Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Programme: Year 4 VCSE Funding (2024/2025)
Information on the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Welcome Programme Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Year 4 funding (2024/2025).
Prospectus
In the 4th year of the Welcome Programme, DLUHC is inviting organisations to bid for the VCSE grant scheme, worth circa £1 million, to deliver projects focusing on the two priority areas of (a) employability and (b) mental health and wellbeing. There will no longer be funding for regional VCSE projects as we are targeting the funding of the Programme to support BN(O)s in line with current needs identified through ongoing delivery and funded research.
The grants will help BN(O)s to thrive in their new lives in the UK – helping them to get jobs that match their skills so that they can prosper and get help with mental health and wellbeing to give them the confidence to be part of their communities.
The total funding for the VCSE grant is up to circa £1 million. In total, two grants will be awarded to support two projects. The department expects to fund one organisation/consortium for each grant. The grants break down as follows:
- Grant 1: Employability - up to £650,000.
- Grant 2: Mental health and wellbeing - up to £310,000.
Events
The department will be hosting an event on Wednesday 3 April and Wednesday 10 April 2024 to discuss the VCSE Grant Scheme competition for 2024/2025. This will provide an opportunity for organisations interested in applying to hear more about the grant scheme and the application process.
Deadline
The deadline to apply for the VCSE Grant Scheme competition (2024/2025) will be Sunday 28 April 2024.
Hong Kong BN(O) Welcome Programme: Q&A about the VCSE Competition 24/25
Do we need to work as part of a consortium?
There is no requirement to work as part of a consortium if you feel that your organisation can meet all the necessary delivery requirements as laid out in the prospectus.
We have suggested consortium working is an option if an organisation is not able to deliver all aspects of the project independently, and working with another organisation could potentially bring the necessary skills and experience to the project.
Why are you only allowing one organisation to be a lead applicant on one grant?
As we will only be funding two projects this year, each with a specific focus, we want to ensure that we support a range of applicants who can demonstrate the ability to deliver in these very specialist areas.
We consider that it would be beneficial from an administrative efficiency and delivery perspective to keep each project separate and each with its own specific focus. There are additional benefits of supporting more than one organisation and not being reliant on a single lead organisation for both projects.
However, an organisation could be involved in both projects as a consortium member, but not be the lead applicant on both.
When will you pay the grant?
As the grants are of higher value this year, we would look to pay the grant in instalments:
[50]% on signing of grant funding agreement,
[25]% following submission of first progress report (envisaged Sept/Oct),
[25]% following submission of second progress report (envisaged Jan).
What is the application process for the schemes?
Applicants should apply via the digital form on Citizen Space which is available through the following link:
Applicants should follow the process outlined in the prospectus, which includes guidance about how to complete the application form.
Please note that we will not accept applications or further supporting information via email.
What is the deadline for the schemes?
The deadline to apply for the grant is 11:59pm on Sunday 28 April 2024.
Can my organisation still apply if it was provided with funding previously through the Regional VCSE grant scheme?
Yes. You can still apply for the VCSE funding. The competition is open to any organisation that meets the eligibility criteria set out in the prospectus.
Can my organisation apply if it was unsuccessful in previous competitions for funding?
Yes. The competition is open to any organisation that meets the eligibility criteria set out in the prospectus.
Can my organisation send in supplementary information or documents to support our application?
No. We will not be able to consider any supplementary information. This is to ensure we run a fair and transparent process for all applicants. We will only score applications based on information provided in the application form.
Further information about this is provided in part 7 of the prospectus: ‘guidance for completing the application form’.
Which type of organisations can apply for the funding?
A list of eligible organisations is provided within the prospectus.
Will there still be funding available for regional grants through the Welcome Hub?
Regional support for BN(O)s will continue over the fourth year to be coordinated and facilitated by Welcome Hubs, who are best placed to understand local need and infrastructure.
This Welcome Hub funding is in addition to continuing to provide demand-led funding for local authorities in England for English language and destitution support.
Does my organisation need to provide 2 years of financial accounts in order to apply for the grant?
The requirement to provide 2 years of financial accounts is applicable to community groups.
This is due to community groups not being required to register the formation of the group and will enable the government to carry out the necessary financial and due diligence checks on all applicants.
The requirement to provide annual accounts for the last 2 financial years is applicable only to community groups.
As community groups are unincorporated, this information will allow us to carry out the necessary financial and due diligence checks on all applicants that we are required to undertake.
How are you going to ensure that the grants are given to organisations that are safe spaces for BN(O) status holders?
DLUHC is fully aware of the potential sensitivities with regard to Hong Kong BN(O)s and will undertake robust due diligence procedures prior to awarding Welcome Programme funding to any organisation, and any consortium partners. This includes assessing the appropriateness and suitability of potential grant recipients, and their ability to deliver the support required.
Do organisations have to comply with UK GDPR and/or data protection legislation?
All organisations must comply with all data protection requirements. Organisations will be asked to confirm their compliance as part of the application process. Compliance with UK GDPR and/or data protection legislation are also a core part of all grant funding agreements offered by DLUHC.
How are you intending to monitor and evaluate reach of the projects?
Monitoring: each project will be expected to provide quarterly reports to DLUHC. The reporting forms will be provided by DLUHC and will ask for organisations to provide both qualitative and quantitative updates on their project progress.
Evaluation: each funded project will be expected to complete an evaluation at the end of the delivery period. DLUHC will provide a template for completion.
Successful organisations will also be asked to produce a statement of grant usage, alongside an independent accountant report upon completion of the grant period.
Can I use the grant funding to support the requirement to submit an independent accountant report?
Yes. You can use grant funding to support this process at reasonable market rates.
Will funding be available beyond March 2025?
The funding for the VCSE grant scheme is available to 31 March 2025.
Can this funding be used to support individuals with English language needs?
Within the 2024/25 VCSE grant there will be a requirement for English language to be an element within the employment-focused project to support BN(O)s in engaging in the workplace. This will complement the funding that DLUHC provides to local authorities in England for the provision of English language support.
Will you be running any promotional events so that organisations interested in bidding can find out more about the scheme?
Yes, DLUHC is planning to run an event on Wednesday 3 April and Wednesday 10 April 2024 to talk about the VCSE grant scheme in more detail.
We encourage those organisations that want to apply for the funding to attend one of these event.
You can apply to attend the event by emailing HKVCSEgrant@levellingup.gov.uk
Will there be an opportunity to ask any questions at the events?
Whilst we may not be able to answer all the queries during the event, DLUHC will be posting an updated Q&A after the promotional events have occurred.
Why is the grant scheme for England only?
The VCSE grants are providing employability and mental health and wellbeing support. These are devolved competencies.
We will continue to work with the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as we seek to support BN(O)s to settle in the UK. This includes sharing our plans for the VCSE scheme.
Why are you not running a Regional VCSE grant scheme?
The government is proud of what has been achieved since the Programme started in 2021. We have seen strong growth in the Hong Kong community sector in the UK, which has come together alongside other groups to offer a range of services, providing over an estimated 170,000 instances of support for BN(O)s and their families since 2021.
We are pleased that these community groups are coming together to form collaborative networks and a space in which BN(O)s feel safe to seek support, and we are grateful for all their work and achievements to date.
It was always the government’s intention that VCSE groups would become more self-sufficient. As a result, the government will no longer be funding regional VCSE projects.
Instead, over the 4th year we are focusing grant funding on projects which will target need in the priority areas of a) employability and b) mental health and wellbeing. This is based on evidence of need identified through ongoing delivery and funded research.