Application Form - Legal Support Grant 2026

Introduction

Hidden Fields - Contains our IDs

FundingProgrammeID

FundingRequestID

ExtraReferenceID

FormAssemblyFormID

ContactID

SecondaryContactID

OrganisationID

Within Application Period

Open Date

Close Date

Not Visible To FormAssembly

SignatoryContactID

Please read this guidance carefully before completing your application. All applications must be submitted online.

If you have any questions, email grants@atjf.org.uk

This programme will be administered in a single stage application process. The application stage will close on Thursday 25th June 2026 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.

This programme is not accepting any applications at this moment.

You are not able to submit your application, as you have already submitted it. If you think this is incorrect, please contact a member of our team.

1. Your Organisation

Organisation Information

1.1 Organisation Name (This must match your registered name with the Commission/Regulator)

1.2 Please enter your Charity Commission Number

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

1.3.1 Please enter your company registration number if you have one?

1.3.2 What is the structure of your organisation?

1.3.3. Other

1.4 What is your Registered Address

1.4.1 Street

1.4.2 City

1.4.3 County

1.4.4 Postcode

1.4.5 Country

1.5 Please confirm where you currently deliver services?

1.6 Please confirm the location/s where you currently deliver services. (Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple)

2.1 Primary Contact for this Application

2.1.1 Primary Contact First Name

2.1.2 Primary Contact Last Name

2.1.3 Primary Contact Job Title

2.1.4 Primary Contact Telephone Number

2.1.5 Primary Contact Email Address

2.2 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

2.2.1 Secondary Contact First Name

2.2.2 Secondary Contact Last Name

2.2.3 Secondary Contact Job Title

2.2.4 Secondary Contact Telephone Number

2.2.5 Secondary Contact Email Address

2.3 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.

2.3.1 Signatory First Name

2.3.2 Signatory Last Name

2.3.3 Signatory Job Title

2.3.4 Signatory Telephone Number

2.3.5 Signatory Email Address

3. Legal Support

3.1 Describe how you meet the eligibility criteria as an organisation offering free social welfare and family legal support, including your track record and experience. (This question will be scored 1 to 5).

3.2 In which areas of law do you currently provide legal advice? (Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple)

3.2.1 If Other, please specify

3.3 Does your organisation hold a Legal Aid contract?

3.4 What areas of law does your legal aid contract cover? (Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple)

3.4.1 If Other, please specify

4. Grant Type

We will be awarding two different types of grants:

1. Organisational Infrastructure Supporting Service Delivery

Funding to support legal support organisations helping people with social welfare and family law problems, to access timely and appropriate support and resolve problems as early as possible.

Or

2. Central National Online Support Offer

Funding to support the development of existing systems that deliver a central national online offer across social welfare and family law areas, through accessible, high‑quality information and tools. This will support individuals; their supporters (such as family members and community workers); court staff; and other not‑for‑profit legal support organisations.

This includes ensuring clear, reliable information and effective coordination and signposting between online and offline support across key legal areas, including (but not limited to) housing, divorce, child arrangements, employment, benefits, debt, and immigration.

Online tools should be independently accessible, designed to streamline the user journey, and support people to navigate legal problems with greater confidence.

4.1 What grant are you applying for?

Central National Online Support Offer

4.2 What experience does your organisation have in developing and delivering, a central national online support offer? (This question will be scored 1 to 5)

4.3 How will you use this funding to develop and strengthen the national online support offer through accessible information, tools, and effective coordination between online and offline support? (This question will be scored 1 to 5)

5 . Stages of Legal Support

We are asking organisations to identify the stages of legal support they provide to help us understand where and how support is being delivered across an individual’s legal journey. It also helps us build a clearer picture of how users are supported at different points, from early understanding and prevention through to resolution and court or tribunal proceedings.

The three stages are provided in the below table:

5.1 Please confirm the stages of support you currently deliver? (Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple)

6. Service Delivery and Partnerships

We want to understand the effectiveness of service delivery and how organisations connect clients to the right support at the right time, enabling people to move between information, early help, and more intensive support as their needs change.

6.1 Describe how your organisation delivers legal support to help people understand their situation, access appropriate support, and resolve legal issues as early as possible. (This question will be scored 1 to 5)

6.2 Please select the main service delivery approach you utilise when supporting clients with legal support? (Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple)

6.2.1 Please confirm the courts where your organisation is currently offering this support?

6.2.2 What support do you provide to litigants in person (LIPs) at court/tribunals? (Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple)

6.3 Describe how your organisation works with partners to connect people to the right legal support at the right time. Include the existing partnerships that support your delivery approach and who the key partners are (e.g. HMCTS, courts and judiciary, local authorities, health services, community organisations, advice networks), how these operate in practice (such as referral pathways, data sharing arrangements, co-location, and how long partnerships have been in place), and how they improve access for the people you support. (This question will be scored 1 to 5)

7. Access and Delivery

7.1 What are your top 3 modes of delivery when supporting clients? By “modes” of service delivery, we mean how people access and communicate with services, for example in person, by phone, or through a website. (Select 3 – hold Ctrl to choose multiple).

7.2 Explain how people access your services and how you ensure legal support is accessible to those who need it most, including the different modes of delivery you provide. (This question will be scored 1 to 5)

7.3 Which communities does your organisation support with legal advice and/or support? (Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple)

7.3.1 If Other, please specify:

8. Data Maturity and Case Management Systems

To support a robust multi‑year evaluation, the programme requires organisations to have a baseline level of data capability. This includes consistent case‑level data collection, the ability to track outcomes over time, and the potential to securely share individual level pseudonymised data at agreed intervals.

The following questions will help us to:

Confirm that minimum evaluation requirements can be met
Understand data infrastructure and readiness for longitudinal outcome tracking
Identify any implementation or governance considerations

Please answer the questions below based on your organisation’s current data systems and practices.

8.1 What case management system do you currently use to record client and case data? If you do not use a case management system please advise how you capture data about your clients

8.2 What are the capabilities of your case management system? (Select all that apply – hold Ctrl to choose multiple)

8.3 Do you currently conduct any follow-up with clients after support has ended? e.g. through surveys, calls, emails

8.3.1 If No - What best describes your capacity to do so?

8.4 How will you utilise this funding to ensure you meet the monitoring, evaluation and research requirements across the funding period? This should include any anticipated challenges and how you will address these e.g. having dedicated resource, training and development for staff, system upgrades or improvements. (This question will be scored 1 to 5)

9. 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. Please see the guidance on our scoring criteria.

9.1 Please confirm your total funding ask over the 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 and the type of grant.

£

Budget Breakdown

Please provide a budget breakdown for how the funding will be spent across the grant period ensuring that it is allocated in accordance with the grant requirements for how funding can be used (in the guidance). Organisations will be asked to provide detailed expenditure reporting throughout the grant period.

9.2 Total Staff Costs (i.e. salaries and wages)

£

9.2.1 Please provide a written breakdown of staff costs, detailing the specific staff roles

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

£

9.3.1 Please provide a written breakdown of monitoring, evaluation and learning costs

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

£

9.4.1 Please provide a written breakdown of office and administration costs

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

£

9.5.1 Please provide a written breakdown of training and development costs

9.6 Total Systems Development (i.e. case management systems, developing online resources)

£

9.6.1 Please provide a written breakdown of systems development costs

9.7 Any Other Expenditure

£

9.7.1 Please provide a written breakdown of other costs

Total

£

9.8 If applicable, please provide details below for any current funding from The Access to Justice Foundation and how you are avoiding duplication/double funding. 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.

9.9 Please explain your policy on reserves and set out your current unrestricted cash reserves and how they align with your policy.

9.10 Please attach your most recent management accounts which show profit and loss and a cashflow (not the audited annual accounts).

10. Key Documentation

As part of your application, the following documents may need to be submitted if you are successful prior to a grant agreement being signed. 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 Controals Policy
Financial Reserves Policy
Whistleblowing Policy
Safeguarding Policy
Organisational Risk Register

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

11. 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

11.1 I confirm that we satisfy the above statement

11.2 Full Name:

12. Sharing your data and information

The Access to Justice Foundation will collect, store, and process the personal data about you collected via this form for the purpose of managing this Grant programme. This may include: your name, job title, email address, and any other personal information included in the application form. 

We rely on our legitimate interests in administering the grant programme as our lawful basis for processing this data. 

We will use the information you give us in your submission and in supporting 

documents for processing grant payments, monitoring grants and evaluating the way our funding programmes work.  

We may also share this information to individuals and organisations such as:
Primary Funders for the purposes of grant management and compliance 
Our accountants and auditors 
Independent evaluators assessing the impact of our funding programmes 
Other organisations involved in the prevention and detection of fraud

The data controller for this information is The Access to Justice Foundation. For privacy queries, please contact us at: enquiries@atjf.org.uk. If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). 

The Access to Justice Foundation will keep information on successful projects for 7 years after the final grant delivery date. We will retain information related to unsuccessful applications for 2 years from rejection of application. 

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. 

12.1 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.

You will then be shown a summary of your completed form. Click Confirm to finalise your submission.

We are unable to accept amendments to your submission/application after this point.

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.