Re-Connect Priority Grants

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The ESF Community Grant Programme is already helping many people across the Liverpool City Region who face additional barriers in the workplace to improve their employability and gain employment. Whilst the formal bidding rounds are currently closed, the programme is launching a targeted grant programme in response to COVID-19.

This round is called Re-Connect and 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.

Small grants of up to £20,000 are available across the Liverpool City Region 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.

Funded activities will target those aged 19 and over, from the hardest to reach communities. The funding can help ALL who are out of work or economically inactive but especially those that:

• have disabilities, learning difficulties or health conditions
• are from ethnic minorities
• are aged over 50
• are lone parents

All eligible participants must live in the Liverpool City Region.

To apply, organisations must meet the organisational eligibility criteria below.

• Are you a Third sector organisation run on a not for profit basis? This includes constituted voluntary / community groups, social enterprises (not for profit), registered charities, community interest companies (CIC) or companies limited by guarantee. Please note that private companies ltd by shares cannot apply. If you are not sure of your organisational status or your constitution/governing document please speak to the ESF Grants Team before submitting your application for further guidance.
• Do you have an annual turnover equal to or under £600,000
• Do you employ no more than 49 full time equivalent employees
• Has your organisation been in operation for a min of 12 months
• Does your organisation have a Governing Document/Constitution?
• Does your organisation have an Independent Bank Account into which the grant can be paid?
• Are you not already in direct receipt of funding from the European Social Fund, or other ESF co-financing with the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), or National Offender Management Service (NOMS).
• Are you applying for funding to work with unemployed & economically inactive people?
• Are the people you plan to work with at least 19 years old?
• Is your proposed activity taking place within the Liverpool City Region?

Please note: the project start date must be on or after 2 November 2020 and all activity must be completed by 31 May 2021.

If you can answer YES to all of the questions above, you may be eligible to apply for a Re-Connect ESF Community Grant.

Apply here

Download the application form, guidance notes and FAQs.

Re-Connect for the Liverpool City Region opens on Wednesday 8 July 2020.

The deadline for applications is noon on Wednesday 29 July 2020.

Briefing sessions

Information sessions will take place via Zoom from Tues 14 July – Thurs 16 July. Please e-mail ESFGrantsLCR@WEA.org.uk if you would like further details about these briefings.