Funding to Reduce Black Maternal Health Inequalities

1. Can organisations outside South East London apply?  

Yes — organisations outside the six south east London boroughs can apply if they are partnering with a south east London-based organisation. 

The partnership must show clear benefit for south east London communities and demonstrate how local voices will shape the work. 

2. Can NHS organisations or local authorities lead an application?  

No.  NHS bodies, local authorities, or universities are encouraged to join as partners in a consortium or collaboration, but the lead applicant must be a community or voluntary organisation. 

3. What defines an organisation as being by and for Black and racially minoritised communities?

'By and for' organisations are led, designed, and delivered by and for the communities they aim to serve.

4. If a person is director of both a CIC and a for-profit entity, can those two entities come together in the same application?
Yes, those two entities could come together in the same application. The lead applicant must meet the eligibility criteria (i.e. the lead must be a VCSE).

1. How do partnerships or consortia work in this process? 

You can apply individually or in partnership with other organisations. 
Partnerships (or consortia) can bring together community groups, NHS services, local authorities, or academic partners — as long as a VCSE is the lead applicant. 

When you apply, you’ll be asked to describe what each partner will do, how you’ll work together, and how decisions will be shared fairly. 

2. Does every partner need to be based in south east London? 

The lead organisation must be based in or serve south east London communities. If other partners are outside the area or do not serve south east London, your application should clearly explain why they’re important and how their involvement benefits local communities.

3. Can organisations apply in multiple configurations (e.g., apply alone and as part of a partnership)?
Yes. Organisations can apply multiple times, including in different configurations (e.g., alone and as part of a partnership/consortium).

4. Are there matchmaking opportunities for organisations who are seeking partnerships?
Yes. Organisations can connect through the WhatsApp community linked on the website. In addition, following short-listing of Expressions of Interests, similar or complementary applications may be invited to join facilitated roundtable discussions to explore collaboration.

5. Is there a requirement for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or teaming agreements between organisations?
There is no requirement to have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or teaming agreement in place before submitting an Expression of Interest. However, shortlisted applicants may choose to develop these during Phase 2 / the full application stage.

1. Can doulas for Black women and birthing people be supported under any of the solutions?

Yes, of course! Doulas could be a part of multiple solutions to strengthen care, including (but not limited to) Peer Support for Black Women & Birthing People or Continuity of Carer, and they might benefit from workforce development envisioned in Support the Supporters.  

2. Does the solution on school-based sexual and reproductive health have to be school-based, or can it also be community-based?
It can also be community-based. The solution includes school-based or out-of-school learning spaces.

3. How might antenatal education and birth preparation classes fit into different solutions?
It is up to applicants to define where antenatal education and birth preparation classes might fit. Depending on your approach, they could complement—or form part of—Peer Support for Black Women and Birthing People, particularly where support begins before pregnancy and continues after birth.

4. What is the vision for the information portal on Black maternal health, and does it need to be hosted in a specific space or format?
The portal does not need to be hosted in a specific space or format. The vision is a central hub that brings together trusted resources, tools, and guidance on Black maternal health for multiple audiences, building on (rather than recreating) existing community-developed content.

5. For strengthening links among the NHS and VCSEs, does the solution need to focus specifically on the post-birth period, or can it address other stages as well?
Proposals under this solution must include a focus on after birth, reinforcing community-led postnatal support. They can also include other stages if desired, as long as the post-birth focus is clear.

6. If a population moves away from and later returns to Southeast London (including people incarcerated outside the region, people who are unhoused, or other individuals who are transitory), can they still be considered within the program?
Yes. The key requirement is that the applying organisation meets the eligibility criteria and clearly describes how the programme benefits Black mothers, birthing people, and their families in south east London.

7. Is there a scope, reach, or a specific number of people reached that is prioritised?
No. There is no set reach requirement. “Reach” is one of the criteria considered during review (how many people or communities will benefit, and how deeply).

8. Will longer write-ups of each solution be shared with applicants?
Yes. You can find longer write-ups in the magazine produced following the June workshop, which is available on the website (scroll down).

1. What are the minimum and maximum grant amounts?

For this funding opportunity, we have set the following indicative funding thresholds (amounts are in total, not per year):

• Minimum grant size: £40,000

• Maximum for a single organisation: £400,000

• Maximum for a partnership or consortium: £600,000

We want you to determine what level of funding is realistic to deliver your idea. These amounts are therefore only a recommendation.

If you want to request more than £400,000 (single organisation) or £600,000 ( partnership or consortium), please provide a clear rationale in your Expression of Interest. This should explain why a higher amount is necessary, and how it is proportionate to the scope, scale, and expected impact of your proposed programme.

2. Can an organisation request to have funding for less than three years?

Yes, there is an option on the Expression of Interest to request funding for one, two or three years.  If you choose to request funding for one or two years, we encourage you to share a reason for why this makes most sense for your organisation or partnership.   

3. I come from a small organisation. Will my proposal still be competitive if we only apply for £40,000?

Yes!  We hope to fund a range of small and larger grants.  We value the work small organisations do and the deep community insights and connection you bring.  

4. Can funding support ongoing work or is it only for new initiatives?

Funding can support ongoing work!  We value services and supports that VCSEs are already delivering for Black mothers and birthing people in south east London.  We hope that funding might be used to sustain programs that are already working or to help them expand to new areas or reach more mothers, birthing people and their families.   

5. What are the geographies and scales at which work can be funded?

We welcome applications that seek to deliver work at all levels across our south east London boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley. This may include delivery at one or more of the following levels:

• At ‘system’ level across all six SEL boroughs

• At borough level, and across one or multiple boroughs

• At ‘Neighbourhood’ level – the new geographical units that will be key to the delivery of an integrated, community-based healthcare system

At a hyper-local level, such as a section of a neighbourhood or borough where a high level of need is identified 

6. Can we fund work that already exists? 

We acknowledge that lots of good work is already happening and may not have a secure funding base. We cannot ‘double fund’ work at a scale and timeframe where funding is already in place, but we welcome applications where successful projects and services require further funding to continue, or there is an appetite to spread and scale across south east London. We also encourage applications that build on existing successful delivery and add in elements of innovation. 

6. Will organisations be paid in advance or in arrears?
Payments will be made annually in advance, in line with Impact on Urban Health’s standard processes. Any other practical details (such as dates and reporting touchpoints) will be confirmed through contracting

7. Will match funding be considered an advantage for an application?
Match funding is not required. However, where it is relevant, match funding (or other secured resources) may strengthen an application by demonstrating sustainability—one of the criteria considered during scoring.

1. Do I need to include a detailed budget with my Expression of Interest? 

No. For Stage One, we only ask for an overall amount of funding requested and a short explanation of what the funds will be used for. You’ll only need to prepare a detailed budget if you’re invited to Stage Two.  

2. Can I get help with my application?

Yes — There was an online community briefing and networking event on 2 December. If you need support in a different way, we’ll do our best to provide it.  Contact JRNY Consulting at noa@jrnyconsulting.com.   

3. When will we hear back about our application? 

You’ll hear the outcome of your Expression of Interest by late January 2026. If shortlisted, you’ll move into Stage Two in February, and final decisions will be shared by March 2026. Projects are expected to start in April 2026.

1) What is the purpose of the Expression of Interest (EOI) stage?

The EOI stage is an early gateway to understand what you want to do, why it matters, and whether it fits the fund’s aims and solution areas. It is designed to be proportionate: enough information to assess alignment and viability, without requiring a fully developed delivery plan at this stage.

2) What level of detail is expected at EOI stage compared to the next stage?

At EOI stage, the focus is on clarity and fit, community-rooted equity, and early feasibility. More detailed operational planning—such as refined delivery mechanics, sequencing, and measurement planning—can be developed at the next stage.

3) What assessment criteria were used for EOIs?

EOIs were assessed using three criteria:

• Fit & Clarity: Is it clear what will be done, and how it fits the fund aim and a relevant solution area?

• Community & Equity: Does it appear rooted in Black communities’ needs and likely to reduce barriers/harms (not only raise awareness)?

• Feasibility: Based on what’s written, does the approach seem doable (recognising that more detail can come later)?

4) How did the partnership avoid unintentionally privileging “delivery-first” models over prevention-first or community-anchored approaches?

The partnership recognises that prevention-first models may be intentionally community-embedded and non-clinical at the entry point, with formal system linkage developing over time. The assessment approach therefore aimed to focus on early clarity, equity grounding, and plausibility, rather than requiring a fully specified system interface at EOI stage.

It’s also important to be clear that prevention-oriented ideas were not screened out as a category: a substantial proportion of those progressed included prevention as a primary or significant element.

5) How were EOIs reviewed and scored in practice?

There were a high number of EOIs to review, and the process was designed so that multiple assessors reviewed each EOI to strengthen fairness and reduce reliance on any single viewpoint.

EOIs were summarised for assessors so reviewers could compare proposals consistently, while still being able to refer back to the full EOI text when needed.

6) Who took part in scoring, and what was JRNY’s role?

Scoring was undertaken by a mix of lived experience consultants, VCSE/community partners, and system partners, with a majority representation from lived experience and VCSE/community partners.

JRNY’s role was to facilitate the process, not to score. Impact on Urban Health and NHS South East London ICB colleagues did not take part in scoring.

7) What guidance did assessors receive about EOI scope?

Assessors were supported to apply the agreed EOI criteria and to keep expectations proportionate to an early-stage gateway. Where an EOI was broad or unclear (for example, spanning multiple solution areas), facilitators flagged this so assessors could interpret it as flexibly as possible while staying within the agreed framework.

8) How did anonymisation work, and why was it used?

Applications were anonymised to reduce bias linked to organisational name recognition, relationships, or reputation. The partnership also recognises the trade-off: anonymisation can remove context that helps assess community-rooted credibility.

9) How were “promising but unclear” EOIs handled?

In some cases, assessors requested additional clarity to reach a decision. When that happened, facilitators referred back to the full EOI text to fill gaps while maintaining anonymisation.

This was not a separate “clarification round” with applicants; it was an internal step to ensure assessors weren’t forced to decide based only on a summary when the full text could resolve uncertainty.

10) Why does choosing multiple solution areas matter?

Solution areas are intentionally specific. If an EOI selects a very large number of solution areas, it can make it harder for assessors to understand the primary alignment and intended pathway of change.

Where this happened, facilitators made a best attempt to identify the closest fit, and flagged the issue to assessors to interpret it flexibly. The goal is to reduce the chance that breadth is mistaken for fit.

11) What transparency commitments can the partnership make during a live funding round?

The partnership aims to share process information in ways that strengthen trust without compromising fairness. That includes:

• making the assessment approach clear (criteria, roles, process)

• sharing learning about what strong EOIs tended to include

• being consistent about what additional information can be shared, and with whom, during a live round

Where additional material exists (for example, longer transcripts or extended discussion summaries), the partnership needs to apply a fairness principle: if it is provided to one applicant, it should be available to all applicants, subject to practical capacity.

12) How will learning from this round be captured and used?

As the process moves forward, the partnership’s learning work will shift from running the grant process to documenting and sharing learning—including what improved transparency, where applicants faced barriers, and how participatory grantmaking can be strengthened.

The intention is not to present the process as perfect, but to make the learning visible and usable, and to improve future rounds based on what emerges.