Deadline: 01-Jul-20
The BBC Children in Need is seeking applications for the COVID-19 Next Steps program to deliver support for children and young people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
These grants are designed to fund sustained responses to the COVID-19 situation. These projects can last up to 18 months and begin in September 2020. The fund will help organisations with more complex service adaption, including additional staffing requirements. It is designed to be as flexible as possible, covering a wide range of activities.
They expect a high level of interest in this programme. They will prioritise applications from organisations that:
- Target children and young people disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They recognise that the current crisis increases pre-existing inequalities.
- Have mission statements which focus on supporting and empowering a particular group or community experiencing disadvantage.
- Respond confidently in a local area and are best placed to do so. They want to fund organisations that have the reach and trust of the communities/communities of interest they serve.
- Can prove a track record of engaging disadvantaged children and young people over the last two years.
BBC Children in Need targets children and young people aged 0-18 years impacted by disadvantage including illness; distress; abuse or neglect; any kind of disability; behavioural or psychological difficulties; or living in poverty or situations of deprivation.
Through the research team, they have identified particular cohorts of children and young people particularly impacted by the coronavirus crisis.
These include:
- Children and young people affected by poor mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Disabled children and young people
- Children and young people affected by domestic abuse
- Children and young people affected by bereavement
- Young carers
- Children and young people with life-limiting or life- threatening conditions
- Children and young people in and on the edge of care
- Children at risk of personal harm, e.g., neglect, abuse
- Children and young people at risk or affected by child sexual exploitation
- Children and young people at risk or affected by child criminal exploitation e.g. County Lines
- Refugee and asylum seekers
- Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Groups (BAME)
- Children and young people affected by issues related to parental support and capacity
- Young people Leaving Care
- Children and young people who identify as LGBTQ+
- Children and households impacted by poverty and immediate crises including homelessness.
Funding Information
Eligible organisations will be able to apply for up to £80,000, however, they expect most awards to be less than this and proportional to the size and capacity of the organisation.
What you can apply for?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have temporarily broadened the types of applications they will accept. They encourage applications for:
- Project delivery
- Creative solutions to deliver much needed services
- Organisational stability and support
All applications will have to show how this funding will make a difference to children and young people’s lives during this crisis.
What you can’t apply for?
Whilst this fund is designed to be as flexible as possible, they are unable to consider applications for the following:
- Capital/Building costs
- Fixed equipment (e.g. boilers, lighting etc.)
- Vehicles
- Statutory costs or Work which statutory bodies (such as schools or local authorities) have a duty to fund.
- Non-Fixed equipment totalling over £20,000 (e.g. play/sensory equipment)
- Work delivered outside the UK
- Work with young people over the age of 18 years.
- Projects or work that start later than the 30th September 2020
- Retrospective funding, where the grant expenditure is due to start before the grant award date
- Costs for which you have also received funding for (duplication)
- Contributions to your reserves
- Staff redundancy or re-deployment costs
- Repayment of loans or debts
- Investments
- Pension liabilities and/or contributions to a large number of staff’s pension
- Feasibility studies or scoping work
- Projects which promote religion
- Trips or projects abroad
- Medical treatment or research
- Pregnancy testing or advice, information or counselling on pregnancy choices.
- Awareness-raising work, except where it is targeted at those children or young people most at risk.
- Bursaries, sponsored places, fees or equivalent.
- Political activity or, to party political organisations or for direct lobbying.
- Individuals
- For the grant to be passed on to other organisations.
- General appeals or endowment funds.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Next Steps programme will be for not-for-profit organisations within the UK who meet the Minimum Standards for Grantmaking. Your organisation must be registered with the appropriate regulatory body, such as your nation’s Charity Commission or companies House (unless your organisation currently holds a BBC Children in Need grant).
- This fund is open to any families with children who are living with financial, health and social difficulties.
- They will not be accepting applications from educational institutions (including schools), prisons, hospitals or other statutory bodies.
For more information, visit https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/grants/covid-19-funding-streams/