Applying for Funding from the Youth Service Transition Fund

1. Background

In response to the concerns raised by stakeholders regarding; the scale of the savings proposed to the budget and the perceived short timescale for change. Cabinet has agreed a transitional fund of £450K to be used to support voluntary and community organisations to prepare for the changes that are being proposed. The fund will be one off funding and will be available over for three years. (2018/19 – 2020/21).

2. Eligibility

Voluntary and community organisations or individuals who are current providers and potential new providers (both consortia or individuals) are eligible to seek funding. Organisations/individuals must be based locally in the borough of Hounslow and provide a service to Hounslow young people and their families.

3. Criteria to govern the allocation of resources from the Transition Fund

Funding will be allocated if a proposal submitted, seeking funding, meets at least one of the following criteria.

• Sustainability – the proposal specifically identifies actions and activities that will support the ongoing continuation of a service and or project.
• Skill development – the proposal addresses a skill gap which if addressed will support the continuation of the services
• Governance arrangements – the proposal supports organisations to establish good governance, constitutions and management arrangements which will support them in seeking external funding
• Funding of a Temporary role – the proposal suggests a temporary role that will add capacity and is required as the organisation adjusts to a reduction in funding

 The following are examples of scenarios that would be considered for funding based on above criteria and eligibility.
Example 1– A current provider is intending to seek external funding to enable them to continue to provide their current service. However, the timescales for making an application for external funding would mean a gap in service – they have decided to apply to the transition fund for funding to enable the service to continue for a further 6 months whilst the external funding is agreed.  (Criteria 1)
Example 2 -  A small project which currently receives funding from the Council will no longer receive funding when the savings are implemented. The project must cease. However, with support, the organisation will be able to develop the governance of the project and make an application to register for examples as either a charity or a community interest company (CIC).  The project applied for funding to provide resources to support the registration and to pay the workers to continue delivering the project whilst bids for external funding were completed. (Criteria 2 and 3)
Example 3 – An organisation makes a successful bid for one of the Youth Service lots that are included within the procurement exercise. However, the organisation is clear that for a short period they will require additional management/supervisory capacity to develop a quality assurance framework for the service in relation to practice and case management.  The organisation makes a bid for a temporary post that will address the above gap whilst staff undergo training and new policies are embedded.  (Criteria 2 and 4)
Example 4 – A small organisation which provides youth activity on an estate feels that the time is right to expand activity by increasing the number of sessions they provide. They are confident that they will receive funding from the ‘Royal Trust’   who has asked for them to demonstrate match funding from elsewhere in the first year.  They were previously funded from the youth service budget but as funding is to cease they now have a short fall. They decide to apply to the transition fund for temporary funding to cover the shortfall which will be made up by the funding they are about to receive from the Royal Trust.   (Criteria 1 and 4)

4. Funding and Monitoring

At the outset of the decision process it will be clear why the funding is being provided and what outcome is expected.
Funding will be capped at a maximum of £80K per bid per annum.
Timescales for action will be agreed before funding is released and based on individual bids
The profile for the release of funding will be linked to the timescale for action as agreed above.
The use of funding will be monitored by colleagues in Commissioning and the Grants teams.
 

5. Applications for funding

To make a bid for funding from the Transitional Fund please complete the proforma below (section 6) and return the completed to the following email address EIS_Review@hounslow.gov.uk

1. Applications for funding from 01 October 2018 should be made by the 30^th June 2018
2. Applications for funding for funding in year 2 and year 3 should be made by the 24^th August 2018

 
Bids will be considered by panel of officers and decisions will be communicated to applicants within 21 days
For more information and to see the application form click here