BBC Children in Need: Youth Social Action Fund – deadline 23 May 2022

Article date
30 March 2022
Primary interest
Voluntary sector

In partnership with the #iwill Fund and The Hunter Foundation, BBC Children in Need is delivering a £3 million fund to support organisations to embed youth social action across the UK.

This fund will help to build children and young people’s confidence and skills, empowering them to take an active and leading role in developing solutions to issues which affect their lives and their communities.

What are the funder priorities?

This funding will support organisations to bring social action and youth empowerment opportunities to children and young people, to help prevent or overcome the effects of the disadvantages they face. They especially want to reach:

  • organisations who focus on addressing issues of disadvantage affecting children and young people
  • children and young people who have some experience of social action and want to develop their skills and experience to do more.
  • children and young people who have no experience of social action work at all but want to find out what it is all about.
  • The Youth Social Action Fund is for children and young people aged 18 and under.
Who is eligible to apply?

For this fund, applications are accepted from:

  • Charitable incorporated organisations and Scottish charitable incorporated organisations;
  • Community interest companies (CIC) limited by guarantee;
  • Companies limited by guarantee with a clause in their governing document preventing distribution of profit (including social enterprises);
  • Housing associations;
  • Industrial and provident community benefit societies;
  • Registered charities;
  • Religious institutions;
  • Special schools – These are provisions for children with learning difficulties or disabilities which cannot be met within a mainstream setting,
  • Unregistered Organisations. If you are not registered with an appropriate regulatory body you are an unregistered organisation.
How much can you apply for?

Up to £15k for unregistered organisations and up to £50k for registered bodies:

  • If you are not registered with an appropriate regulatory body, you can apply for up to £10k per year or £15k over the 18 months.
    • An appropriate body includes the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, and OSCR -The Office of the Scottish Charity.
    • If you are a Company limited by Guarantee or a Community Interest Company, you must have registered with Companies House.
  • If you are registered you can apply for up to £50k over the 18 months.
How to apply?
  • To apply to this fund, you must sign up for a one hour information session.
  • If you cannot make a session, they will send you the link to a recorded session. They are only making application forms available to organisations who have attended an information session or have received a recorded session.
  • Sign up for an information session here.
  • An optional workshop will be delivered focusing on Youth Social Action and how to engage children and young people more meaningfully in your work. If you would like to sign up for this workshop, please click here. Youth Social Action workshops will take place on the following dates:
    • 26 April, 4.30pm
    • 28 April, 4.30pm
    • 7 May, 10:30am
Is there a deadline?

This fund is now open. Information sessions will take place on the following dates:

    • 5 April 10am
    • 6 April 2.30pm
    • 7 April 5.30pm
    • 8 April 9.30am
    • 11 April 12pm
  • Registration for the Information Sessions will close on Friday 8 April at 5pm.
  • Application forms will be sent out after the information sessions to those who have attended or watched a recorded version.
  • The deadline for submitting application forms is Monday 23 May at 11.30am. (closed)
  • Decisions will be communicated to applicants by the end of August 2022.
Further information and support:
  • Link to fund for more information: Youth Social Action Fund.
  • If you need support, please contact the Funder on 0345 609 0015 or by emailing pudseygrants@bbc.co.uk.
  • If you would like further support from RVA with submitting a funding application or any support with governance required for your group to get ready for this funding, please email advice@rva.org.uk or telephone 0118 937 2273 for free and independent support and advice.