Strategic Mission And Ministry Investment Board

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £81 million (2024), part of £1.3 billion programme to 2031
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (diocesan-focused awards)
• Decision Time: Varies by programme
• Grant Range: £45,000 - £21.6 million (diocesan awards significantly larger)
• Geographic Focus: England (Church of England dioceses)
• Accepts Unsolicited Applications: No (dioceses only, plus select partnerships)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.churchofengland.org/SMMIB

General Church of England Contact:

• Phone: +44 (0)20 7898 1000
• Address: Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3AZ

Note: For funding enquiries, dioceses should contact their Vision & Strategy consultant. External partnership applications require prior engagement with the Church of England's strategic priorities.

Overview

The Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) was established in January 2023 to oversee the Church of England's unprecedented £1.3 billion investment in mission and ministry through to 2031. The Board distributes funds provided by the Church Commissioners and the Archbishops' Council to support the Church's Vision and Strategy for the 2020s, which focuses on becoming younger and more diverse, creating 10,000 new Christian communities, and reaching people in the most deprived areas. In 2024, the Board awarded £81 million in grants to 12 dioceses, with additional funding for lowest income communities and strategic partnerships. Since 2017, these investments have brought an estimated 37,000 new people into church participation and supported over 2,000 parishes serving approximately 15 million people.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

1. Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP) - £236 million allocated for 2026-28

• Range: £320,000 - £21.6 million per diocese
• Purpose: Support diocesan strategies for Vision and Strategy delivery in local parishes
• Application: Through Vision & Strategy consultants, strategic development approach over 9 years
• Recent examples: Southwark (£21.6m), Southwell & Nottingham (£20.9m), Blackburn (£12.07m)

2. Lowest Income Communities Funding (LinC)

• 2024 allocation: £30.1 million to 28 dioceses
• Purpose: Sustain ministry and clergy in lowest income communities
• Impact: Supported more than 2,000 parishes in 2023

3. People and Partnerships Funding (PPF) - £14 million for 2026-28

• Range: £45,000 - £1.9 million
• Two elements:
• Partnerships: Expand/replicate successful approaches addressing gaps in Vision and Strategy
• Research, Innovation and Learning: Support experimentation in overcoming missional challenges
• Recent awards: Youthscape (£1.9m), Leading your Church into Growth (£750,000), The Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication (£45,000)

4. Strategic Capacity Funding

• 2024: £6.49 million for 40 additional stipendiary curates
• Purpose: Build capacity for mission delivery

Priority Areas

• Doubling young active disciples by 2030 - Major focus on children and young people
• Creating 10,000 new Christian communities - Supporting church planting and fresh expressions
• Parish revitalisation - Renewing existing parishes with innovative ministry approaches
• Lowest income communities - Prioritizing investment in the most deprived areas
• Mixed ecology - Supporting diverse forms of church alongside traditional parishes
• Developing missionary disciples - Training and equipping lay and ordained leaders
• Becoming younger and more diverse - Reaching communities not currently engaged with church

What They Don't Fund

• Individual parishes cannot apply directly - All parish funding flows through dioceses
• General charity applications - Not open to charities outside Church of England structures
• Organisations without alignment to Church of England Vision and Strategy
• Projects not demonstrating connection to strategic priorities (younger/more diverse, new communities, etc.)

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Governance and Leadership

Chair

Carl Hughes - Also chairs the Archbishops' Council Finance Committee

Quote: "This is a long-term investment programme and the Archbishops' Council and Church Commissioners have signalled that they will make a total of over £1bn available for distribution over nine years. It has been exciting to see the high levels of engagement with the new funding programme throughout the Church."

On parish funding: “These awards will enable parishes across the country both to innovate to reach new congregations and expand their existing worship. The plans reflect an enormous amount of detailed work by the dioceses and parishes concerned and take their inspiration from the successes of previously funded mission and ministry.”

Ex Officio Members

• Alan Smith (First Church Estates Commissioner)
• Bishop Mark Tanner (Chair of the Archbishops' Council's Ministry Council)
• Bishop David Walker (Deputy Chair of the Church Commissioners' Board of Governors)

Appointed Members

• Andrew Barnett (Partner, Better Conversations Initiative; Commissioner, UK Poverty Strategy Commission)
• Alison Coulter (Vice Chair of the House of Laity for General Synod; Member of the Archbishops' Council; Chair of the Board of Trustees for Just Love)
• Bishop Arun Arora (Bishop of Kirkstall)
• Matthew Frost (Independent Consultant and Coach; Archbishops' Council member)
• Veda Harrison (Director of Creative Confident Communities/A Fairer Future, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation)
• Christelle Kupa (Strategic Adviser to the First Lady, Cabinet and Foundation of the DRC)
• Suzanne O'Brien (Managing Director and Trustee of the Bishop Radford Trust; Chair, Christian Funders Forum)
• Helen Platts (Diocesan Secretary/Chief Operating Officer, Manchester Diocese)

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: SMMIB does not accept general applications from charities or individual parishes. There are three routes to funding:

1. Diocesan Investment Programme (for dioceses only)

• Dioceses work with their assigned Vision & Strategy consultant
• Multi-year strategic development approach (not discrete projects)
• Application templates and guidelines provided by Church of England
• Requires detailed diocesan strategy showing how national funding advances Vision and Strategy
• Tailored approach recognising different dioceses are at different development stages

2. People and Partnerships Funding (limited external partnerships)

• Highly selective - only for organisations addressing specific gaps in Church's Vision and Strategy
• Must demonstrate partnership with Church of England structures
• Requires pre-engagement with Church of England strategic priorities
• Guidelines available from Church of England website
• Not open to general applications

3. Individual Parishes

• Cannot apply directly to SMMIB
• Must work through their diocese's Diocesan Investment Programme
• Parish projects included in diocesan strategic plans

Decision Timeline

• Diocesan Investment Programme: Multi-stage process involving consultation with Vision & Strategy consultants, typically several months for major awards
• People and Partnerships Funding: Timeline not publicly specified; likely involves strategic review process
• Annual cycle: Board meets regularly throughout the year to assess proposals

Success Rates

Success rates not publicly disclosed. Key factors:

• Diocesan funding is formulaic with transparent allocation principles
• All 42 Church of England dioceses receive some level of funding
• Partnership funding is highly selective based on strategic alignment
• Strong emphasis on prayerful assessment alongside business planning

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable in traditional sense:

• Diocesan funding is ongoing strategic relationship over 9-year period
• Unsuccessful partnership proposals can be revised and resubmitted if strategic alignment can be strengthened
• No specified waiting periods mentioned

Application Success Factors

For Dioceses:

1. Strategic Alignment

Carl Hughes emphasized the importance of detailed strategic work: “The plans reflect an enormous amount of detailed work by the dioceses and parishes concerned and take their inspiration from the successes of previously funded mission and ministry.”

2. Focus on Priority Outcomes

Projects most likely to succeed demonstrate clear contribution to:

• Doubling numbers of children and young people
• Creating new Christian communities
• Reaching lowest income communities
• Parish revitalisation with proven models

3. Evidence-Based Approaches

Successful dioceses draw on:

• Previous successes in their context
• Proven models from other dioceses
• Research and learning from innovation funding

4. Clear Impact Metrics

Board tracks outcomes including:

• New participants in church life
• New leaders emerging
• Parishes supported
• Communities reached

For Partnership Organisations:

1. Gap-Filling Capability

Partnership funding specifically addresses “key gaps” the Church faces in delivering Vision and Strategy. Successful partners like Youthscape and Leading your Church into Growth demonstrate:

• National-scale capability
• Proven track record
• Alignment with strategic priorities
• Ability to expand/replicate success

2. Focus on Young People

Carl Hughes noted: "It's hugely encouraging for the Board to see projects that have been successful in reaching children and young people, particularly in inner city and deprived areas, with the message of the Christian faith."

3. Innovation with Methodology

Research and Innovation funding requires:

• Clear methodology for experimentation
• Addressing critical missional challenges
• Learning and sharing outcomes

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Not for general charities: SMMIB exclusively funds Church of England dioceses and highly selective strategic partnerships - this is not a funder for independent charities to approach with standard applications

• Work through diocesan structures: If you are a parish or church-based project, all funding flows through your diocese's strategic plan - build relationships with diocesan leadership and Vision & Strategy teams

• Strategic partnerships require pre-existing Church of England relationships: The small Partnership funding stream (£14m across three years) is not open to cold applications - partnerships emerge from strategic dialogue about gaps in Church's Vision and Strategy delivery

• Scale and replication matter: Recent partnership awards went to organisations like Youthscape (£1.9m) and LyCiG (£750k) with proven national-scale impact and ability to expand successful models

• Youth focus is paramount: Doubling young active disciples by 2030 is the headline priority - any partnership must demonstrate strong contribution to reaching children and young people

• Long-term investment mindset: This is a 9-year, £1.3 billion programme focused on strategic development, not short-term projects - demonstrate sustainability and lasting impact

• Lowest income communities prioritized: £30.1 million of 2024 funding went to deprived areas - showing impact in contexts of poverty strengthens any proposal

References

1. Church of England - Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board main page: https://www.churchofengland.org/SMMIB

1. Church of England - Funding Strategic Mission and Ministry: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/vision-strategy/funding-strategic-mission-and-ministry

1. Church of England Press Release - “Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board backs plans for renewal in first round of awards”: https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/strategic-mission-and-ministry-investment-board-backs-plans-renewal-first

1. Church of England Press Release - “Parishes to receive funding boost for renewal and revitalisation”: https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/parishes-receive-funding-boost-renewal-and-revitalisation

1. Church of England Press Release - “£8.5m for parish outreach”: https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/ps85m-parish-outreach

1. Church of England - Diocesan Investment Programme: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/vision-strategy/funding-strategic-mission-and-ministry/diocesan-investment-programme

1. Church of England - People and Partnerships Funding: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/vision-strategy/funding-strategic-mission-and-ministry/people-and-partnerships-funding

1. Anglican Ink - "Church's 2023 strategic investment focuses on doubling number of children and young people": https://anglican.ink/2024/05/22/churchs-2023-strategic-investment-focuses-on-doubling-number-of-children-and-young-people-report/

1. Diocese of Chelmsford - “Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board awards Chelmsford Diocese £2.2m”: https://www.chelmsford.anglican.org/news/strategic-mission-and-ministry-investment-board-awards-chelmsford-diocese-2.2m-to-support-missional-work-in-deaneries/

1. Archbishop of York - “Grant Awarded to Strengthen Mission Across Northern Dioceses”: https://www.archbishopofyork.org/news/latest-news/grant-awarded-strengthen-mission-across-northern-dioceses