UK Youth: Cost of Living Fund for youth organisations

Overview

The cost-of-living crisis is having a profound and devastating effect on young people and the youth organisations they depend on as they struggle to keep up with the rising cost of inflation.

Already youth organisations are having to cut back on delivery or staff costs and in some cases, are closing their doors. This will result in a vital part of the youth ecosystem falling apart, unable to provide critical support to young people and impacting the key stages of young people’s lives.

This new fund is a three-year unrestricted grant programme aimed at mitigating the devastating impact the cost of living crisis is having on the youth sector.

The UK Youth Fund in partnership with Pears Foundation will provide targeted funding to youth organisations delivering high quality youth work to ensure doors stay open, bills get paid and youth workers receive the salaries they deserve. This will help to ensure young people continue to be supported at this most difficult of times by the youth organisations and youth workers on whom they’ve come to depend.

Who can apply?

The Cost of Living grant programme is open to youth organisations based and delivering high quality youthwork in the UK, with an annual turnover of £500,000 or less. The grant programme will offer 3-year unrestricted grants, of approximately 10% of current turnover of applicant organisations to reflect the current rate of inflation. However, applicants will have an opportunity to explain why they might need funding above and beyond this.

They are looking to identify and support youth organisations delivering high quality youth provision whose work is being hindered, curtailed or cut back due to rising core costs or a need to address unprecedented demand.

Notes:

You must be registered on their website to access the application form. This ensures they have a record of all organisations who apply for funding. It also allows them to keep their grant applications as simple as possible, since you will already have provided key information about your organisation during the registration process.

Who is eligible to be considered for funding?

To be eligible to apply you must confirm:

• You have authority to make this application for funding on behalf of your organisation.
• Applicant organisation is based and delivering in the UK
• Applicant organisation has a turnover of less than £500,000 in the last financial year
• Applicant organisation is a charitable or not-for-profit organisation and can provide a governing document stating this.
• Applicant organisation has as its primary purpose the provision of services benefiting young people. At least 70% of applicant organisations’ beneficiaries must be aged 8 – 25 years old.
• Applicant organisation has been in operation for at least 2 years. Applicants must submit with their application at least one year’s full accounts.
• Applicant organisation has the appropriate processes and policies in place to keep young people safe. This must include a Safeguarding and Health & Safety Policy. They may ask to see this if you are awarded funding.
• Applicant organisation has the appropriate insurances, qualifications or affiliations to a governing body. Depending on what you want to do this could include public liability insurance, leaders or instructors with special qualifications or an affiliation to a governing body. We may ask to see these if you are awarded funding.
• Applicant organisation complies with the Equality Act 2010, the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 and Data Protection Act 2018, Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 and all other relevant statutory or regulatory requirements.

How much funding will you be awarding overall?

They currently have a funding pot of over £4,500,000. However, they are continuing to fundraise and expect this figure to increase.

How much funding can I apply for?

They are asking applicants to request funding up to the value of 10% of your organisation’s annual turnover. In exceptional circumstances they may distribute grants of a slightly higher level, but this is unlikely.

This is a 3-year unrestricted grant with the grant amount being the same for all three years. So, if your organisation’s turnover last year was £100,000 they would expect you to request up to £10,000 a year, resulting in a total grant of £30,000 over 3 years.

Why can I only apply for 10% of your turnover?

This funding is targeted to help bring stability to youth organisations over three years and to mitigate some of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. It is not meant as a crisis fund, so if you require vastly higher sums in the short term then this may not be the correct fund for you to apply to.

Is there a minimum funding request?

No, there is no minimum funding request.

Do I have to be a youth club or a youth charity?

Applicant organisations must have as their primary purpose the provision of services benefiting young people. At least 70% of applicant organisations’ beneficiaries must be aged 8 – 25 years old. There must be a strong developmental aspect of your work with young people.

When will you receive notification on the outcome of your application and when could you receive the funding?

There will be two assessment streams depending on the amount you request.

They will be assessing applications on a rolling basis as they are submitted.

• Applications requesting up to £10,000 a year should receive notification on the outcome of their application within 3 – 4 weeks of submission.
• Applications requesting over £10,000 a year should receive notification on the outcome of their application within 7 weeks of applying.

Once you have been notified of a successful grant application, they will send you a grant agreement for you to sign and return so that your first payment can be made. Typically, they will make payment within two weeks of receiving your signed grant agreement.

When does the grant have to be spent by?

Successful applicants will receive 3 grant payments, each a year apart. They will expect you to have used each annual grant within the year since it was received.

What age range do you have to support to be eligible for this funding?

UK Youth goes by the approach that youth work refers to the ages of 8-25. However, they are taking each application in a case-by-case scenario, and if you are slightly out of this age range, they will review your application based on what you have told them about your organisation and its impact on the lives of young people.