ESF Community Grants launches in 5 boroughs

Please note: The deadline for tenders for the most recent ESF Community Grants round passed on 16 November 2011. The details of that round have been left in place on this page for information only. There are due to be further Community Grants tendering rounds in Croydon and Tower Hamlets in the New Year, but please be advised that the tendering information and documentation may change for those future rounds.

If you have any questions about the ESF Community Grants programme that you would like to discuss with an adviser, please call LVSTC on 020 7538 4309.

On this page:
Quick Guide to Eligibility and Target Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
Application Pack Checking

London Councils have now taken over responsibility for co-financing Community Grants in London under the 2011-13 phase of the ESF programme and have announced the launch of a new funding round which is worth £2.65 million which will be invested in supporting those Londoners who are furthest from the labour market.

The programme remains focused on small, local voluntary and community groups who have the grassroots experience and knowledge to provide tailored support to the most disadvantaged in London. The aim is to equip beneficiaries with the training and employment opportunities that they need to be able to move closer or indeed into the labour market.

Match funding is being provided by a number of London boroughs and so this round will be open to organisations based in the following boroughs: Croydon, Enfield, Lambeth, Southwark and Tower Hamlets. Each borough has invested a different amount of money into the programme and have their own sets of criteria which reflect the priorities of each borough – it is important to note that organisations must be both based in the relevant borough and providing services to constituents of that borough.

The application literature, and an FAQ sheet, is now available to download from the Community Grants website here:

http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/aboutus/invitationtotender/esf-programme5boroughs.htm

The deadline for applications is 12 noon on 16 November. The anticipated earliest start date for projects will be 29 February 2012.

Quick Guide to Eligibility and Target Groups

For a simple breakdown of the eligibility criteria and the target groups for each borough, please see the individual borough pages below:

Croydon
Enfield
Lambeth
Southwark
Tower Hamlets

Community Grants – Frequently Asked Questions

You will find answers to questions that have arisen during workshops and one to one advice sessions at:

http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/aboutus/invitationtotender/esf-programme5boroughs.htm

Help available from LVSTC

Application Pack Checking

We are opening our offices for groups who wish to bring in their final application packs to be checked over before submitting them to London Councils, to ensure that all the necessary pieces of evidence are present and correct, and to identify any final areas for improvement.

Friday 11 November & Monday 14 November
@ LVSTC, Bromley Hall, 43 Gillender Street, Poplar E14 6RN

Come with your pack containing your application form, budget and necessary inclusions, at any time between 10am and 5pm, no need to book.

Free Application Workshops

The workshops listed below are free of charge and will provide copies of the form and the guidance notes. If you have any questions then feel free to call Geoff, Ian or Ingrid on 020 7538 4309 or email info@lvstc.org.uk.

Tower Hamlets application workshops dates and venues

If you want to attend an event in Tower Hamlets, and want register in advance, please fill in your details on the form at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/cgth. You are also welcome to just turn up on the day.

Wednesday 12 October & Wednesday 26 October
10.00am-12.30pm
@ LVSTC, Bromley Hall, 43 Gillender Street, Poplar E14 6RN
For location details, please see: LVSTC directions

Thursday 13 October & Thursday 27 October
10.00am-12.30pm
@ Business Development Centre, Tower Hamlets CDA, 7/15 Greatorex St, Spitalfields E1 5NF
For location details, please see: http://www.co-operation.coop/

Friday 14 October & Friday 28 October
10.00am-12.30pm
@ Threshold Centre, Society Links, John Fisher Street, Whitechapel E1 9JX  
For location details, please see: http://www.societylinks.org.uk/

Monday 17 October & Monday 31 October
10.00am-12.30pm
@ Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, Bethnal Green E2 6HG
For location details, please see: http://www.oxfordhouse.org.uk/

Friday 21 October
10.00am-12.30pm
@ Island House, Roserton St, Isle of Dogs E14 3PG
For location details, please see: http://www.island-house.org/

Monday 24 October
10.00am-12.30pm
@ Bromley-by-Bow Centre, St Leonards St, Bromley-by-Bow E3 3BT
For location details, please see: http://www.bbbc.org.uk/

Wednesday 9 November
10.00am-12.30pm
@ Council Chamber, Town Hall, Tower Hamlets Council, Mulberry Place, 5 Clove Crescent, Poplar E14 2BG

Croydon application workshop date and venue

Friday 28 October 2011
10:00am–12:30 pm
@ Room 6, 8th Floor, Amp House, Dingwall Road, Croydon CRO 2LX

Enfield application workshop date and venue

Friday 04 November 2011
10:00am–12:30 pm
@ Enfield Voluntary Action, Community House, 311 Fore Street, Edmonton. N9 0PZ

Finance Workshops

Thursday 3 November & Thursday 10 November
10.00am-12.30pm
@ LVSTC, Bromley Hall, 43 Gillender Street, Poplar E14 6RN
For location details, please see: http://www.lvstc.org.uk/