Skills & Opportunities Fund: Supporting Disadvantaged Community across UK, To be opened on 19 August 2016

The Skills & Opportunities Fund invites applications from the charities, social enterprises, community groups, state-funded schools and colleges, to contribute to the community across UK and Ireland.

The focus for this funding is to support organisations that help people in disadvantaged communities develop, create or access the skills and opportunities they need to help themselves; skills that will enable them to get into work or start a business, now or in the future.

Funds Available

Grants up to a maximum of £35,000 can be applied for.

Eligibility Criteria

Organisation must:

• be a not-for-profit organisation or an eligible state-funded education body e.g. charity, social enterprise, community group, school, college.
• be based in either the UK or Republic of Ireland.
• be able to demonstrate experience of working in and/or with disadvantaged communities.
• be able to demonstrate experience in measuring the impact of your projects.
• have a turnover of less than £5 million or be a state-funded school or college.
• have been trading for at least 2 years (we can accept applications from schools who have been trading for less than 2 years).

Project must:

• have a strong track record of delivering the project activities promised.
• be able to meet the priorities set for the region in which your project will be delivered.
• focus on one or more of the following themes: employability, education or enterprise.
• not require Skills & Opportunities grant funding of more than 20% of your organisation’s turnover.

For information regarding applications and more, please visit Skills & Opportunities Fund.