The North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) Small Grant Programme 2023-25

Friday 8th September 2023 by Michael Theodorou

Today, September 8th 2023, marks the launch of North of Tyne Small Grant Programme for community-based initiatives in the North of Tyne.

This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with the North of Tyne Combined Authority as the lead authority.

The North of Tyne Combined Authority is a partnership of three local authorities: Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council, and Northumberland County
Council and the North of Tyne Elected Mayor.  The programme is delivered by Rocket Science.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

Read on to find out more and how to apply.

Who is this programme for?

The aim of the programme is to empower individuals of a working age who are not currently engaging with mainstream employment provision. Through community-focused activities, we strive to foster engagement, employment support and social inclusion while addressing wellbeing challenges.

This will support people of a working age who are economically inactive through a culture of progression into mainstream services, existing provision and/or providing added value through community-based support.

The programme will add value to the existing system of employment support for economically inactive residents of working age – individuals are those not in work and not actively seeking work (unlike unemployed individuals who are actively seeking work). The programme will support residents of working age to access existing employment support and wellbeing services.

Grant funding is expected to be between £30,000 and £50,000. We anticipate supporting around 10-15 projects. Funding must be fully spent, and delivery completed by 31 March 2025.

Timelines

Applications will close at 9am Monday 9 October 2023.

Decisions expected early November 2023.

Who can apply?

    • constituted non-profit VCSE organisations

    • organisations based in and delivering services to support residents of working age in at least one of the following three local authorities: Newcastle, North Tyneside, and/or Northumberland

    • organisations which are led by local people who understand local needs

    • organisations who listen and engage local people and service users in the design and delivery of programmes

    • organisations with a track record of supporting residents of working age with barriers to employment in the North of Tyne area

    • organisations that can demonstrate connections within the local community

    • willingness to learn and collaborate with other delivery organisations

    • have a bank account in the name of the lead organisation

    • have a current vulnerable adults and children’s safeguarding policy

    • staff employed and volunteers have current DBS checks in place

    • have current and appropriate insurance certificates (i.e., public liability, professional indemnity and employer’s liability).

The programme will prioritise

    • projects that are testing new approaches with a view to learning for future delivery

    • projects with a ‘navigation’ role, seeking to add value to and complement existing provision

    • improving health and wellbeing, including social isolation and loneliness and supporting residents of working age to access mainstream/existing support

    • peer-led projects, where residents of working age are involved in peer support approaches

    • collaborative approaches to project delivery across VCSE organisations

    • digital inclusion activities

    • place based approaches to delivery, addressing specific local barriers

    • under-represented groups (including, for example, people from areas of low household income, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, people with disabilities, care leavers, carers and LGBTQ+ people (This list is not exhaustive).

How to apply

    1. Ensure you have read the prospectus

    2. Complete the eligibility check and some straightforward questions about your organisation and project at: bit.ly/NTCASmallGrantForm

    3. If you have any questions, please contact Rocket Science at NT.YEP@rocketsciencelab.co.uk  or on 0207 117 2456

Information session

An online information session took place on 18th September 2023 to discuss the programme, requirements, key dates and to answer any specific questions.  We are please to share a:

  1. presentation of the session
  2. recording of the session
  3. document of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)