Deadline: 30-Jun-21
Applications are invited for the Community Grants programme that offers Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations grant funding from £10,000 to £20,000 to deliver local projects that make a difference within local communities in the South East Midlands.
The programme is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). Unlike many other grant funding schemes, Community Grants do not require ‘match’ funding so grants can cover 100% of the project cost.
Projects funded through Community Grants should support individuals who are currently unemployed or economically inactive to take up training or get back into work.
The grant programme is keen to receive applications from organisations that can create bespoke ways to engage with people from the hardest to reach communities. Projects should support people to develop confidence, self-esteem, enhance employability skills and transferable life skills.
Priority will be given to projects that work with people who live in areas with higher levels of deprivation.
Applications are encouraged to support these target groups:
- People with disabilities, health conditions & neurodivergent traits
- Households on a single income with dependent children
- Individuals who are homeless or in temporary accommodation
- People aged 50 or over
- People from ethnic minority groups
- Ex-Offenders [not receiving HMPPS support]
- Women returning to work e.g., from maternity leave, a long period as a carer or parent or women whose circumstances have changed
Eligible Projects
Examples of projects could include those that:
- Provide training, advice or counselling to support with a job search
- Assist with financial numeracy and literacy
- Build digital literacy skills and increase confidence
- Provide work experience opportunities with a clear path back into employment
- For round six, they are particularly looking for projects that can deliver learning online or projects that can be delivered in line with the government COVID-19 guidelines – focusing, targeting unemployed and those who have recently been made redundant, particularly those that are 50+.
Geographic Location
the geographic basis upon which projects can apply reverts too: Milton Keynes, Northampton, Corby, Kettering, Daventry, South Northamptonshire, Cherwell, Aylesbury Vale, Bedford and Luton.
Eligibility Criteria
Are you eligible to apply for a grant through SEMLEP’s Community Grants project?
- Does your organisation have less than £300,000 annual income?
- Does your organisation have fewer than 50 full-time equivalent paid employees?
- Are you able to demonstrate complete autonomy from any organisation that has in excess of £300,00 annual income or 50 or more full-time equivalent employees?
- Do you have a constitution of rules saying how your organisation is managed and what it does?
- Do you have a UK bank account?
- Do you have professional, employers and public liability insurance and public indemnity insurance?
- Is your organisation legally constituted?
- Do you have a legal structure that demonstrates that you are a VCSE organisation?
For more information, visit https://www.semlep.com/community-grants/