The ESF Community Grant Programme, which works to fund non-profit employability support for those facing barriers in the workplace, has opened its latest round of funding, Moving-on, for applications.
The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) has secured a further £2.2 million of funding towards its Community Grants Programme in Greater Manchester, and planning three rounds of funding in 2021. In its 2019-20 programme, the scheme supported over 240 projects to support unemployed or economically inactive people.
The Moving-On 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, once restrictions are eased.
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. Activities should develop progression routes into employment, Further Education and training for participants
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 8 a.m. on Monday 22nd February 2021.
Further eligibility information and details of how to apply are available from the WEA website.