The National Express Foundation is central to National Express Group's support for the wider community in which it operates in the UK. The Foundation was established following the public order disturbances in July 2011, which highlighted the issues facing young people aged 14-25 living in inner-city areas in the UK. Unemployment, boredom and lack of motivation among this group were all cited as factors. The Foundation aims to tackle these issues in two ways:

1. Providing support for students with challenging personal and financial circumstances to enable them to advance their further and higher education, and
2. The provision of grants to charitable and community groups for projects which support children and young people and promote cross-community cohesion and understanding

The objects of the charity are:

o To promote the education (including social and physical training) of persons in England and Wales in such ways as the charity trustees think fit, including by awarding to such persons scholarships, maintenance allowances or grants tenable at any university, college or institution of higher or further education.
o To advance in life and help young people by providing grants to organisations that will: (a) Provide recreational and leisure-time activities in the interest of social welfare, designed to improve their conditions of life; and/or (b) Provide support and activities which develop their skills, capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals, and
o To carry out such other charitable purposes as are in accordance with the laws of England and Wales as the trustees may determine from time to time.

The Foundation's Community Grants programme offers grants of up to £5,000 for activities that meet one or more of the following priorities::

1. Diversionary Activities - initiatives that specifically focus on engaging with young people, providing them support and deterring anti-social behaviour.
2. Employability - initiatives that directly or indirectly equip young people with the skills, experience and/or qualifications that will support them in gaining access to employment.
3. Environmental - initiatives could include (but are not limited to) encouraging young people to engage with the outdoors, activities that support the environment and involve youth groups, and/or
4. Wellbeing - initiatives that positively impact or provide support to young people through physical activity, mental health and/ or social interaction.

Project proposals should:

o Be unique to the National Express Foundation and where the Foundation is the sole funding source for the activity.
o Deliver a sustained programme of activity over a number of months.
o Ensure that anyone employed on the projects is paid a minimum of the prevailing Real Living Wage rate.
o Have a Focus on young people aged between 15 and 24 years.
o Have specific key milestones or dates that allow the Foundation to get involved with the project.
o Involve or benefit a large number of young people – consisting of a minimum of 10.
o Meet the requirement to support young people as they build out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
o Provide a clear budget breakdown.
o Provide a clear plan on how they will use social media to promote the project.
o Provide a plan for measuring the impact of the activity, and
o Show how they will seek to minimise their impact on the environment.

Funding is not available for proposals that:

o Are seeking part funding towards a larger project.
o Do not provide clear budget information.
o Do not provide evaluation or measurement for impact of the activity.
o Involve one-off activities – one day/weekend/week, and therefore lack key milestones for the project.
o Lack specific details of activities that will benefit the participants.
o Offer little opportunity for stakeholder or Foundation engagement.
o Only benefit a small number of young people – less than 10.
o Projects that are unsustainable, or
o Seek sponsorship for an event.

A 2-stage application process applies to the Foundation’s Community Grants programme, as follows:

o Stage 1 – applicants should complete the online application form on the National Express Foundation website by Tuesday 6th June 2023.
o Stage 2 - shortlisted applicants following Stage 1 will be invited to complete a Full Application form by Friday 23rd June 2023.

Awards are expected to announced in early July 2023.

Further information, guidance and an application form is available on the Foundation’s website.