Women's Diversionary Activity Grant 1/1/27 - 31/3/29
Following the announcement on 16 March of up to £31.6m investment over three years for women’s community services (see link in Supporting Information), the MOJ is intending to run a virtual Market Engagement session on Tuesday 21 April 2026 at 10:00 hrs - 11:30 hrs. This session will cover the upcoming grant competition for the new Women's Diversion Fund. See 'How to Apply’ for details of how to apply to attend the Market Engagement session. This is not part of the selection process for the forthcoming Women’s Diversion Fund competition. This activity is solely a market engagement exercise designed to provide prospective applications with more information, and to help us shape and refine the requirements before the formal competition is launched.
- Opening date: (Midday)
- Closing date:
Contents
Summary
Effective community-based support for women is recognised as a key factor in delivering the Government’s priorities, including reducing the number of women in prison. The purpose of this grant funding is to provide trauma-informed and gender-specific support for women in contact with the criminal justice system (CJS) in England and Wales, with a focus on diverting women from further contact with the CJS, including custody.
The funding is distinct from, and is not intended to duplicate, support delivered through women’s rehabilitative services commissioned by the Probation Service.
Circa £26m is available over three years. Maximum and minimum grant levels will be confirmed in due course.
Eligibility
Applicants must be:
A voluntary sector organisation(s) or consortium and shall be a registered charity, an exempt charity (as per the charities Act 2011, Schedule 3) or a social enterprise.
Applicants must also be:
A single entity which will deliver the Funded Activities or
A lead organisation working with other organisations developing elements of the work or
An umbrella consortium formed from a number of organisations with shared objectives and agreed arrangements for leadership and governance.
All grants shall be delivered on a strictly not-for-profit basis.
Objectives
The primary purpose of this funding is to deliver services which divert women from the criminal justice system (CJS). The funding will enable the women’s community sector to provide a wide range of services for women in contact with the CJS, including specialist advocacy, advice and support on housing, substance misuse, mental and physical health, employment, debt, domestic abuse and family and parenting issues, through in-house specialist staff and partnerships with other agencies. It is anticipated that these interventions will divert women from further contact with the CJS and provide wider benefits to individuals and communities.
Dates
How to apply
How to apply to attend Market Engagement session.
Important Notice
This is not part of the selection process for the forthcoming Women’s Diversion Fund competition. This activity is solely a market engagement exercise designed to provide prospective applications with more information, and to help us shape and refine the requirements before the formal competition is launched. Your attendance at the Market Engagement session will have absolutely no bearing on future selection or evaluation. Participation does not provide any advantage, imply pre-selection, or influence the outcome of the upcoming Grant competition in any way.
To take part, please visit the Ministry of Justice Sourcing Portal (project reference prj_12716) and access pqq_570. The PQQ will be available from Tuesday 31 March 2026 and will close on Friday 17 April 2026 at 15:00hrs.
If you do not already have access to the Jaggaer eSourcing portal, please contact 0845 0100 132 or email esourcing@justice.gov.uk.
Within the PQQ, you will see a small number of questions (name, organisation, contact email). To request an invitation to the Market Engagement session (scheduled for Tuesday 21 April at 10:00 hrs to 11:30 hrs), you must complete these questions and submit your response before the deadline of Friday 17 April 2026 at 15:00hrs.
Invitations will be issued no later than 10:00 hrs on Monday 20 April 2026.
The Market Engagement event is being held to collect high level insight to understand which providers may be interested in delivering the grant and the types of approaches that may be taken.
Supporting information
For further information re Women's Diversionary Fund see Major funding boost to divert women from a life of crime - GOV.UK