The Big Lottery Fund is searching for a partner to deliver a new £25m fund designed to support children at risk of entering the criminal justice system.

BIG said the management and delivery of the fund will likely be given to a group of organisations, led by a large civil society organisation.

The grants programme, Realising Ambition, will specifically target eight to 14-year-olds considered to be at risk of offending. Around 20 to 30 projects will be funded to the tune of up to £3m over a period of up to five years. BIG wants to see projects which have already been proven successful in dealing with this vulnerable group replicated and expanded as part of the fund.

Anna Southall, interim chair of BIG, said the organisation is keen to see results and learning from its funding. “We will also commission a rigorous evaluation of the impact and value for money of our investment in replicating these models, to see what wider lessons might be drawn for BIG and other funders,” she said.

Organisations interested in potentially delivering the fund should contact BIG in advance of their briefing event on 26 May, 2011 in London.