National VCSE Grant Scheme 2023/2024 Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Welcome Programme

Overview

The National VCSE scheme will support projects in line with the high-level outcomes of the Hong Kong BN(O) Welcome Programme. The Programme will ensure positive outcomes for central and local government, resident UK communities and BN(O) status holders by:

1. Enabling all new arrivals to fully contribute to life in the UK, both economically and socially, enriching our society.

2. Providing support to both resident communities and BN(O) status holders so they are welcomed and able to settle into their new communities.

3. Enabling BN(O) status holders to get access to the right support services to support their settlement.

What they are looking for

They are looking for organisations to develop and run projects that will support BN(O) status holders in areas such as employment, mental health and wellbeing, and those that can build the capacity of the sector to support community cohesion and bring sustainable benefits to BN(O) status holders and the communities where they settle.

Proposals should complement the support that is being delivered through the Regional VCSE fund, which is aimed at projects such as local buddying and befriending schemes and bespoke support for integration into local communities which match regional priorities set out by the Welcome Hubs hosted by Strategic Migration Partnerships.

They are keen to receive proposals on projects including:

• Targeted national employment support focusing on skills, employment sustainability, and preventing under employment.
• A national offer that will provide opportunities to develop English language skills to support in employment and/or socialise.
• A national offer to support health needs, particularly mental health and wellbeing.
• A national offer focusing on community cohesion, social interaction and building the capacity of BN(O) status holders to engage in civic life in the UK.
• National offers that include support for sub-groups of BN(O) status holders (including young people, the elderly, and families) that could cover access to support and advice about schools and education, or mental health and wellbeing.
• A national offer that supports the development of an infrastructure body for BN(O)s that will build the capacity and capability of the sector through bringing together VCSE funded organisations, delivery partners and BN(O)s, to share resources and best practice, facilitate communication, identify gaps in support, and share learning and insight to support enhancement of the programme. It could evidence links to wider resettlement networks and cohorts to build sustainability, for example around English language support.

They encourage those organisations wishing to bid for funding to engage with the Welcome Hubs and other civil society groups to better understand the gaps in support and to help focus projects on the areas that will be of most benefit to BN(O)s in all parts of the UK.

There will be an expectation that successful organisations will work closely with the Welcome Hubs and other delivery partners, including the devolved governments. This includes attending a minimum of four regional or national meetings per year, run by the Welcome Hubs or other VCSE organisations, to support with promoting projects and collaborating with delivery partners to ensure that referrals are encouraged and supported.

They are also interested in applications from organisations that can demonstrate an understanding of the BN(O) cohort, and can tailor their support accordingly, for example through providing bilingual access to support including in Cantonese and demonstrating how they can gain the trust of the BN(O) community so that they engage with their services.

Funding

The total funding available for the National VCSE Grant is up to £1.2 million. The funding for individual projects will range from £150,000 to £300,000.

Given the nature and scope of this scheme, they are looking to fund approximately 5 projects and will not award more than one project per organisation. They are interested in a range of bids across the funding range to maximise the number of projects to be funded, providing expanded support throughout the UK .

Depending on the number and scale of bids received, DLUHC may ask VCSE organisations to scale up or scale down their proposals to ensure that support across the programme is complementary and fits within the overall funding range.

Projects should be up and running swiftly after applicants are notified that they are successful, which they expect to do from early summer 2023. Successful projects will need to be completed by 31 March 2024.

Prospective applicants should endeavour to illustrate excellent value for money with a strong focus on developing sustainable outcomes for BN(O)s.

The application form will give applicants the opportunity to provide costs for activities that will be undertaken to facilitate the delivery of objectives. DLUHC will seek to ensure that bids are cost effective and present best value for money (see Part 4: scoring criteria)

DLUHC will consider continuing elements in future financial years, subject to the Government’s Spending Review process.

Eligibility

They welcome applications from organisations that already have experience supporting the integration of BN(O) status holders, as well as other groups who have the relevant skills and resources to support effective integration and to help build strong community cohesion.

They are interested in those organisations that:

• have the scope and remit to deliver support across all parts of the UK and can demonstrate this in the application form
• form partnerships (or consortia) between country-specific organisations to support a UK wide approach

All successful organisations will be required to undergo mandatory due diligence checks as a means of ensuring the government and DLUHC are not subject to potential reputational damage.

In addition, there will be financial due diligence checks carried out to ensure that participating organisations are of good financial standing, irrespective of the grant. We would expect that successful organisations do not receive the majority of their funding from central government.

A full list of eligible organisations can be found below.

• ‘Charity’ – A registered charity with a UK charity number or a registered CIC (community interest company).
• ‘Community group’ – A group which meets all the following criteria:
• Established for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes;
• Has a governing body with at least three members;
• Has a governing document which they are able to produce;
• Can provide accounts for the last two financial years.
• ‘Community Interest Company’ - a special type of limited company which exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders.
• ‘Social enterprise’ - a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners”.
• Other voluntary and community organisations.
• ‘Consortium’ – a group of bidders, with a designated lead partner to manage the programme, and a system for dividing the work and funds appropriately and effectively. The lead partner must be a charity or a community group with a charitable purpose.
• Organisations must be based in the United Kingdom and provide an offer that can cover England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Organisations wishing to apply to the National VCSE Grant Scheme must have relevant safeguarding policies in place. All applicants must also adhere to the Government Code of Conduct. Please ensure that you have read the Code of Conduct in full, particularly the section on interaction with vulnerable groups.

Organisations applying to the National VCSE Grant Scheme are eligible to apply for the Regional VCSE grant scheme but must present a distinct offer as part of this scheme.

Organisations selected to receive grant funding will ensure compliance with the Subsidy Control Act 2022 and be responsible for ensuring all elements of the scheme are provided in accordance with the UK’s international obligations in respect of subsidies (as amended from time to time).