Youth Employment Grant Programme
Today, February 25th 2022, marks the round 2 launch of North of Tyne Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Youth Employment Small Grant Programme.
The programme, funded by North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA), is delivered by Rocket Science.
Read on to find out more and how to apply.
Who is the Programme for?
The NTCA VCSE Youth Employment Small Grant Programme will support local, non-profit Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations, based in the North of Tyne Combined Authority area, with community-based activity to engage and support young people, aged 16 to 24, who are not currently supported through mainstream youth employment provision.
This will support young people through a culture of progression into mainstream services, existing provision or provide added value through community-based support. This activity will support the development of the Youth Employment Partnerships and produce additional capacity within the VCSE sector.
The programme will add value to the existing system of employment support for young people aged 16-24 and will support young people to access existing employability and mental health services. We are interested to hear about approaches which engage young people that are not currently accessing any employability support together with onward referral pathways.
Grants of between £5,000 and £30,000 will be awarded to around 13 projects and the anticipated average size of grant is £15,000. Funds must be fully spent by March 2023.
Timelines
Applications will close at noon on Friday 18 March 2022.
Decisions expected April 2022.
The programme will prioritise
- projects 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 mental health and wellbeing, including social isolation and loneliness and supporting young people to access mainstream/existing support
- peer-led projects, where young people 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, young people from areas of low household income, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic young people, young people with disabilities, care leavers, carers and LGBTQ+ young people. This list is not exhaustive.)
- applications that could not be supported through other existing funding.
Who can apply?
This funding is designed specifically for organisations with an annual income up to £1.2m, delivering within the North of Tyne, particularly, Newcastle, North Tyneside and/or Northumberland with a track record of working with young people between 16-24 years.
Not for profit organisations must be connected within the local community, referring young people into mainstream provision ‘at some point’ supporting their pathway to employability, and empower young people within the design of the programme support.
Support could include community engagement, wrap around support, employability, engagement and/or social inclusion activities to reach those furthest from existing provision.
How to apply
- Ensure you have read the prospectus
- Complete the eligibility check and some straightforward questions about your organisation and project by clicking here
- If you have any questions, please contact Rocket Science at NT.YEP@rocketsciencelab.co.uk or on 0207 117 2456
