Sustainable Steps Wales - Green Careers

FundingFunding Opportunity
Written By Kris Rees

We want to help young people (aged between 16 and 30) in Wales into green careers. By green careers, we mean careers that reduce carbon emissions, restore nature and help us adapt to our changing climate.

Examples of green careers could be anything from an administrative assistant for an environmental consultant, to a cook at a zero waste café, or a trainee engineer for a renewable energy company.

We’re looking for projects that help young people:

  • develop their confidence

  • teach them new skills – this could include social and technical skills

  • get work experience and placements which could lead to longer-term opportunities.

We want to fund projects that focus on supporting young people with disabilities and/or young people from ethnically minoritised communities. Our aim is to encourage diversity in green careers by giving a helping hand to these underrepresented groups.

To get funding, you must want to work in a partnership. We can help you connect with other interested organisations.

Area
Wales

Suitable for
Partnerships

Funding size
£20,001 up to around £3,000,000. Projects should be around 5 years.

Total available
£10 million

Application deadline
You must send us an expression of interest form by 5pm on Tuesday 30 April 2024.

Who can apply

You must work in a partnership

We’ll only fund projects where a partnership of organisations works together to plan and deliver a project.

Collectively, your partnership will have the right expertise and experience to prepare and support young people for green careers. This includes helping them to develop confidence and emotional skills, gain work experience and work placements.

Relevant organisations may include those that are:

  • user-led or specialise in supporting young people with disabilities or young people from ethnically minoritised communities

  • specialists in employment work placements

  • specialists in skills development and training. This could include formal qualifications and support with developing their confidence and emotional wellbeing

  • employers that offer green jobs

  • well-connected with the community with other services and employers

  • working in the green economy and have specialist knowledge

  • able to undertake research and evaluate your project

  • experienced in marketing, communications, policy making and influencing

  • provide specialist services which would complement or support your project such as mental health services, housing and probation.

Partner organisations are welcome from all sectors and can be organisations that work locally, regionally or across Wales.

The lead organisation, who submits the application on behalf of the partnership, must be a UK-based:

  • registered charity

  • voluntary or community organisation

  • charitable incorporated organisation (CIO)

  • co-operative society (if it has a not-for-profit clause)

  • company limited by guarantee (if it has a not-for-profit clause)

  • community interest company (CIC)

  • community benefit society.

If we decide to fund your project, the lead organisation will ensure the project and its partners meet our terms and conditions of grant. The lead organisation will give us progress updates, liaise with us over any issues related to the project and receive payment on behalf of the partnership.

You must use a partnership agreement

We ask for partnership agreements from those that will help manage the project or use our grant to deliver the project.

You can use our partnership agreement template.

You must also tell us about other organisations who may be involved in other ways such as organisations that you can refer or accept referrals from.

You need at least 3 board or committee members who are aged 18 years or over and are not related

Related can mean:

  • related by marriage

  • in a civil partnership with each other

  • in a long-term relationship with each other

  • related through a long term partner

  • living together at the same address

  • related by blood.

All companies that apply must have at least three directors who are not related in any of these ways.  This applies to companies that are also registered as charities. 

Who cannot apply

We cannot accept applications when the lead applicant is:

  • an individual or sole trader ​

  • a profit-making group

  • applying on behalf of another organisation

  • an organisation not established in the UK.

Eligible expenditure

We’re offering a development grant so that you can develop your idea further.

We want to fund well-considered, high-quality support for young people over several years. And we think applicants will need time to consider the most effective way to deliver that.

You can apply for from £300 up to £25,000 to develop your full application.

This funding might cover things like:

  • staff time

  • more engagement sessions with young people and others in the community

  • hosting partnership meetings.

We’ll pay you in advance, after you have accepted our terms and conditions.

You do not have to request a development grant but we recommend that you do so. You will have to complete an expression of interest form even if you do not request a development grant.

What project costs we can fund (stage 2)

We can fund projects that will run for around 5 years. We can fund part of your project or all of your project. We welcome a variety of applications which may vary in the number of young people to support, geographical area and amount requested.

If your partnership is invited to apply to stage two we’ll ask you to tell us your project costs. These costs may include:

  • young people’s training or work placement costs – we encourage all organisations to pay the real living wage

  • expenses for young people to get to and from workplace or training and items of clothing which are not normally provided by the employer

  • training for staff and employers

  • paying for project staff such as job coach support

  • overhead costs

  • software and website infrastructure

  • marketing and communications

  • small items of equipment, such as computers

  • monitoring and evaluation costs

  • Welsh language translation

  • professional and legal fees

  • electric vehicles - check our electric vehicle guidance for more information.

Funding may be available for some costs through the Access to Work scheme

The Access to Work Scheme may be able to offer specific support for some young people’s work placements. In this case, we would expect the young person to apply to that scheme for funding first, with assistance from the employer or job coach. If their request is rejected or more in-depth support is required, we may consider funding it. Advice is available here on the UK Government Access to Work website.

We cannot fund:​ 

  • costs for supporting young people that are already participating in other employment programmes

  • alcohol​ 

  • profit-making  

  • recoverable VAT​ 

  • activities that replace government funding​. Before you apply, you should research what support is already available.

  • political or religious activities​ 

  • paying someone else to write your application.

How to apply

There are two application stages

  • Stage one: submit an expression of interest form which tells us about your project. In this form you can request from £300 up to £25,000 for a development grant to help you explore your idea with your partners.

  • Stage two: the full application where you can apply for up to around £3,000,000.

To apply you should:

1. Find out if this funding is right for you

You can watch the video briefing.

In-person briefing event details

2. Contact us to apply, or if you have questions

You can:

What happens when you get in contact with us to apply

We’ll arrange a time to discuss your idea in more detail. We’ll also give you an expression of interest form that you can use to apply.

What we'll ask in your expression of interest form

You can see a full list of questions in the expression of interest form.

If it's difficult or impossible for you to complete an application form

You can contact us if you have any communication support needs. We’re happy to talk about other ways for you to tell us about your idea.

What we’re looking for in your expression of interest form

On your expression of interest form, you must show that you have:

  • established a partnership that has strong connections in the community that you plan to work in

  • a partnership which has the experience to help young people in your community get into green careers

  • a project idea that strongly meets our programme outcomes. You can find more information about how to write your outcomes on our additional advice page.

  • strong evidence that this project complements existing and future services and is filling a gap

  • already engaged with young people from our target groups as well as their families, and other service providers.

You can ask for a development grant from £300 up to £25,000 in your expression of interest form

If you’re invited to the next stage, this grant will help you explore your ideas further with your partners.

The closing date for submitting your expression of interest form is 5pm on Tuesday 30 April 2024.

After we receive your expression of interest form we’ll:

  • email you to let you know we’ve received it

  • review it and may be in touch to discuss your idea in more detail

  • do our security checks - you can find out more about the checks we do

  • aim to tell you if you’ve been put through to the next stage by Wednesday 31 July 2024.

  • If we invite you to stage two, we’ll ask you to give us more information

The second stage application is made up of:

  • an application form – this tells us about your organisation

  • a project plan – this tells us about your proposal and how you’ll manage and deliver it. We’ll provide additional advice if you’re invited to the next stage

  • a project budget – this tells us how much your project will cost and how much you want us to fund

  • your organisation’s annual accounts (or a 12-month projection for new organisations)

  • a draft partnership agreement – you may have more than one agreement.

If you’re not a charity you may also need to send us:

  • your organisation’s governing document. You do not need to provide the governing document for your partners.

You must spend your development grant and send us your stage two application form by 5pm on Tuesday 14 January 2025.

We’ll email our decision about your application by Monday 31 March 2025

If you're unsuccessful, we'll tell you why.

Useful links

https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/sustainable-steps-wales-green-careers 

Kris Rees https://www.reactmedia.co.uk
Previous

The Golsoncott Foundation
Next

Fit-For-Future Facilities Programme