The grant funding is for proposed services and activities that directly support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse at a national level in England and Wales and take place for the period April 2027 to March 2029. The fund aims to improve access to specialist support for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse across England and Wales by funding services that address unmet need, strengthen support pathways and improve outcomes for victims and survivors.
The scheme will seek to:
- Increase access to timely, safe, inclusive and trauma-informed support for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, particularly where there are identified gaps in provision.
- Improve the experience of support, including how people find, access and navigate services.
- Improve outcomes for victims and survivors, including wellbeing, safety, recovery, resilience, coping and other outcomes relevant to the intervention being delivered.
- Strengthen support for non-abusing parents, carers and family members where doing so contributes to improved outcomes for victims and survivors.
- Reduce national and cross-regional gaps in provision and strengthen referral pathways, partnership working, safeguarding arrangements and system capability.
- Build the evidence base by generating and sharing learning to inform future policy, commissioning and service delivery.
The Fund has a national purpose, but funded delivery does not need to operate across the whole of England and Wales.
Applications may propose local, regional, cross-regional or national delivery where they demonstrate that the activity addresses an evidenced gap, supports a population whose needs are not consistently met through existing arrangements, or makes a clear contribution to the Fund's overall national portfolio.
The total size of the grant scheme is £6.4 million over the life of the Fund (£3.2 million per year) with grants of between £1 to £1.28 million.
The Home Office expects to make multiple grant awards through this competition. Applicants may apply for funding at a scale proportionate to the activity proposed.
No single application may request more than 20% of the total funding available in each year of the competition.
The Fund aims to achieve the following outcomes:
- Victims and survivors of child sexual abuse can access timely, specialist support that meets their needs, helping to improve their wellbeing, resilience, recovery and ability to cope, and making it easier to find, access and navigate support services.
- Support is more accessible, inclusive and responsive, particularly for underserved and underrepresented groups and those who face additional barriers to accessing help.
- Victims and survivors benefit from stronger support networks and services, including, where appropriate, support for non-abusing parents, carers and family members, and increased sustainability and capability within specialist organisations.
- Partnership working, referral pathways, safeguarding arrangements and access to specialist expertise are strengthened, improving local and national responses to child sexual abuse and supporting the sharing of learning and evidence across the sector.
- Gaps in provision are addressed through a balanced portfolio of funded projects, ensuring that funding complements existing services, supports the fund's strategic priorities and delivers the greatest possible impact for victims and survivors.