A document register can make applications easier to prepare, but there is no universal six-document pack that satisfies every funder. Start with the organisation's current records, then add the exact evidence required by the programme. Missing information should lead to an action, not an invented assumption that the organisation qualifies.
1. Confirm who is applying
Save the governing document and record the legal name, registration number, organisational structure and authorised decision makers. For a CIC, keep the actual articles and relevant share or guarantee information. Do not use an asset-lock label as a substitute for reading the programme's accepted and excluded applicant types.
Check CIC Regulator guidance for structure information and the National Lottery Community Fund's programme pages for the funding conditions. A particular director count or relationship rule must come from the actual programme rather than being presented as a requirement of every trust.
2. Organise accounts and banking evidence
Record the latest approved accounts, reporting period and who can explain the organisation's finances. If the funder asks for management accounts, a budget or a cash forecast, link those documents to the request. Do not assume every applicant needs audited accounts or the same number of years of records.
Keep bank evidence in the applicant's name and check the programme's rules on account control, signatories and statement dates. Separate a request for bank evidence from a decision to share it: use the funder's official channel and restrict access to sensitive documents within the team.
3. Make policies relevant to delivery
Identify which policies the project and programme require, who owns them and when they were approved or reviewed. Safeguarding, insurance, equality and data handling may be relevant, but the exact evidence depends on activities and funder conditions. Avoid a blanket claim that every policy must have one particular review interval.
A document's existence does not prove that a policy is suitable or followed. Record the responsible person and any outstanding training, approval or delivery actions. Where obligations are unclear, obtain appropriate professional or regulator guidance rather than relying on a funding software checklist as legal advice.
4. Keep the register usable
- Give each document a clear name, owner, period and review status.
- Keep superseded versions separate from the version approved for an application.
- Link the requested evidence to the actual programme guidance.
- Limit access and avoid unnecessary duplication of identity or banking documents.
- Ask the funder about acceptable alternatives when a standard document does not fit the organisation.
Use the CIC eligibility checklist and core-cost funding guide for related preparation. For charity reporting context, consult Charity Commission annual-return guidance and the guidance appropriate to your regulator and circumstances.