The DCMS Youth Investment Fund – Phase one had a limited budget. Due to significant demand we have now closed applications to the fund early, as we indicated we may do. This fund did not have a fixed application window, with applications being assessed on a rolling basis as received. You will be unable to start a new application form.

About the DCMS Youth Investment Fund

The aim of the Youth Investment Fund (YIF) is to create, expand and improve local youth facilities and their services, in order to drive positive outcomes for young people, including improved health and wellbeing, and skills for work/employability and life.

BBC Children in Need was selected to distribute phase 1 of this funding on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Phase 1 comprises £10m for youth provision in left-behind areas of England, and is funding for small-scale capital projects, including capital equipment, small redevelopments and other capital projects that can be delivered within the 21/22 financial year (by 31 March 2022).

Please check the guidance below carefully. The requirements and eligibility for this fund are different than those of BBC Children in Need funding programmes.

This fund is only for organisations who:

• Are working with children and young people in ‘left-behind’ areas of England (please check the list here)
• Are applying for capital funding
• Are not-for-profit
• Meet the due diligence requirements for this fund

• Are working with children and young people, where the majority of the children are aged 11 to 18 years. Where young people have a special educational need, are leaving care, or who are considered ‘at risk’ or vulnerable, we may also fund up to the age of 25 years.
• Are registered with their appropriate regulatory body. We will consider applications from:
  • Charities registered with the Charities Commission
  • Not-for-profit companies (including CICs) registered with Companies House
  • Schools (where they provide activities outside of school hours and additional to the curriculum)
  • Local Authorities (where they provide youth services)
  • Uniformed organisations
  • Exempt charities
  • Sports clubs

• Grants must be spent by 31 March 2022
• We will only fund items that are purchased/paid for between the date on your grant award letter, and 31 March 2022. We will not fund any retrospective costs that are paid for before the date on your award letter
• Applications must be for a minimum of £5,000
• We expect the majority of awarded grants to be between £5,000 and £50,000. We would consider larger applications, if they can be spent by 31 March 2022
• Organisations may apply to the fund whether or not they hold a BBC Children in Need grant
• If match funding is required it must be confirmed when you submit your application
• Please note that we are unable to accept applications from individuals or for capital which will benefit a specific individual or family. This includes provision of funds to purchase items for distribution to individuals. BBC Children in Need’s Emergency Essentials programme provides grants to individual children and young people experiencing a crisis or emergency. You can find more information here.

For this fund we define capital as the costs of building improvements, buying equipment (including IT and vehicles) and furnishings. Because this funding needs to be spent by 31 March 2022, we expect applications to mainly involve purchasing equipment rather than undertaking major building work. This fund does not cover routine maintenance of assets or like-for-like replacement of existing equipment.

All applications should have shown how this funding will make a difference to children and young people’s lives.

Awarded grants may include costs for:

• Installation of Green Energy g. solar panels, heat pumps (reducing operational costs)
• Equipment to improve health and wellbeing, such as outdoor gym equipment
• IT improvements including websites, portals, platforms and new IT equipment
• Improvements that will allow greater access to service users with disabilities
• Equipment that will expand and enrich youth activities offered by existing providers, e.g. outdoor sports and activities, kitchen equipment, landscaping
• Grants for minor facility improvements to improve safeguarding and security for young people e.g. CCTV installations, Improved building security
• Purchase of vehicles or mobile units, which could be used for detached youth work or as mobile youth centres
• Changes to existing spaces, e.g. provision of music rooms, arts & crafts, I.T rooms
• Conversions of underused space into youth facilities.

Be aware that all items must be purchased and paid for by 31 March 2022 and you must retain receipts for reporting.

If you have questions regarding the fund, or how left-behind areas were chosen, please see our FAQs.

We were unable to consider applications for the following:

• Statutory costs or work which statutory bodies (such as schools or local authorities) have a duty to fund
• Work on buildings owned by a statutory organisation (e.g. schools, prisons, hospitals). Work on Local Authority-owned youth centres and youth facilities is eligible for funding.
• Work delivered outside of left behind areas of England
• Retrospective funding, where the grant expenditure is due to start before the grant award date
• Capital which will benefit a specific individual or family. This includes provision of funds to purchase items for distribution to individuals. BBC Children in Need’s Emergency Essentials programme provides grants to individual children and young people experiencing a crisis or emergency. You can find more information here.
• Costs for which you have already received funding for (duplication)
• Contributions to your reserves
• Staff redundancy or re-deployment costs
• Repayment of loans or debts
• Investments
• Pension liabilities and/or contributions to a large number of staff’s pension
• Feasibility studies or scoping work
• Projects which promote religion (However we can still fund religious organisations)
• Work taking place outside of England
• Medical treatment or research
• Pregnancy testing or advice, information or counselling on pregnancy choices
• Awareness-raising work
• Bursaries, sponsored places, fees or equivalent
• Political activity or, to party political organisations or for direct lobbying.
• Individuals
• For the grant to be passed on to other organisations
• General appeals or endowment funds
• To organisations unable to spend the funding by 31 March 2022
• To organisations unable to report on their spending by 30 April 2022
• For unspecified expenditure
• Paid-for lobbying, i.e. using grant funds to fund lobbying (via an external firm or in-house staff) in order to undertake activities intended to influence or attempt to influence Parliament, Government or political activity; or attempting to influence legislative or regulatory action
• Using grant funds to directly enable one part of government to challenge another on topics unrelated to the agreed purpose of the grant
• Using grant funding to petition for additional funding
• Expenses such as for entertaining, specifically aimed at exerting undue influence to change government policy
• Input VAT reclaimable by the grant recipient from HMRC; and payments for activities of a political or exclusively religious nature.

Please note that the Youth Investment Fund is now closed. As advised, the DCMS Youth Investment Fund – Phase one had a limited budget.

Due to significant demand we have now closed applications to the fund early, as we indicated we may do. This fund did not have a fixed application window, with applications being assessed on a rolling basis as received.

After submitting your application you will have received an email confirming that we have received it.

We will check applications against our eligibility criteria and due diligence requirements. Applications will then be assessed, and the assessment will be used to make a decision.

Once a decision has been made, you will be informed of the decision by email. We are aiming to give applicants a decision by early March.

All awarded grants must be spent by 31 March 2022.  You will be expected to report on your spending. The report will be sent to you via your online account and must be submitted by 30 April 2022. Please note that we will require you to provide receipts for all costs, payments and expenditure. Receipts must be dated between the date on your grant award letter, and Thursday 31 March 2022.

We are aiming to give applicants a decision by early March.

We will email you to tell you whether your application has been successful.  This email will give you more information on what happens next. It will also give you the terms and conditions of your grant.

We’re committed to being as accessible as possible, wherever we can. If you need help please contact us on 0330 1230132 or by emailing [email protected]. This help might include arranging a translator or requesting guidance in other formats.

If you have questions regarding the fund or on how the left-behind areas were chosen, please see our FAQs.

If you have any questions, please contact us on 0330 1230132 or by emailing [email protected]