NHS Charities Together Community Partnership Grants is open

Forever Manchester is delighted to announce, on behalf of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care System NHS Charities, that applications to the NHS Charities Together Community Partnership Grants Programme are now open.

Two-year grants of £100,000 or more are available to projects which support the health and well-being of communities disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is expected that the available funding of £1,247,490 will support a small number of large grants to focus on sustainable health outcomes, spread across the three programme themes: Mental Health, Tackling Health Inequalities and Hospital at Home.

Expressions of Interest must be submitted by Monday 24th April and full applications by Tuesday 9th May.

For further details on criteria, guidance and how to apply can be found here: https://forevermanchester.com/nhs-charities-together-community-partnership-grants-programme-greater-manchester/

Who Can Apply?

Funding is available to support projects delivered by Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations, working in partnership with the NHS, to support the health and wellbeing of communities affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

How much can you apply for?

The minimum you can apply for is £100,000 (£50,000 per annum for two years) and there is no upper limit.

Programme Criteria

Applicants to the Fund must meet all three of the national NHS Charities Together criteria for the fund as well as local thematic criteria set by the Greater Manchester ICS NHS Charities.

NHS Charities Together Criteria

  1. Results in a measurable improvement in health outcomes for communities adversely affected by Covid-19*
  2. Involves a partnership of one or more NHS bodies and community organisations
  3. Leads to a direct, positive impact on the NHS whilst it responds to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition, applications must also address one of the following themes:

  • Mental Health
  • Tackling Health Inequalities
  • Hospital at Home.

Background

In Greater Manchester, the application, assessment and monitoring process is being administrated by Forever Manchester working on behalf of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care System (ICS) NHS Charities. Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is the lead charity for Greater Manchester and has overall responsibility for distributing the funding. The final decision on how the funds are to be spent will rest with the Greater Manchester ICS NHS Charities and NHS Charities Together.

The National Lottery Community Fund launches their £3.5million Platinum Jubilee Fund

To mark Her Majesty the Queen’s 70th (Platinum) Jubilee, The National Lottery Community Fund will provide grants of up to £50,000 to 70 impactful community projects across the UK. The Platinum Jubilee Fund is now open for applications.

Funding programme key facts:

  • Area: Available UK wide but projects do not need to be operating across the UK
  • Suitable for: Small local voluntary or community organisations and groups
  • £3.5m is available and they’ll be offering grants of between £30,000 – £50,000
  • 70 projects will receive funding
  • Funded projects will have up to 2 years to deliver their activities from award
  • Will not cover capital costs.

They want to fund projects aligned to one or more of their three areas of focus:

  1. Across Generations – Strengthening relationships between generations and creating a legacy for future generations
  2. Community Renewal – Supporting new opportunities for people to develop skills and experiences in their local community, as well as opportunities to bring people together in new ways, and in new or different places and spaces
  3. Our Shared Natural World – Deepening our care and action locally for the natural world.

Funded projects will need to be up and running by Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend on 5 June 2022. They plan to make their final decisions on which projects to fund in Spring 2022. So, they would expect the projects they fund under this programme to start in Spring 2022 onwards.

The Platinum Jubilee Fund will offer eligible groups funding for activities that meet at least two of the following criteria:

  • connects people across generations through doing activities together
  • makes use of significant local sites or spaces – parks, heritage buildings, community spaces etc.
  • considers future generations and how the Jubilee can leave a legacy for them in the community
  • creates new opportunities for the people that live locally to contribute and/or to build skills and experience
  • starts something new (a set of activities, a group, a community space, a service, a network) that marks the Jubilee as a turning point in the community
  • is designed and led by young people who want to be more active in shaping the future of their communities
  • starts collective action in relation to the natural world locally – giving more people the opportunity to care for the planet at a local level

They’ll prioritise applications from groups who:

  • have not received funding from them before
  • do not have a current award with them
  • are smaller or medium-sized organisations or groups with an annual turnover of under £100,000
  • or are organisations that can demonstrate to them that they have significant reach into communities and are able to engage a large number of people to get involved
  • work in communities where there is a history of fewer funding opportunities
  • work in areas where they know communities face challenging economic circumstances.

You’ll need to ensure that your group or organisation is eligible to apply. If your group or organisation is NOT eligible, even if they love your idea they cannot award funding.

What is an eligible organisation? You can apply if you are a:

  • voluntary or community organisation
  • registered charity
  • constituted group or club
  • not-for-profit company or Community Interest Company
  • school (as long as your project benefits and involves the communities around the school)
  • statutory body (including town, parish, community council or local council).

For help and advice regarding this fund, please contact platinumjubilee@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.

GMCVO offering support for Community Ownership Fund bids

The first bidding round for the £150m Community Ownership Fund is currently open for communities across the UK. It has been set up to help communities take ownership of assets and amenities at risk. Funding may support the purchase and/or renovation costs of community assets and amenities, subject to the full eligibility criteria outlined in the fund prospectus (link below).

Proposals will need to prove the value of the asset to local people and that the asset can run sustainably for the long-term benefit of the community.

As well as providing general support around business and financial planning, GMCVO can work with Voluntary and Community organisations and Social Enterprises to potentially access social investment to meet the match funding requirements either from our own GM Social Investment funds or our national partners.

To read the fund prospectus with all the key info for this fund please click here.

The deadline for submitting applications to this first bidding round is 13th August 2021, but this timescale is expected to be too short for most groups. As well as supporting organisations ready to go, GMCVO are looking to support groups to be ready for the subsequent rounds.

Seetec Outsource to expand its regional presence with national Education and Skills funding win

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Seetec is delighted to announce that the Education and Skills Funding Agency has awarded Seetec Outsource National Adult Education Budget (AEB) funding to deliver vocational training to individuals aged 19 and over across the North West and South West of England. Delivery under the new national AEB contract will begin this week, enabling Seetec to expand its existing provision regionally to help even more people develop the skills they need to secure employment and achieve their long-term career ambitions, while supporting a skills-led recovery from COVID-19. 

Neil Bates, Managing Director of Seetec Outsource, said: “National Adult Education Budget funding has allowed Seetec Outsource the ability to deliver a more targeted approach to address critical skill gaps in the regions.  

“We will press ahead with plans to invest in more skills development opportunities to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving labour market. This will be crucial to the UK’s long-term economic and social recovery from COVID-19. The awarding of funds to Seetec Outsource means that more can be done to upskill individuals within some of the country’s most disadvantaged communities, where the social and economic impact of the pandemic has been most profound.

“It is in the national interest that the focus on a regional approach to skills development, as a pathway to sustained employment outcomes, remains a Government priority as the country continues to work in earnest towards delivering a better post-COVID future.”

Seetec Outsource already delivers adult education and training across Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and Bristol in the West of England through devolved AEB contracts. In recent years, through its AEB footprint, Seetec has supported almost 8000 learners to realise their full potential as they move forward with their educational and career aspirations.

The business will deliver training and qualifications for priority sectors, including warehousing and storage, health and social care, teaching, professional services and construction. A mix of classroom-based and online learning will provide learners with the flexibility to access courses around other commitments such as work and childcare.

This latest funding allocation will enable Seetec to complement the services provided by its Employability and Health business division, Seetec Pluss, in the region, ensuring jobseekers can gain the skills and qualifications they need to access new opportunities and build a rewarding career.

To find about more about AEB click https://www.seetecoutsource.co.uk/individuals/adult-education/ 

To read success stories click  https://www.seetecoutsource.co.uk/insights/type/case-studies/ 

Funding Alert: Higher Level Skills £5m ESF Funding Opportunity

ESF Funding Opportunity

Each £2.5m grant is funded by European Social Funds (ESF). They will help Londoners move into higher-level skilled training, qualifications and jobs. There’s a focus on supporting BAME people and those in low paid work without a Level 4, or above, qualification.  These projects contribute to the Mayor’s recovery plans by providing targeted skills development and employment support to Londoners who are disadvantaged in the labour market, and likely to be further disadvantaged by the impact of COVID-19 on London’s economy.

Find out more and apply here.

Application deadline 12:00 (noon) Friday 14 May 2021.

Nesta’s Rapid Recovery Challenge

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COVID-19 has created a huge economic shock, laying bare and exacerbating pre-existing problems for people on low incomes and in precarious work. Millions face severe threats to their job security and household finances, both immediately and in the longer term.

Nesta has launched the Rapid Recovery Challenge – a £2.8 million prize to find and support tools and services which can improve access to jobs and money for people across the UK hardest hit by the pandemic.

Nesta’s Rapid Recovery Challenge will find and scale tools and services that improve access to jobs and money for people within the UK, focusing on those hardest hit by the economic shock resulting from COVID-19.

The £2.8 million Challenge is funded by Nesta, in partnership with JPMorgan Chase Foundation and Money and Pensions Service

Applications open on Monday 14 September 2020 and close at 12pm (noon) GMT on 26 October 2020.

If you have an idea, a solution, take a look at their website and guidelines for applications.

https://rapidrecovery.challenges.org/

Get in touch by emailing rapid.recovery@nesta.org.uk

Social enterprises in England have final opportunity to apply for £18.7 million grant fund

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Social enterprises are being encouraged to apply for the final round of The Social Enterprise Support Fund, which opens for applications on Thursday 10th September.

The Social Enterprise Support Fund was established in partnership by The National Lottery Community Fund and five social enterprise support agencies: Big Issue Invest, The Key Fund, Community Land & Finance CIC (also known as Resonance), the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and UnLtd with support from CAF Venturesome, the Young Foundation and Ashoka.  £18.7 million of National Lottery funding has been committed to the fund, made possible by National Lottery players.

The partners behind the scheme understand that social ventures need to plan to weather the ‘perfect storm’ they face: COVID-19 continuing, increased demand for their services, a global recession and the end of short-term Government support.

  • The Social Enterprise Support Fund is for social enterprises in England, with an annual income between £25,000 and £1.5 million before COVID-19.
  • Grants are available between £10,000 – £300,000, to be spent within six months
  • 50% of UnLtd’s grants are ringfenced specifically for Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, LGBTQI+, Disabled people, or those with personal experience of the social issue they are      working to solve – all partners have committed to ringfencing at least 30% of their grants for this group too
  • The Social Enterprise Support Fund can be applied for at http://socialenterprisesupportfund.org.uk/ until 17 September

Social Enterprise Support Fund reopens for applications after delivering £5.6 million of urgent grant funding to social enterprises

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Social Enterprise Support Fund reopens for applications after delivering £5.6 million of urgent grant funding to social enterprises

The second round of The Social Enterprise Support Fund, delivering nearly £19 million of National Lottery funding, to help social enterprises during COVID-19, reopens for applications today.

In the first round the fund received over 500 applications, and by 6th August had agreed to support over 180 social enterprises across the length and breadth of England.

The Social Enterprise Support Fund was established in partnership by The National Lottery Community Fund and five social enterprise support agencies (Big Issue Invest, The Key Fund, Community Land & Finance CIC (also known as Resonance), the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and UnLtd) with support from CAF Venturesome, the Young Foundation and Ashoka.

Thanks to National Lottery players, £18.7 million of National Lottery funding has been committed to the fund to be used to provide grants to social

enterprise organisations that are best placed to support local, vulnerable communities in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

This National Lottery funding is part of The National Lottery Community Fund’s wider COVID-19 emergency response for communities.

The Social Enterprise Support Fund responds to an urgent need in the sector to help social enterprises change the way they work, make their spaces COVID-secure, and manage liquidity during the next six months.

The fund is aimed at social enterprises supporting people at high health risk from COVID-19, and those supporting people facing increased social and economic challenges as a result of COVID-19.

Vulnerable people need this support more than ever, but social ventures are struggling to make enough income to meet this need. Research shows that this crisis is disproportionately hurting communities who already experience social and economic inequalities.

The fund has made a commitment to ensure that the grants reach businesses that are led by people most impact by Coronavirus.

The partnership has a shared goal of 30% of grants going to people who use their first- hand experience of a social issue to create positive change, and after the first round they have exceeded that goal.

Some of the enterprises include:

  • Colorintech, who create better access, awareness and opportunities for ethnic minorities from underrepresented groups to get into and succeed in the technology industry. The funding will help disproportionately impacted communities into employment in technology.
  • Gaydio is the UK’s only national LGBT+ community radio station. The Manchester-based station delivers a broadcast service that gives a platform to those who may struggle to access mainstream media, and produces informative programmes from an LGBT+ viewpoint.
  • Investing in Children are a children’s human rights organisation that supports children and young people to have a voice in the services that are delivered to meet their needs. The children they work with are often not in engaged in education. In 2018 they opened a residential care home like no other, but COVID-19 hit them hard as they were unable to accept any more children into the residence, due to lockdown, significantly affecting their income.
  • Hollywell House Trust support those with disability and mental health issues with secure safe housing, receive housing support and thrive in their communities in a person-centred way. They create a supportive and empowering environment for people who want to hold a tenancy and access the private rented sector, creating inclusive communities and neighbourhoods and encouraging and supporting people to live independently, remain healthy and happy and have equality of access to housing and the support they need fulfil their goals.
  • Running Deer CIC was established in 2011 out of an identified need to provide opportunities for children, young people and adults, including those at risk of exclusion, and local people and communities living in rural isolation without easy access to education, employment or training. They provide access to learning outside the classroom, training, volunteering, life skills opportunities and work experience in traditional and rural skills, bushcraft, animal assisted interventions, woodland and land conservation and related activities.

The partners welcome The National Lottery Community Fund’s recognition and support of the valuable contribution to our economy and society which social enterprises make, enabling a fund that will help critical businesses survive and thrive.

The Social Enterprise Support Fund is one of eight expert partnerships, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, to ensure almost £59m of National Lottery funding reaches communities most vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19. The move is part of The National Lottery Community Fund’s COVID-19 emergency response and means it will benefit from the partnerships’ collective expertise and networks, to ensure funding is distributed to even more communities. The partnerships will focus on supporting organisations that work with those communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

The support agencies delivering the Social Enterprise Support Fund have come together around a common purpose and shared principles of fairness, flexibility, inclusivity, accountability and transparency. Through this partnership, the funds will be able to reach those who need it the most and enable communities to build back better.

Celebrating the success of the fund to date, Mark Norbury, Chief Executive, UnLtd said:

“We put out a call for social enterprises offering vital services and solutions to communities throughout England. It’s clear from the numbers of social enterprises applying for grants that there remains a huge need. We’re really proud to be able to support so many critical ventures during this time – with social entrepreneurs from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, and older entrepreneurs really well-represented in this funding round. We hope to see even more applying as the next round opens this week.”

Alastair Wilson, CEO of the School for Social Entrepreneurs, said:

Alastair Wilson, CEO of the School for Social Entrepreneurs: “Through the Social Enterprise Support Fund, we’re giving grants to social entrepreneurs helping their communities recover from the adverse effects of this crisis – from LGBTQ+ organisations, to those helping disadvantaged young people create better futures. We’re committed to ensuring these grants reach minoritised and marginalised communities, to create a more equitable society. We look forward to supporting them further through the Social Enterprise Support Fund.”

Daniel Brewer, CEO, Resonance said:

The response to the initial launch of the fund was humbling, proving that so many wonderful social enterprises, who are supporting some of the most vulnerable in our communities, are in need of emergency financial help due to COVID-19. Resonance are excited to be able to carry on this financial support in Round 2 of funding and would actively encourage social enterprises, across England, who qualify to apply to the fund by the 20th August

Danyal Sattar, CEO, The Big Issue Invest said:

“We are grateful for The National Lottery Communities Fund as a great direct grant maker. They chose to take a substantial amount of their money and work with us at Big Issue Invest and the other partners, to find every way possible to reach communities and organisations that might not get access. It’s generous leadership from a great institution and we could never have run a programme like this without them. When enterprising charities and social enterprises needed them, NLCF were there and stood with us.

We are delighted with how the first round of applications for the SESF fund has gone. 70% of our approved funding has gone to diversity-led businesses. We are incredibly proud of this, as we recognise the fund needs to ensure it support all leaders to respond to Covid-19 in their communities. We are spreading the funding across England, with 30% across the north, 32% in the midlands and 36% in London and the south east. We will continue to run an outreach programme for the second phase across England and would call on interested parties to get in touch and apply to the fund.”

Matt Smith, CEO, Key Fund said:

“From our work over the last 20 years we know that community and social enterprise are able to engage and positively impact the lives of the most disadvantaged and isolated members of our communities, in a way that other types of organisations can’t. In these difficult times, where the inequalities within society are even more

pronounced, we believe that they are needed more than ever, and so we are delighted with the initial success of the fund. However, we are keen to encourage more organisations to apply to the second round, and particularly those who support the people most negatively impacted by COVID-19.“

NOTES

  • The fund will be made available through a shared portal at http://socialenterprisesupportfund.org.uk/
  • The fund is for social enterprises in England, with an annual income between £25,000 and £1.5 million before COVID-19.
  • It offers grants of £10,000 – £300,000.
  • Applications will be open from 1pm Thursday 13 August and closes 1pm Thursday 20th August. In total there will be three applications rounds taking placen in July, August and September.

About the social enterprise support agencies

UnLtd

UnLtd finds, funds and supports social entrepreneurs in the UK – enterprising people with solutions to change our society for the better. From starting ups to scaling up, UnLtd’s unique package of support and funding helps social entrepreneurs to realise their untapped potential and build a better society for all.

So that social entrepreneurs can achieve this potential, UnLtd also works to break down the barriers they face, such as finding customers, making a living, and getting access to finance. We set out to change the system so it works better for those who set out to change society.

https://www.unltd.org.uk/

Big Issue Invest

Founded in 2005, Big Issue Invest extends The Big Issue’s mission by financing the growth of sustainable social enterprises.

Big Issue Invest offers social enterprises, charities and profit-with-purpose businesses loans and investment from £20,000 to £3 million. Since 2005, we have invested in more than 400 social enterprises and charities across the UK.

Big Issue Invest currently manages or advises on over £250 million of impact funds, and is creating the UK’s first ‘Social Merchant Bank – ’by social entrepreneurs, for social

entrepreneurs’.

We provide finance to organisations that create positive social impact. Almost all of our investees are unable to raise mainstream finance. We have made more than 330 since 2005, over 50% of which were into organisations working in the 25% most deprived areas of the UK. 80% of our investees became more financially sustainable as a result of our investment, and more than half were able to hire new staff last year. https://bigissueinvest.com/

Key Fund

Our mission is to provide the right kind of money at the right time for the development and growth of sustainable and impactful community and social enterprises that are unable to secure support from elsewhere.

We provide finance – both loans and grant/loan packages – to help community and social enterprises to start-up, become sustainable, or grow. It’s not just about the money. It’s also about providing the right kind of support to help our investees have the best possible chance of success. Our investees have one crucial thing in common – the ambition to build and strengthen local communities and create a positive impact.

We invest in community and social enterprises who have traditionally been excluded; turned down by mainstream banks. Particularly those in disadvantaged areas.

Key Fund believes in the power of people to find solutions to the challenges facing their communities. Our mission is to remove barriers to finance.

https://thekeyfund.co.uk/

Resonance

Resonance are one of the UK’s leading social impact investment companies, established in 2002, with a mission to connect capital with social enterprise. Resonance currently has £210m of funds under management across twelve operational social impact investment funds. These funds tackle some of the major societal issues in the UK such as homelessness, poverty and health & wellbeing.

Resonance also works in an advisory capacity with ambitious social enterprises, helping them with professional advice on governance, impact and process.

In the financial year 2018/19 Resonance mobilised almost £34m of capital into the hands of social enterprises and charities.

Resonance are a B Corp, and have offices across the UK, including London, Cornwall, Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham with a team of over 40 supporting social enterprises and the communities they serve.

resonance.ltd.uk

School for Social Entrepreneurs

We can’t fix issues like poverty, climate change and ill-health alone. That’s why the School for Social Entrepreneurs exists. We help 1,000 people a year develop the skills, strengths and networks they need to tackle society’s biggest problems.

We run courses that equip people to start, scale and strengthen organisations that make a positive difference. But we’re not a traditional school. Learning with SSE is inspiring, action-based and accessible. We support people in other ways too, such as funding and mentoring.

Lord Michael Young founded SSE in 1997, and we’ve grown to a network of schools across the UK, Canada and India. Together, we’re changing lives and transforming communities.

https://www.the-sse.org/

About the Social Enterprise Support Fund

The Social Enterprise Support Fund is one of eight expert partnerships, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, to ensure almost £59m of National Lottery funding reaches communities most vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19. The move is part of The National Lottery Community Fund’s COVID-19 emergency response and

means it will benefit from the partnerships’ collective expertise and networks, to ensure funding is distributed to even more communities. The partnerships will focus on supporting organisations that work with those communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

The Social Enterprise Support Fund was established in partnership by The National Lottery Community Fund and five social enterprise support agencies. £18.7 million of National Lottery funding has been committed to the fund, raised by National Lottery players, which will be used to provide grants to social enterprise organisations that are best placed to support local, vulnerable communities in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Big Issue Invest, The Key Fund, Resonance, the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and UnLtd will jointly deliver the grants.

About The National Lottery Community Fund

We are the largest funder of community activity in the UK – we’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Since June 2004, we have made over 200,000 grants and awarded over £9 billion to projects that have benefited millions of people.

We are passionate about funding great ideas that matter to communities and make a difference to people’s lives. At the heart of everything we do is the belief that when people are in the lead, communities thrive. Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, our funding is open to everyone. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.