Charities urged to apply for final round of cash from tampon tax fund

The final 11.25m tampon tax funding pot has opened for applications from UK charities which support disadvantaged women and girls.

The final round of the Tampon Tax Fund is open.

The latest round of the fund – which ultimately will have provided more than £90m in support to women and girls charities since being introduced in 2015 – has also seen the grant threshold reduced from £1m to £350,000, ensuring more organisations can apply.

The UK government is encouraging applications from specialist women’s networks whose projects include making onward grants to other women’s’ charitable organisations, in order to “ensure this round of funding reaches as many disadvantaged women and girls as possible.”

Grants can be for 12 or 18-month long projects, and all activities must be concluded and funds spent by March 31, 2023. The deadline for applications is Sunday July 4.

The tampon tax fund is being wound up after Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced last year he would scrap VAT on sanitary products from January 1 following the UK’s exit from the EU. Previously the government was unable to end VAT on tampons and pads as the EU stated it could not fall below five per cent.

As a result the fund was launched using VAT receipts from the products, with money going to charities directly benefiting disadvantaged women and girls, tackling violence and supporting their mental health and wellbeing, including Rape Crisis Scotland.

UK Minister for Civil Society and Youth, Baroness Barran, said: “The Tampon Tax Fund was launched in 2015, and since then has reached disadvantaged women and girls across all four nations, tackling an extremely wide and diverse range of issues.

“The support provided through this final round will ensure specialist charities who receive grants can support women and girls in need, and help to become more sustainable and plan for the future.

“We remain as committed as ever to ending violence against women and girls which is why this category is a priority for this round of funding, and we will continue to tackle the issue as a priority.”

UK government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart added: "The lower grant threshold for this final round of applications will ensure that even more charities can access funding. I’d strongly urge Scottish charities working to support disadvantaged women and girls to apply.”

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