Education & Skills Funding Agency launch ADAPT funding for voluntary sector

The ESF Community Grant Programme is launching ADAPT, for voluntary organisations who are facing new barriers in the workplace as a result of Covid-19.

A new round of funding is already helping many people in Greater Manchester to improve their employability and gain employment. The ESF is now launching their ADAPT Round.

The ADAPT round seeks applications from a wide range of voluntary organisations who are ready to reach out by using approaches which tackle the new and emerging barriers arising from the impact of COVID 19, working both remotely and within social distancing requirements.

Small grants of up to £20,000 are available across Greater Manchester to eligible organisations in the VCSE sector.

Projects should look to develop and maintain participant connections to learning experiences. Project activity should support, maintain and improve participant employability and resilience.

All project activity must be within the current government COVID restrictions, but should include flexibility to adapt as and when those restrictions change in future months.

The funding can help ALL who are out of work or economically inactive but especially those that:

• Are homeless or at risk of being homeless
• Have low or no qualification
• Lack literacy and numeracy skills
• Are lone parents
• Have disabilities, learning difficulties or health conditions
• Are from ethnic minorities
• Are aged over 50
• Young NEET people [aged 16 and above]

This programme covers the 10 Greater Manchester boroughs, and all eligible participants must live in Greater Manchester.

The deadline for applications is 12 p.m. (noon) Wednesday 22^nd July 2020.

Find out if you are eligible and to apply

For any other queries please email the grants team.