Document 1

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR FUNDING

Grants Available:

Knowsley Youth Service invites applications for small grants to develop activity programmes for young people in Knowsley during the period June 2011 to March 2012. A total of £161,000 is available and will be allocated in small grants of maximum £5000.

Who Can Apply?

Applications can be made by any group of young people, aged between 11 and 19 (or 11 and 25 for young people with additional needs) in Knowsley. Each application will require the support of a community organisation that will sign their application and will hold the money throughout the project. Applications from organisations will also be considered as long as they are able to show clear evidence of consultation with the young people who will benefit from the project.

What are we looking for?

We would like to fund projects which will take place during evenings, weekends and key school holiday periods including Summer Holidays and Halloween period. The funding has been profiled to support activities throughout the year (45% Jul-Sep 2011; 30% Oct-Dec 2011; 25% Jan-Mar 2012). Applications for projects across all periods will be considered from the outset. Once all the funding has been allocated, no further grants will be made during the year to 31st March 2012.

We will consider awarding grants to develop projects which meet one or more of the following challenges highlighted in the 2010 Knowsley Young People’s Commission Report. These include projects which will:

·  build the aspirations and resilience of young people in Knowsley to help them realise their dreams

·  broaden the horizons of young people in Knowsley to open up opportunities and options for their future

·  support young people to become agents of their own change

·  harness the entrepreneurial skills of young people in Knowsley

·  change the perceptions of young people and communities in Knowsley by showing new measures of success and achievement

More details about these challenges are attached to help you plan your project/activities and complete your application (Document 2). A full copy of the report can be read by visiting the website www.4children.org.uk. Click the Publications button and search for “Knowsley”.

Applications should also be able to show a commitment to Every Child Matters agenda (Be Healthy, Stay Safe, Enjoy and Achieve, Make a Positive Contribution and Achieve Economic Wellbeing), and show that they are inclusive and committed to promoting equality and diversity.

Projects which are able to offer match funding and those which show potential to become self sustaining will be welcome. Sponsoring organisations will need to have appropriate measures in place to ensure the safety of young people throughout the project.

More information about what is required from successful applicants is also attached for information (Document 3)

How to apply for funding:

1.  Download an application form (Document 4) and an Activity Plan (Document 5) from the website http://www.knowsley.gov.uk/families/childrens-services/big-deal-grant.aspx or contact Jackie Pennington to request a form to be emailed or posted to you. Contact details are on the application form.

2.  Complete all sections of the Application form and Activity Plan and make sure that the form is fully signed by the applicant and sponsor.

3.  Return the form, Activity Plan and any other requested documents in person or by post to the address shown on the form. You may also email your application to , although a fully signed copy will be required before your application can be considered by the Grants Panel.

Application Process and Timescales:

·  Applications will be accepted between the period 1st June 2011 to 19th February 2012 and all projects must be completed by 31st March 2012

·  Panel meetings to consider applications will take place on the last Thursday of each month. A schedule of panel meetings and deadlines is listed at the end of this document.

·  Applicants will need to ensure that forms are received by the deadline for each Panel meeting in order for their application to be considered during that month.

·  Applicants will be contacted within one week of Panel meeting to inform them of the outcome. Some applicants may be asked to provide more detail or amend aspects of their project in order to meet the funding criteria.

·  Successful applicants will sign a Funding Agreement which outlines the terms and conditions of the grant. This will usually be within one week of the final decision

·  Grants will be paid in full upon completion of Funding Agreement although this may take up to 3 weeks following signature

We would recommend that applications are received a minimum of 6 weeks before the money would be required, to avoid any delays in starting projects. Groups will not be excluded from applying for more than one grant during the year, as long as terms and conditions are met. Each application will be assessed on its own merit. Applications from consortium groups will be considered even where the amount requested is greater than the maximum award, provided that the total grant does not exceed the £5000 limit per group within the consortium.

How will the applications be assessed?

Each application will be acknowledged upon receipt, and then checked by a member of the Panel to ensure that it is complete, and suitable to be scored by the Grants Panel. At this stage we may come back to the applicant(s) to request further information. If the application meets the basic requirements it will then be considered at the next Panel meeting and scored against the funding criteria. All applications which meet the minimum benchmark score will be considered for funding. If insufficient monies remain in the fund, those applications having met the benchmark score will then be given further consideration and grants awarded according to need; value for money and proposed impact. The Panel reserves the right to consider reducing the value of awards offered in order to support a broader range of projects and/or a greater number of young people.

Other Important Information:

How payments will be made?

Payments will usually be made directly into the sponsoring organisation’s bank account. It may be possible to issue a cheque upon request, although this would take longer to process.

How projects will be monitored?

Knowsley Youth Service is committed to supporting the delivery of high quality experiences and outcomes for young people. To do this we will monitor the quality of the activities we fund, using a range of means which are appropriate to the individual projects.

All successful applicants will need to:

·  submit details of all participating young people for monitoring purposes

·  evidence the expenditure and provide original receipts

·  evidence the impact/outcomes achieved

·  submit a report by the young people (this does not have to be a written report but could be a presentation, DVD, scrap book, photo album or other means)

Some successful applicants may also be asked to:

·  allow an observation visit at a mutually agreed time

·  discuss progress at agreed intervals

·  attend a meeting or event to present updates on projects

What we will/will not fund

We will consider funding: We are not able to fund:

Group activity projects Staff salaries/management fees Residential experiences Foreign travel

Travel costs Purchase of vehicles

Resources and materials Capital expenditure

Volunteer expenses (except private Sports Kits/Dance Clothes

car mileage) Events which have already happened

Activities which are additional Mainstream activities

to those funded by other sources

We will, however consider funding sessional staff support costs to support young people with additional needs to access project activities.

Grant Applications - Schedule of Panel Meetings 2011 to 2012

Date applications Deadline for Notes

will be assessed applications

2011

Thu 30th Jun Mon 27th Jun Deadline for summer hols

Thu 28th Jul Fri 22nd Jul

Thu 29 Sep Fri 23rd Sep Deadline for Halloween

Thu 27th Oct Fri 21st Oct

Thu 1st Dec Fri 25th Nov

2012

Thu 26th Jan Fri 20th Jan Final Allocations (subject to funding

still being available)

Any grant applications received after each deadline will be assessed during the following month along with any further applications received during that month. No applications can be accepted after 20th January 2012. These deadlines are subject to funding still being available.

For more information about the funding available, or if you have any queries or concerns about requirements, please contact:

Jackie Pennington 0151 545 5400 (office)

07966 094 907 (mobile)

or email:

Invitation to Apply for funding Page 4 of 4