Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ESF Community Grants?
ESF Community Grants programme provides grants to organisations in the voluntary and community sector. The Grants should be used to provide support to unemployed and inactive individuals to engage them and move them towards employment through packages of training and support.
How much are the grants for?
Grants are up to the value of £20,000 but you can ask for less. We expect the average value of each participant to be about £1,000 however this may be higher if you are working with more challenging groups or individuals or those with complex needs.
What can the grants be used for?
Grants must be used to support unemployed or inactive individuals and move them towards employment through a package of training and support. How you do this is up to you but it must be meaningful, have a significant, positive impact and help individuals move nearer to the labour market.
When can we apply for a grant?
You can apply for the first round of Grants from the 11th December 2019. We will release further funding at other points throughout the project.
How do we apply for a grant?
You can apply for a grant by clicking on the 'How to Apply' section of this website.
How much funding is available in each local authority area?
The funding is split as follows:
Northumberland: £200,000
North Tyneside: £120,000
Newcastle: £210,000
Gateshead: £130,000
South Tyneside: £120,000
Sunderland: £230,000
How long does it take for a grant to be approved?
Once an application round has closed, all bids are marked by an independent assessor. This usually takes 10-14 working days. We will confirm whether you have been successful very soon after this.
How do we receive our Grant payments?
If you have been successful in your application, we will confirm in writing and send you a Grant Agreement that should be signed by the most senior person in your organisation or their representative. Once we receive this back, along with your organisations bank details, we will pay the first 60% of your Grant payment within 30 days. We then pay the remaining 40% within 30 days of the project completing and us receiving all relevant documentation and financial evidence.
When do we start our delivery?
You should start delivery as soon as possible after you receive your first grant payment and by the date you stated on your bid. This will avoid any delays that could have a negative impact on your project. You will need to download all of the documents from the 'Forms and Documents' part of this website and make sure you understand what you need to do and when. One of our team will be in regular contact with you to answer any questions and to help your project stay on track.
What happens if we can't deliver what we said we would in our bid?
From time to time, despite your best efforts, things don't always go according to plan. If you are having difficulties with any aspect of your project then please get in touch with us as soon as possible. We have experts who can help, whether it's advice on recruiting participants, helping you deal with staffing shortages or changing aspects of your bid.
ESF Community Grants programme provides grants to organisations in the voluntary and community sector. The Grants should be used to provide support to unemployed and inactive individuals to engage them and move them towards employment through packages of training and support.
How much are the grants for?
Grants are up to the value of £20,000 but you can ask for less. We expect the average value of each participant to be about £1,000 however this may be higher if you are working with more challenging groups or individuals or those with complex needs.
What can the grants be used for?
Grants must be used to support unemployed or inactive individuals and move them towards employment through a package of training and support. How you do this is up to you but it must be meaningful, have a significant, positive impact and help individuals move nearer to the labour market.
When can we apply for a grant?
You can apply for the first round of Grants from the 11th December 2019. We will release further funding at other points throughout the project.
How do we apply for a grant?
You can apply for a grant by clicking on the 'How to Apply' section of this website.
How much funding is available in each local authority area?
The funding is split as follows:
Northumberland: £200,000
North Tyneside: £120,000
Newcastle: £210,000
Gateshead: £130,000
South Tyneside: £120,000
Sunderland: £230,000
How long does it take for a grant to be approved?
Once an application round has closed, all bids are marked by an independent assessor. This usually takes 10-14 working days. We will confirm whether you have been successful very soon after this.
How do we receive our Grant payments?
If you have been successful in your application, we will confirm in writing and send you a Grant Agreement that should be signed by the most senior person in your organisation or their representative. Once we receive this back, along with your organisations bank details, we will pay the first 60% of your Grant payment within 30 days. We then pay the remaining 40% within 30 days of the project completing and us receiving all relevant documentation and financial evidence.
When do we start our delivery?
You should start delivery as soon as possible after you receive your first grant payment and by the date you stated on your bid. This will avoid any delays that could have a negative impact on your project. You will need to download all of the documents from the 'Forms and Documents' part of this website and make sure you understand what you need to do and when. One of our team will be in regular contact with you to answer any questions and to help your project stay on track.
What happens if we can't deliver what we said we would in our bid?
From time to time, despite your best efforts, things don't always go according to plan. If you are having difficulties with any aspect of your project then please get in touch with us as soon as possible. We have experts who can help, whether it's advice on recruiting participants, helping you deal with staffing shortages or changing aspects of your bid.
