LDA ESF Community Grants Programme 2009-2010

The 2009 Community Grants bidding round closed on 14 September. We anticipate that the next round will take place in the Spring of 2010.

What are Community Grants?

Community Grants are small grants of up to £12,000, for Projects which help unemployed and economically inactive people move into or closer to the labour market.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible to apply for a Community Grant, your organisation must

• Income of less than £67,000
• Be Not-for-Profit
• Constituted before 26th December 2008
• Have no more than 2 full-time members of paid staff (or equivalent)
• Have a bank account in the organisation's name that requires two signatories
• Be financially solvent
  

What is this funding for?

• Support to raise levels of basic skills
• Taster work experience including voluntary work
• Training, advice and counselling
• Job search assistance and other assistance necessary to secure employment
• Confidence building
• First contact engagement activities, for example to provide support to engage
• individuals with barriers to accessing mainstream services in a non-threatening
• environment

Your project should target at least one of the following target groups

• Those with parental and/or carer responsibilities (lone parents being a key group)
• Those with health problems (including people with mental health issues and those on incapacity benefit)
• Disabled people
• Those from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups (including white minority ethnic groups)
• Recent migrants with the right to work
• Those aged 50+ with low or no qualifications
• Young people (19-24) not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET.