Nesta and the Big Lottery Fund have started the £4.95m Neighbourhood Challenge, a new initiative exploring community organisation to get people together to tackle local issues.

Nesta, who is leading the programme, has chosen 16 community organisations to take part. In the first phase, each group can bid for up to £150,000 to develop and implement their ideas for community organisation over the next 12 months. They will also receive training, advice and expertise from partner organisations.

Each organisation will be monitored and evaluated for a year to explore how community organising methods and micro-finance can generate sustainable community action.

Over 600 organisation applied to take part in the Challenge. A Nesta spokeswoman said it would share learning from the programme with those who applied.

Phillip Colligan from Nesta’s Public Services Lab, said: “We know that the most innovative solutions to big social challenges are found when you harness the ingenuity and energy of communities and citizens. 

"All of the Neighbourhood Challenge organisations have already shown that they can inspire local people to get together and take action on the things they care about.  Over the next year we’ll be supporting them to go even further, showing what can be achieved through people power.”

He also said that all the successful applicants adhered to the "iron rule of community organisation", which is: "never do  things for people that they can do themselves".

Nesta has funded the programme with £2.95m. The Big Lottery Fund has contributed £2m.

The 16 finalist projects are:
1. Aldridge Foundation in Darwen, Manchester and Falmer, Brighton

2. ARK Academy in partnership with Citizens UK in Brent, Middlesex

3. Blackhorse Action Group in Waltham Forest, London

4. Bradford Moor Play And Support Service (PASS) in Yorkshire

5. Brixham Youth Enquiry Service (YES) in Torbay, Devon

6. Cambridgeshire Acre in Cambridgeshire

7. Church Action On Poverty

8. Community Foundation For Merseyside, in Merseyside

9. Coopers Edge in Gloucestershire

10. Groundwork North East in Moorsley and Peat Carr in Sunderland

11. Halifax Central Initiative Calderdale Council in Halifax, Yorkshire

12. Holy Trinity in the Hawtonville Estate and Newark in Nottinghamshire

13. Peckham Settlement in central Peckham, London

14. Prescap in Preston, Lancashire

15. Shiregreen in Sheffield

16. Surrey Community foundation in Surrey