The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has developed an online platform for funding applications and assessments.
Named Access funding, it has been developed to handle multiple funds with the view to saving time and money for the department and potentially beyond.
The platform has been used for the latest round of applications for the Community Ownership Fund and Night Shelter Transformation Fund, and will be used for more DLUHC funds over the rest of the year.
The funding service design team, which was set up in 2021, said the platform has begun to reduce duplication and generate savings, cutting the time needed for applications and assessments.
It is also interested in making Access funding available to other departments.
Simpler and quicker
Ruth Kelling, service owner for funding service design at DLUHC, said: “By listening to users - external applicants and our internal assessors - we are designing a service that is simpler and quicker to use, reducing the time it takes to apply for funding and the time to assess an application for funding.
“For fund recipients who are accessing more than one DLUHC fund, the user experience will be similar across multiple funds, again saving time and making the process simpler for them.
“Last but not least, by collecting data across multiple funds in a more consistent and intelligent way, DLUHC will have a better understanding of the impact of its funding across multiple funds. This will allow it to make better funding decisions in future, making sure the money is delivering the intended outcomes because we have better evidence of what works.”
She added that work has also begun on another service for reporting whether funding is being spent as expected and what outcomes are being delivered.
