New Funding Opportunities Announced by the LDA
Organisations working with refugee Londoners could soon benefit from several current and upcoming London Development Agency (LDA) funding opportunities. Applications are now open for the 2012 London Cultural Skills Fund and the London ESF Community Grants, while the LDA is preparing to launch the second round of the European Social Fund (ESF) in mid November.
The 2012 London Cultural Skills Fund
The 2012 London Cultural Skills Fund is aimed particularly at small organisations and community groups who want to contribute to the range of cultural activities taking place during the Cultural Olympiad.
The Cultural Olympiad is a series of cultural events taking place in the four year period leading up to the start of the London 2012 Games. The fund seeks projects that would work with groups not usually involved in arts or cultural projects, to explore the different cultures that exist in London. The fund is seeking applications from local third sector organisations – particularly minority-led organisations.
Applications close on November 7 at 5pm, and applicants are required to register on the CompeteFor website, which is an online brokerage service that automates the process for short listing grant recipients based on yes/no responses to questionnaires. For more information visit the LDA website.
London ESF Community Grants
Grants of up to £12,000 are also available for small voluntary and community organisations through the available through the London ESF Community Grants, which would help to engage with local communities, deliver skills and employment support activities.
The grants are aimed at projects which will support the unemployed or economically inactive. Target groups could include people with disabilities and health conditions, lone parents, ethnic minority groups experiencing disadvantage in the labour market, women, people aged over 50 or young people aged 19 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training.
Applications for the London ESF Community Grants close on November 19 at 5pm.
For more information visit the LDA website.
LDA’s European Social Fund (ESF) Programme
Round 2 of the LDA’s European Social Fund (ESF) Programme will be launched in mid-November, and will focus on sustained employment outcomes for project participants. Refugees continue to be one of the main target beneficiary groups.
There will be a 2-stage application process including an on-line Pre-Qualification Questionnaire which applicants must complete via CompeteFor, followed by the submission of full applications for short-listed applicants.
The launch of Round 2 will follow many changes in London since Round 1, including the election of a new Mayor and the publication of London’s first Skills and Employment Strategy.
To register your interest for future updates on Round 2, visit the LDA website.
[30/10/08]