The £60m Efficient Government Fund (EGF) was announced in June and launched in October 2004 as a challenge fund to stimulate a sustainably more efficient public sector and to demonstrate the reallocation of resources for better front line use. Its aim is to part fund multi partner projects which seek to deliver sustainable efficiency savings using a proven approache.
The Application Process
The application process is in 2 stages. Stage 1 is considered as "an expression of interest" which allows a judgement to be made on whether the proposal is likely to be eligible for funding and has some reasonable prospect of successful delivery. Successful applicants at this stage have been invited to submit a detailed, robust business case - a Stage 2 bid - which may be supported with up to 50% of the development costs being met. Only applications which are successful at this second stage of the competition will be eligible to receive project funding from the EGF.
The Deadlines
Stage 1 applications to the Fund are no longer being accepted and only those applicants who had submitted bids before the final 29 July deadline date will be considered for progression in the competition.
Applicants invited to submit a Stage 2 bid may do so to any of the three tranches of the competition. The deadlines for the tranches are 29 September 2005, 31 March 2006 and 31 August 2006. No applications will be accepted after the last date.