A £368m fund, launched by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has opened for applications.
Youth services in the country’s most underserved areas are being encouraged to apply for a portion of the fund to improve the health, wellbeing, skills and opportunities of young people.
The Youth Investment Fund is open for bids from 45 local authorities and more than 600 district wards.
Registered charities and exempt charities are eligible to apply. Funding should go towards delivering positive activities for young people aged 11-18 (up to age 25 for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).
Eligibility criteria
Only organisations operating in an eligible area may apply. These include Newcastle, Manchester, Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent and many more. Find out if you are in an eligible area here.
Earlier this year, £12m was awarded to 418 youth projects across the country to help level up the country. Recipients included The Community Court Yard in Northampton and the charity IMO (Inspire, Motivate, Overcome) in Blackburn and Darwen.
The funding forms part of the government’s National Youth Guarantee to ensure every young person will have access to regular out-of-school activities, adventures away from home, and opportunities to volunteer. It is backed by a £560m investment. It is hoped these opportunities will help young people develop the skills they need for life and work, improving their wellbeing and employability.
The scheme will be managed by the Social Investment Business.
‘Committed to ensuring no young person is left out’
Minister for civil society, Nigel Huddleston, said: “We are committed to ensuring that no young person is left out of reach or left behind, and have put it at the heart of our drive to level up this country.
“I encourage eligible youth services to apply for this life-changing funding.”
Organisations can apply to the fund here.
Nick Temple, chief executive of Social Investment Business said: “All young people deserve access to high-quality youth services and great youth facilities to thrive in life, but youth provision across the country is sadly unequal. That’s why we’re proud to be able to apply our 20+ years’ knowledge and experience of grant programmes and capital projects to design, manage and deliver the Youth Investment Fund.
“Working alongside our partners National Youth Agency, Key Fund and Resonance, we’ll enable up to 300 youth facilities to be built or refurbished over the next three years. This is a wonderful opportunity to prioritise the needs of young people in England and create a more equal society for future generations.”
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