Deadline: 30 November 2015
Big Lottery Fund is matching funds from the European Social Fund for projects across England that tackle poverty and promote social inclusion.
ESF specifically contributes to this by:
- supporting and sustaining quality employment without barriers to participation
- encouraging social inclusion, combating poverty and discrimination
- developing the potential and existing workforce by investing in education, training and vocational skills.
Project Criteria
Although each project outline is different, there are five key principles that unite them. Projects must:
- Help the most disadvantaged
- Tackle social exclusion
- Be focused on the capabilities of each individual
- Lead to better coordinated services
- Create new opportunities for work
Funding size: £330,000 – £10.6m
Eligibility Criteria
- Anyone who will directly benefit from the project participant. The foundation can only fund projects where all of the participants are:
- legally resident in the UK and able to take paid employment in European Union member states and
- unemployed or economically inactive.
- Applicant can be Lead organizations who should have:
- a clear vision for responding to the priorities of the local area, backed up by appropriate expertise
- a proven track record of managing complex projects, relative to the size of any partnership and the amount of money involved
- good connections for ensuring a wide crosssection of organisations are able to get involved
- strategies for managing and coordinating any partnership throughout the planning, set-up and delivery of the project.
- All organisations involved will need to:
- publicise that services being delivered are supported by us and ESF, taking every opportunity to include references and logos
- ensure any activities clearly add value and do not duplicate any provision that can be arranged locally through existing mainstream institutions or statutory bodies
- collect information relating to the evaluation of the project so key learning can be used more widely to influence the planning of similar provision
- implement detailed policies to ensure sustainable development in all areas of work so they will, wherever possible, protect and improve the environment
- promote and integrate equal opportunities within every facet of the project‟s delivery, with a particular focus on gender equality.
Application Process
- The application process consists of two stages. Stage one is fully open and competitive and from this a shortlist of applicants to take through to stage two.
- As part of the stage one application form, applicants are able to request up to £50,000 to help with developing detailed project plans if they are invited to stage two.
For more information, please visit Big Lottery Fund England.
