[WiLT] Children, Young People and Families Grant Programme - deadline 1st October 2007

[WiL Admin]

Children, Young People and Families Grant Programme

Funding area: England
Next Application Deadline: 01/10/2007

The Children, Young People and Families Grant Programme is a national
grant programme managed by the Department for Children, Schools and
Families (DCSF - formerly the Department for Education and Skills) to
fund work to improve outcomes for children, young people, and families
(parenting and couple relationships) in England. The programme funds
voluntary organisations doing work of national significance that
supports the Government's Every Child Matters: Change for Children
programme. The Every Child Matters outcomes are: ensuring children and
young people stay safe; are healthy; enjoy and achieve; make a
positive contribution; and achieve economic well being. The programme
is open to charities and other non-profit-making organisations set up
and run on similar lines to a charity.

The total fund value of £11m is substantially more than was available
for 2007-08 (£3.3m). The amount of funding available in each year
depends upon the number of grants expiring under the five previous
grant schemes that were incorporated into the CYPF programme in 2005.

The large majority of the funding for this round will be allocated as
strategic grants.

The Children, Young People and Families Grant Programme supports work
of national significance that contributes to ensuring children and
young people stay safe, are healthy, enjoy and achieve, make a
positive contribution and achieve economic wellbeing. These outcomes
are embedded in the Children Act 2004 and the Every Child Matters:
Change for Children programme.

DCSF's aims for the grant programme are that voluntary and community
organisations:
* improve the quality of the services they provide;
* share learning about what works in achieving positive outcomes for
children, young people and families;
* work in partnership to contribute to the achievement of outcomes for
children, young people and families;
* are aware of public policy and other significant developments
affecting the environment in which they deliver services;
* develop greater capacity to engage with policy development and with
the strategic planning of public services;
* can access good quality infrastructure provision.

Two types of funding are available:

** Strategic grants support the core operational activities of
organisations that make a significant contribution to achieving the
grant programme's aims. Strategic grants must have national
significance, meaning they operate across three or more Government
Office regions in England, and have the potential to be replicated
elsewhere.

For this round, the department is particularly interested in
supporting national voluntary youth organisations that work with local
voluntary organisations which the department would otherwise be unable
to reach. Strategic grants are also intended to help voluntary
organisations make a stronger contribution to the local delivery of
services through Children's Trusts, although grants will not normally
fund service delivery directly. Strategic grants are available for:
* capacity building activities - building systems, people and skills;
* networking support - playing a coordinating, representative or
policy development role;
* specialist services - services for a specific client group, such as
children with disabilities or Black and Minority Ethnic children.

** Project grants are for innovative one-off activities, which develop
knowledge about how to improve outcomes for disadvantaged and minority
ethnic children, young people and families (parenting and couple
relationships) whose access to services is limited. Project grants
support innovative approaches to service delivery that have national
significance - projects must cover two or more Government Office
regions in England and be capable of replication across the country.
Project grants will be awarded for up to one year.

More detailed descriptions of Strategic and Project grants can be
found in the CYPF Grant Application Guidance, which can be downloaded
by using the link at the bottom of this page.

The CYPF programme brings together five existing grant programmes
managed by the DCSF. These are:
* Children and Young People's Consultation Fund;
* National Voluntary Youth Organisations Grant Scheme;
* Safeguarding Children and Supporting Families grants;
* Strengthening Families Grant;
* Sure Start VCS grants.

The CYPF only funds activities of national significance. Activities
whose impact is limited to a local area are more appropriately funded
through children's trusts. Children's trusts will be looking to
develop a market of local providers who can add value to the delivery
of public services in improving outcomes for children and young
people. Strong and diverse voluntary and community sectors will be a
key aspect of this. DCSF is committed both to removing ringfences and
to devolving funding for local service delivery to local authorities
to be deployed through children's trusts.

Propective applicants should also note that:
* strategic funding is for projects which operate in three or more
Government Office regions in England and have the potential to be
replicated elsewhere;
* project grants are not available for activities taking place within
fewer than two Government Office regions in England.

If the organisation is a branch of a federated structure, applications
must be submitted by the headquarters or central office of the
federation.

Partnership applications can be funded, if the lead partner meets the
eligibility criteria. Partnership bids that support the programme's
aim of building capacity for less established or less experienced
organisations are welcomed.

Application Procedure:

This funding round continues with the two-stage application process
introduced last year. Applicants must first complete and submit an
Expression of Interest form by Monday 1 October 2007, via email to
cypfgrant.programme at dcsf.gsi.gov.uk . This form can be downloaded via
the link at the bottom of this page.

Expression of interest forms will be assessed and successful
applicants at this stage will be informed by the end of October 2007.
The more detailed second-stage form must be submitted by Friday 14
December 2007.

All applicants should refer to the CYPF Grant Application Guidance and
FAQs, which can be downloaded from the Documents and Links section at
the bottom of this page.

Contact Information:
* CYPF Grant Programme, Department for Education and Skills, Area 2S,
Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT
* cypfgrant.programme at dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

For the full description of this grant, including Restrictions, Key
Criteria and Eligible Expenditure, as well as related documents and
links eg:
* CYPF Grant Awards 2006/07
* CYPF Grant Awards 2007/08
* CYPF Expression of Interest Form 2008/09
* CYPF Frequently Asked Questions
* CYPF Grant Application Guidance 2008/09

Go to
http://www.governmentfunding.org.uk/VCSSearch.aspx?WCI=htmSchemeView&WCU=DSCODE=DSCLIVEGF,SCHEMEID=12-S74,SEARCH=DS=DSCLIVEGF

Posted on WiLT blog at
http://www.freecharity.org.uk/~womeninlondon/?p=386