The Big Lottery Fund has committed £20m for infrastructure development among charities delivering services, as the government releases details of its own £30m fund for the same purpose.

Details of the Cabinet Office’s £30m Transforming Local Infrastructure Programme, first announced in May’s Giving White Paper, were announced on Friday and charities given until 6 August, 2011, to express interest in the fund.

The programme offers short-term grants to local organisations providing support to ‘front-line charities’ and will fund work which is designed to improve the way organisations work with each other and their local communities. To that end, it will fund asset consolidation, back office mergers, local collaboration, service integration and the like.

Dharmendra Kanani (pictured), England Director of the Big Lottery Fund, said that the addition of £20m from BIG signals a new era of more joined-up funding.

“Both BIG and government have a significant track record in national investment that supports frontline voluntary organisations,” he said. “In the past this has not been joined up, or coordinated, often confusing those accessing support services and creating differing expectations and approaches without great impact.

“Learning from this experience we are actively collaborating with government, signalling a break from the past, to develop a more intelligent offer.”

At the announcement of the government fund, minister for civil society Nick Hurd said that BIG’s offer of an additional £20 is a “welcome boost”.

“The £30m Transforming Local Infrastructure Programme will help improve access to high quality advice and support for people who run community groups, charities and social enterprises. Infrastructure organisations play a hugely important role behind the scenes,” he said.

Navca chief executive Kevin Curley encouraged charities to look into the government fund. "I expect that this will be the last significant opportunity to benefit from this type of national investment, so it is important that you make the most of it,” he said.

“[The money] presents a significant opportunity for you to buy in expertise to help you secure the future success and sustainability of support to voluntary and community organisations in your area.”