Funding for young people

Youth Opportunity Fund/Youth Capital Fund (Cash 4 Youth)
As part of a scheme launched in 2006, the youth and connexions service are offering young people aged 13-19 the opportunity to apply for funding for projects, activites and equipment throughout the borough. Decisions on how the money is spent will also be made by young people.

Applicants can apply for anything from £500-£10,000 from the Youth Opportunity Fund to support activities, and up to £40,000 from the Youth Capital Fund to be spent on large items of equipment, refurbishment and building.

Eligible applicants
You are able to apply for funding if you fit into one or more of these categories:

young people from voluntary or community organisations/groups, which are 'not for profit', or from statutory organisations such as looked-after children
school students undertaking extracurricular activities
start-up groups of young people
young people with learning difficulties and disabilities, up to 25 years old, from any of the organisations or groups above

Assessment criteria
The application will be assessed based on the following criteria. Applicants should demonstrate that their proposal:

has been made by young people aged 13-19 years
differs from any community activity or project currently available
is suitable for all members of the community aged between 13 and 19
focuses on hard-to-reach young people and disadvantaged communities, eg young disabled people and young refugees
provides evidence that the activity is needed
will benefit young people and what specific outcomes will be achieved
is cost effective

Applicants may be called to make a presentation to the grants’ panel. Applicants should note that the giving of grant aid is at the discretion of the young people’s grants’ panel and that the fulfilment of one or more of the above criteria will not automatically ensure the panel makes a grant.

How to apply
Applications for 2008/09 have closed. Details of the application process for 2009/10 will be published early in February 2009. In the meantime, if you would like more information about Cash4Youth please contact Dave Greenwood, tel: (020) 8825 6994 or email: dgreenwood@ealing.gov.uk