The National Federation for Youth Music’s new £1.75 million Recharge Fund, which has just one application window with a deadline of 14 January 2022, is designed to support around 40 not-for-profit organisations in England, Scotland and Wales to recover from the impact of COVID-19 so that they can continue to support children and young people aged 25 and under to make, learn or earn in music.
Grants can be used to achieve the Youth Music Recharge outcomes (see below), such as ongoing costs or testing a new project or product. Funding can be used to fund core costs, project costs, capital costs and equipment.
Applications should address the following key issues:
1. Improved capacity and capability of organisations - helping organisations grow, adapt and be more sustainable. Examples of possible activities include (please note this is not an exclusive list):
o A staff development programme to address skills gaps.
o Buying in external expertise to help develop an area of the organisation's practice. For example, digital capability, financial planning, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding, fundraising, youth participation, environmental sustainability.
o Deepening partnerships. For example, developing shared services, instigating mergers or running a collaborative project.
o Paying salary costs of core staff, including senior management, and
o Using the funding to lever in additional income, for example by trying out a new fundraising campaign.
2. Improved wellbeing of staff, freelancers, volunteers and young people - embedding good wellbeing in day-to-day working to ensure a healthy and motivated team. Examples of possible projects under this measure could include (this is not an exclusive list):
o Buying in external expertise to help to improve wellbeing practices in the organisation's work with children and young people.
o Buying in external supervision, counselling or other therapies.
o Developing evaluation practices to better capture the organisation's wellbeing impact on the children and young people it works with.
o Non-work-focused wellbeing activities such as yoga, jamming sessions, book club, paid wellbeing days, and
o Regular forums and safe spaces for staff reflection and to work through challenges.
Grants of up to £30,000 per year for a maximum period of 3 years are available with no matched funding requirement.
Grants can be used for:
o Activities to generate income.
o Capital costs.
o Communications and marketing.
o Digital development and strategy (including IT upgrades).
o Operational costs (including rent, legal and governance).
o Organisational development activity.
o Other core and development costs.
o Salaries, freelance fees or consultancy.
o Strategy and business planning, and/or
o Training.
In order to apply, eligible organisations must evidence that they meet the following criteria:
o Be able to provide a set of annual accounts and some recent 'management accounts' (ie something that demonstrates their current financial position).
o Be a not-for-profit organisation that was legally constituted on or before 1 January 2020.
o Be based in England, Scotland or Wales.
o Be committed to improving equality, diversity and inclusion within their organisation.
o Comply with all relevant UK laws in their employment and other practices.
o Have a safeguarding policy that they review regularly.
o Have a track record helping young people aged 0 to 25 who face barriers to make, learn and earn in music.
o Have a turnover in the last financial year that was less than £1million.
o Have free reserves that are not more than their annual running costs, and
o Have relevant insurances in place for the work they carry out.
Further information, guidance and details about how to apply via Youth Music’s online application portal (registration is required for new applicants) is available on the National Foundation for Youth Music’s website.
A Zoom question and answer session on the programme is scheduled for 11am on Friday 10 December 2021 for agencies interesting in applying to the programme. Places can be booked via this LINK.
The application deadline is 5pm on Friday 14 January 2022. Successful applicants are expected to be announced before the week commencing Monday 4 April 2022.
