quality detail

3.1 Advice to people from marginalised communities is sustained and improved.

(Maximum 250 words)

3.2 More people from marginalised communities are empowered to resolve their legal problems.(Maximum 250 words)

3.3 Organisations have more capacity to engage in influencing, partnerships and fundraising work, which helps them meet the needs of their communities. 
(Maximum 250 words)

3.4 Organisations are better able to demonstrate the difference they make to people’s lives. 
(Maximum 250 words)

4. The Communities You Work With

Tell us about the people you support and how you have prioritised them as most in need. Include how you may be currently engaging with these groups.

4.1 Which communities does your organisation support with legal advice?

(Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple)

4.1.1 If Other, please specify:

4.2 Which communities have you identified as being most in need and what evidence have you used to assess this? (Maximum 250 words)

4.3 Are you a ‘led by and for’ organisation, as per the definition below?

We define ‘led by and for’ as when more than 75% of an organisation’s Trustees and more than 50% of staff members (including senior staff) are people from the community or communities that an organisation seeks to serve or which have lived experience of the issues the organisation is tackling.

5. Finance

We will be conducting a financial assessment of your organisation. This will include a review of the information provided in your application and the information available on the Charity Commission/Charity Regulator website.

If we have any questions, we will be in touch to request further information.

As part of the financial assessment, an overall rating of A-C will be given for this section:

A – Good

B – Satisfactory

C – Concern

5.1 Please confirm your total funding ask over the 3 year grant period?

Please refer to the guidance for information on how much funding you can apply for. This will depend on your organisation’s annual income.

5.2 Please provide an indicative budget breakdown for how the funding will be spent in the first 12 months of the programme?

Staff Costs (i.e. salaries and wages)

Fundraising Costs (i.e. platform fees, writing bids, travel and events)

Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (i.e. MEL consultants, implementing systems, data collection, reporting)

Office and Administration (i.e. rent, utilities, office supplies, equipment)

Training & Development Costs (i.e. training, staff development)

Any Other Exenditure

Total

5.3 If applicable, please provide details below for any current funding from The Access to Justice Foundation and how you are avoiding duplication/double funding?
(Maximum 100 words)

Please note there must be no duplication of costs between any funding that you are in receipt of/applying for and the new programme funding.

5.4 Please explain your policy on reserves and set out your current unrestricted cash reserves and how they align with your policy.
(Maximum 150 words)

5.5 Upload your most recent financial management accounts, this should include income statement (profit and loss), balance sheet, cashflow statement.

6. Key Documentation

As part of your application, the following documents may need to be submitted. Please check confirm that you will be able to provide the following documents upon request.

Key Policy Documents

Written governing document
Equalities Policy
Data Protection/GDPR Policy
Financial Controls Policy
Financial Reserves Policy
Whistleblowing Policy

Safeguarding Documents

Safeguarding Policy

Risk

Organisational Risk Register

I confirm that we will be able to provide the following documents upon request

6.1 Upload a copy of your Safeguarding Policy

7. Statements

I confirm that:

1. to the best of my knowledge, all the information I have provided in this application form is correct. I fully understand that The Access to Justice Foundation has zero tolerance towards fraud and will seek to prosecute and recover funds in every instance.

2. as far as I am aware, we are not facing any unmanaged significant financial risks in the next 24 months (including but not limited to, likely irreplaceable loss of material funding; inability to meet financial liabilities; significant reduction in turnover and activities; recoupments or damages payable through fines or legal proceedings; or likely qualification of accounts etc.).

3. my organisation has an updated written governing document; at least three unrelated people on our governing body or management committee; a bank account; and all payments must be authorised by at least two mandated signatories, who are unrelated and do not live at the same address, to sign cheques or make a withdrawal

I confirm that we satisfy the above statement

Full Name:

8. Sharing your data and information

The Access to Justice Foundation will electronically hold and process personal data about you for the purposes of assessing and managing the grant programme. We will use the information you give us to assess applications, monitor grants and evaluate the programme.

The Access to Justice Foundation may share the information you submit with funders and researchers with a legitimate interest, and with relevant umbrella bodies for due diligence and research purposes.

We may also give copies of this information to individuals and organisations such as:

Primary funders, accountants, auditors, external evaluators or learning partners
Other organisations involved in the prevention and detection of fraud

The Access to Justice Foundation will keep information on successful applications for 7 years after the final delivery date. We will keep information on unsuccessful applications for 7 years after you have been notified of the application outcome.

Your privacy is important to The Access to Justice Foundation. For more information about how we use your personal data, please read our Privacy Policy.

Please confirm below that you acknowledge The Access to Justice Foundation will process your data for the purposes outlined above.

IMPORTANT:

Please review your application carefully before you SUBMIT. We are unable to accept amendments to your submission/application after this point.

Thank you for submitting your application for the Improving Lives Through Advice 2026 Programme. You will be emailed a copy of your completed form, for your records, from email address
no-reply@formassembly.com. Please check your spam folder.

The application stage will close at 12pm on 16 March 2026. We anticipate notifying organisations of their outcome in May 2026. For further information please refer to the guidance and your information pack or email grants@atjf.org.uk

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