Department for International Development opens new £20m charity match fund

02 May 2018 News

Penny Mordaunt, paymaster general

The Department for International Development has today opened a new round of match funding for UK-based aid charities. 

The new £20m tranche of funding is for charities working in: disability, health, women’s empowerment, youth employment, prosperity, modern slavery, girls’ education as well as oceans and plastics. 

The £20m represents the latest fund made available as part of the department’s UK Aid Match scheme, which sees the government match donations raised by partner charities. For every £1 donated to a partner charity, the government will contribute £1 of UK aid up to £20m. 

“UK Aid Match brings charities, the public and UK government together to collectively change the lives of some of the world’s poorest people,” said the government. “It also gives the British public an opportunity to engage with international development issues and have a say in how UK aid is spent.”

This is the first time that charities which address “the scourge of plastics waste in the world’s oceans” will be able to apply for funding. 

Penny Mordaunt, International Development Secretary, said: “This is a very exciting step for UK Aid Match as, for the first time, we are asking for proposals to tackle the huge problem of ocean plastics. This is a clear sign of the British public’s passion and energy to fight against global plastic waste. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing the innovative solutions, which charities will bring to this global issue. I am sure the UK public will continue to show their incredibly generous support for the UK Aid Match scheme.”

This is the second funding round opened by the Department. The fund officially opened on 30 April 2018 and the deadline for charity applications closes on 25 May. More details are available on its website. 

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