Who We Are Able to Support 

This programme is able to consider applications from:

• Registered Charities
• Constituted community or voluntary groups
• Social Enterprises
• Any other voluntary, not for profit organisation
• Parish Councils are eligible to apply to develop and deliver new or additional activities, services and events.

Organisations would ideally be established for at least 12 months; new organisations would only be eligible following a discussion with the Community Foundation.

Projects We Can Support 

Your project will need aim to:

• Give people the right support, at the right time and in the right place so they can live healthier, happier, more independent lives.
• Build safer and more connected communities

We are seeking to support activities that will work with and around the individual resettlement and integration journeys that each guest will take during their initial years in Staffordshire

Staffordshire County Council is looking for activities, events and local services with an evidenced need which will help guests in the resettlement scheme to settle, become independent and fully integrate into their local communities. Applications should address identified gaps in services and support for guests that should include at least one of the following:

Priority Areas
The panel encourage applications to consider the following areas. Projects awarded funds will not be limited to these areas as innovative projects are also welcomed and will be considered.

Priority 1 – English language learning

• Learner focussed informal Pre – Entry/Beginner and Intermediate level sessions both face to face and digital that enable participants to have basic English knowledge to navigate every day tasks such as booking a GP appointment, shopping, travel, liaise with school and the DWP.
• Higher level English projects that support C1 or C2 CEFR framework / Level 2 levels to be proficient at English in all areas. Support for IELTS / OET professional tests.
• Practical days out to practice English in local shops and cafes, navigate travel options, socialise in the group while speaking English.
• 1:1 peripatetic English Language Learning sessions for individuals who find group learning and using IT challenging. These would be time limited as a step into group learning.
• English Language Learning for specific job roles/pathway to employment including but not limited to Health & Care, Construction, Education & Child Care, Business Admin, Retail, Hospitality, IT, warehousing, and classroom assistant.
• Activities that include informal English Language learning for Children & Young People up to 19 years of age to supplement formal education after school, weekend or non-term times.
• Informal Pre – Entry/Beginner and Intermediate level sessions both face to face and digital for children and young people. 16 to 18 year age group has a particular need to enhance their formal learning.

Priority 2 – Pathway to employment and training

• Pathway to Employment programmes both face to face and digital that includes all areas of support for individuals to find employment, including CV writing, job searching, interview practice, mentorship schemes, volunteering opportunities, links with local employers, careers advice, progress a chosen career path, secure training and access to further education or university courses.
• Support for Business Start Ups.
• Support to develop digital literacy, IT knowledge and skills.
• Specific training courses such as HGV, Security, Forklift Truck, Warehouse training, CSCS, Business Admin, Food Hygiene, H&S in construction, Manual Handling, Asbestos awareness and traffic marshalling.

Priority 3 – Community cohesion, independence and integration for adults and children including awareness raising, social connections and events.

• Community, social and/or cultural integration including providing funds to existing projects to enhance the offer to support resettled families attending.
• Children’s or young person’s activities to enhance local offers.
• Role of women within households to ensure independence and avoid isolation.
• Engagement in local arts & culture
• Support understanding of “Life in the UK”
• Projects where resettled Individuals and groups are actively involved to run them themselves.
• Sustainable projects that have plans to continue once this grant funding ceases.

Priority 4 -Improve guests’ physical health, emotional, health and wellbeing.

• Improved emotional health & wellbeing in a creative way.
• Improved physical health to include active activities and healthy life choices for adults and children
• Support for positive parenting

All applicants will need to indicate how they will engage and ensure participation of resettled Ukrainian guests, hosts or resettled Afghans within their proposals or BNO Hong Kong families and individuals.

Beneficiaries

• Guests who have settled through the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship scheme
• Individuals and families who have settled through the Afghan schemes (ARAP, ACRS and ARP)
• Individuals and families who have settled through BNO Hong Kong scheme.
• Guests residing in the 8 Staffordshire Districts.
• The fund cannot support guests residing in Stoke on Trent or outside Staffordshire. The fund cannot support Ukrainians who are in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme or the Ukraine Extension Scheme.
• Homes for Ukraine sponsors, residing in the 8 Staffordshire Districts in order for them to provide support to their Ukrainian guests.
• Any new Home Office resettlement scheme groups that may come online during the grant delivery period and settle in Staffordshire where Staffordshire County Council is providing support.
• Providers must ensure that attendees meet the eligibility criteria shown above

Throughout the delivery of the programme, applications will be assessed against current data relating to placed Ukrainians, Afghans and Hong Kong people living in Staffordshire. Proportionate funding will be awarded using these figures as a guide.

Please see the below information regarding numbers of individuals on the different resettlement schemes. These include all those who are no longer receiving direct support from Staffordshire County Council Resettlement Team but can still access the grant scheme offers.

Eligible Costs

• Equipment costs – for the project
• Training costs
• Project Costs
• Event Costs
• Staff costs to deliver the project
• Core costs – relating to the project
• Costs of providing the evaluation of the project

Ineligible Costs

Funding will not be granted to offset any previous loss in funding. The focus is to facilitate innovation through funding that enables long term improvements for the refugee communities.

There are some types of activities which SCC cannot support. These include:

• Projects which are purely about research
• Costs of ongoing staff who are not working directly on the project – including salaries of permanent or fixed term staff
• Costs incurred in putting the application together
• Core costs of the organisation – (utility bills; rent; management costs etc.) which are not directly related to the project activity
• Contingency costs e.g. funds to provide a source of income or for fundraising activities
• Projects that take place outside of the 8 Staffordshire Districts.
• VAT that you can recover
• Loans or interest payments.
• Purchase of alcohol or illegal substances
• Grants for equipment which your organisation will keep and use after the project has finished– for example, cameras, computers, furniture and fittings for venues, vehicles – or for, constructing, repairing or maintaining a building
• Fundraising activities, events or prizes – e.g. activities which are put on only to raise general money for your organisation – for example a charity auction or raffle
• Projects that include using SCC funds as bursaries to participants or to issue grants to third parties
• Funding towards religious projects or projects that promote religion. Projects delivered by faith-based organisations will be considered, as long as the services they provide are available to people or all faiths or no faith
• Political campaigning activities specific to any one party, including participation in political demonstrations, support of a political party, or the issuing of material which supports or opposes a particular party or government
• Statutory bodies or provision, including towards the provision of core statutory services or services that carry out a statutory responsibility
• Retrospective funding, where the project has already occurred or for goods and services which have already been ordered or purchased prior to funding being approved

Grants Available

Priority 1 & 2 – English language learning and Pathways to Employment 
Grants of between £1,000 – £20,000 are available

Priority 3 & 4
Grants of between £1,000 to £10,000 are available.

Grants will need to be fully spent and delivery complete by 16th March 2027.

Monitoring Information

Project Evaluation
Successful organisations will be expected to closely monitor the delivery and success of the project throughout the grant period to ensure that aims and objectives of the project are being met.
Successful organisations will be required to complete a project monitoring form supplied, both during the grant period and at the end of the project that will include outputs and outcomes achieved.
Staffordshire County Council and Community Foundation may visit any project during the delivery period. Priority 1 and 2 projects with awards above £20,000 will be expected to meet with Staffordshire County Council and Community Foundation periodically to review delivery.

Please be aware that details of all the successful projects will be shared on our web site, including project details, contact details and area the project will be taking place in.

1. What will you do during your project / activity? Including information as to what delivery will look like, days, times, platform etc 
2. What need or disadvantage are you trying to address? Who are you supporting? 
3. How will your project improve the lives of the people that engage with it?
4. If you receive funding, what will happen after the funding ends?
5. How does your proposed project meet the aims of the fund as set out in the criteria? Which priority aim are you focusing on? 
6. Have your potential beneficiaries been engaged in the design of the project or activity? How do you know they want it?
7. How will you measure the impact of your project or activity?
8. Have you managed similar projects before? What was the impact of your work?

3) You will be asked beneficiary data, including target numbers (please be realistic with this as we will expect monitoring to reflect support)

4) Finally, you will be asked to provide a full budget breakdown to show how you will spend the grant

Documents You Need to Send Us

The following documents must be provided with you application. If you fail to provide these documents, your application will not be considered. All documents should be submitted at the time of application.

• A copy of your governing document; aligning with your work, which must have a dissolution clause to protect any grant award in the event or closure.
• A copy of your most recent accounts; audited or independently examined- if your organisation is not required to have these, a income and expenditure record or financial forecast will be acceptable.
• A recent bank statement; this must be in the name of the group applying, dated within the last 3 months and clearly showing the account number and sort code. Partnership working with another organisation who can act as treasurer can be considered for those groups without a bank account.
• A copy of your safeguarding policy
• A copy of your equality and diversity / equal opportunities policy
• A copy of your Public Liability Insurance document

During the assessment stage, we carry out due diligence checks to ensure all submitted documents meet the legal requirements for grant giving. It is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their submitted documents meet these requirements

Submission Dates

Applications for funding below £20,000 from Priorities 1 & 2, and for Priorities 3 & 4 will be assessed by monthly panels until all funding has been awarded.