The National Lottery Community Fund
About The National Lottery Community Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund distributes over £600m annually to communities across the UK, made possible by National Lottery players. They prioritise investments in areas of greatest need, ensuring funding reaches communities that can benefit the most.
Hyphen8 worked with TNLCF to replace their legacy system, ensuring a more user-friendly, scalable, and efficient solution for their 650+ users across ten different offices.
The Challenge: Legacy System Limitations & Urgent Timelines
TNLCF’s existing system was difficult to navigate, inflexible, and made reporting a challenge. Users struggled to complete essential tasks, and with the legacy system’s impending cut-off, time was limited to design and implement a new solution.
A phased Go-Live was essential to ensure a smooth transition, starting with Scotland before rolling out across the UK. The project required strict time management, clear communication, and strong collaboration to succeed.
"With a large, diverse user base and tight deadlines, we needed a system that was not just functional, but also user-friendly and adaptable."

Pain Points
TNLCF’s legacy system was difficult to use, slowing down grant management and making reporting a challenge. With a tight deadline to replace the system before the old one was cut off, a fast, efficient, and scalable solution was critical.
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Difficult Navigation & Limited Flexibility
- The previous system was not user-friendly, leading to inefficiencies.
- Users found it hard to generate reports, limiting data-driven decision-making.
- The previous system was not user-friendly, leading to inefficiencies.
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Time-Sensitive Implementation
- The legacy system’s cut-off date meant there was no room for delays.
- The project required tight sprint management and prioritisation of essential features.
- The legacy system’s cut-off date meant there was no room for delays.
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Training & User Adoption Challenges
- A large diverse user base (650+ users across 10 offices) required structured training.
- Many users were wary due to previous software projects, needing reassurance.
- A large diverse user base (650+ users across 10 offices) required structured training.

The Solution: A Phased, Agile Approach for Seamless Rollout
Hyphen8 delivered an agile, user-focused Salesforce implementation, ensuring the system was built efficiently and effectively while supporting rapid adoption.
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Agile Development & Phased Rollout
- Used Minimal Lovable Product (MLP) methodology to prioritise essential features.
- Conducted sprint-based development, ensuring continuous user feedback.
- Implemented a phased rollout, starting with Scotland to refine training before expanding.
- Used Minimal Lovable Product (MLP) methodology to prioritise essential features.
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User-Friendly Reporting & Navigation
- Designed an intuitive system with simplified navigation to enhance usability.
- Ensured self-sufficient reporting, allowing users to create and customise reports independently.
- Designed an intuitive system with simplified navigation to enhance usability.
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Comprehensive Training & Support
- Delivered a structured training programme, including:
- On-site sessions covering system navigation and role-specific processes.
- Short training videos demonstrating key workflows.
- Dynamic in-system help content for real-time guidance.
- Step-by-step crib sheets for key processes.
- One-to-one sessions for users with accessibility needs.
- Internal surveys to measure user readiness for Go-Live.
The Impact of working with Hyphen8
The Impact: A Scalable, User-Friendly Grant Management System
The new system has streamlined grant processing, improved user experience, and enabled real-time reporting, ensuring TNLCF can efficiently distribute funding across the UK. With a successful phased rollout and high user satisfaction, teams are now empowered to manage grants with ease.
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Grant Processing & Efficiency
- 100% of grants now managed in Salesforce, ensuring full visibility across all funding processes.
- £7.1 million successfully processed within weeks of launch, demonstrating the system’s efficiency.
- Over 2 million data records migrated, ensuring continuity and historical insights.
- 100% of grants now managed in Salesforce, ensuring full visibility across all funding processes.
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User Adoption & Engagement
- 4/5 average user satisfaction score in Scotland, indicating strong adoption at the first rollout stage.
- Five months from initial design to Phase 1 launch, delivered on time despite tight deadlines.
- Comprehensive training programme delivered, including on-site sessions, videos, crib sheets, and accessibility support.
- 4/5 average user satisfaction score in Scotland, indicating strong adoption at the first rollout stage.
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Real-Time Reporting & Data Visibility
- Users can now self-generate reports, reducing reliance on IT teams and improving decision-making.
- Full visibility into multi-location funding, enabling better tracking and distribution of grants.
- Dynamic dashboards provide instant insights, allowing teams to monitor trends and performance in real time.
- Users can now self-generate reports, reducing reliance on IT teams and improving decision-making.
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Seamless Transition & Future Scalability
- Phased rollout ensured smooth adoption, starting in Scotland before expanding across the UK.
- Internal champions helped drive engagement, ensuring teams were confident and ready for Go-Live.
- Built for long-term scalability, providing a flexible system that supports future funding needs.
- Phased rollout ensured smooth adoption, starting in Scotland before expanding across the UK.
Making an impact
"Hyphen8’s expertise and sector knowledge were deciding factors in choosing Salesforce. Their ability to deliver quickly and effectively ensured the success of this project."


Why Salesforce and Hyphen8?
TNLCF partnered with Hyphen8 for their expertise in large-scale grant management transformations, delivering a flexible, user-friendly, and efficient solution that will scale with their evolving needs.