UKSPF - Youth Outreach Call for Proposals

Lead Local Authority: Gateshead Council

Investment Priority: Communities and Place

Intervention(s): E11 - Investment in capacity building and infrastructure support for local civil society and community groups.

Call Reference: UKSPFPS-Youth

Call Opens: 4 December 2023

Call Closes: 5pm on 30 December 2023

1. Introduction - UK Shared Prosperity Fund
2. Gateshead Strategic Context
3. Gateshead Investment Plan
4. Community and Place Investment Priority
5. Call Summary
6. Scope of Call
7. Outputs and Outcomes
8. Application Process and Prioritisation Methodology
9. General Information
9.1 Eligibility
9.2 Project timescales
9.3 Output and Outcome Definitions
9.4 Equalities
10. Key Documents
11. Document Checklist
12. Document Submission

Download the call for proposals as a PDF. (PDF, 688 KB)(opens new window)

1. Introduction - UK Shared Prosperity Fund

1.1 UKSPF will support the UK government's wider commitment to level up all parts of the UK by delivering on each of the levelling up objectives:

• boost productivity, pay, jobs and living standards by growing the private sector, especially in those places where they are lagging
• spread opportunities and improve public services, especially in those places where they are weakest
• restore a sense of community, local pride and belonging, especially in those places where they have been lost
• empower local leaders and communities, especially in those places lacking local agency

1.2 The primary goal of the UKSPF is to build pride in place and increase life chances across the UK. This aligns with Levelling Up White Paper missions, particularly: 'By 2030, pride in place, such as people's satisfaction with their town centre and engagement in local culture and community, will have risen in every area of the UK, with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.'

1.3 Underneath the overarching aim of building pride in place and increasing life chances, there are three UKSPF investment priorities: communities and place; supporting local business; and people and skills.

2. Gateshead Strategic Context

2.1 Gateshead Council has a strategic approach to make Gateshead a place where everyone thrives and has committed to five pledges to help make it a great place to live, work and visit:

• put people and families at the heart of everything we do
• tackle inequality so people have a fair chance
• support our communities to support themselves and each other
• invest in our economy to provide sustainable opportunities for employment, innovation and growth across the borough
• work together and fight for a better future for Gateshead

2.2 Underpinning this is the Health and Wellbeing Strategy that sets out a vision of 'good jobs, homes, health and friends' that that sets out a vision to support our communities to support themselves and each other, by working together and fighting for a better future for Gateshead by:

• giving every child the best start in life
• enabling all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives
• creating fair employment and good work for all
• ensuring a healthy standard of living for all
• creating and developing healthy and sustainable places and communities
• strengthening the role and impact of ill health prevention

3. Gateshead Investment Plan

3.1 To access UKSPF funding, Gateshead Council, as a lead local authority, was required to develop and submit a local investment plan to Government for agreement.

3.2 The Investment Plan was approved in December 2022 and sets out local evidence of opportunities and challenges and prioritised outcomes and interventions.

Breakdown of funds: 

4. Communities and Place Investment Priority

4.1 We are investing £566,000 of Gateshead's UKSPF allocation under the community and place objectives:

• strengthen our social fabric and foster a sense of local pride and belonging, through investment in activities that enhance physical, cultural and social ties and amenities, such as community infrastructure and local green space, and community-led projects
• building resilient, healthy and safe neighbourhoods, through investment in quality places that people want to live, work, play and learn in, through targeted improvements to the built and natural environment innovative approaches to crime prevention

4.2 Funding will tackle the challenges set out in our Investment Plan and provide an opportunity to pursue local opportunities to help Gateshead become a place where everyone thrives.

5. Call Summary

5.1 Gateshead Council is seeking to invite applications to deliver projects against the following Community and Place intervention:

• E11 - Investment in capacity building and infrastructure support for local civil society and community groups

5.2 The 'Youth Support' fund will provide funding for locally based organisations, to develop local community projects which will engage young people. These offers should:

• provide supportive youth work approaches, enabling young people to access the support and guidance which will enable them to reflect on and navigate their complex lives
• provide youth spaces in which young people feel accepted and reassured when at times they do not feel like they fit in anywhere else

5.3 Over 85% of a young person's waking hours are spent outside of school and formal education. Recreational and leisure-time activities provided during those hours can have a significant effect on young people's personal and social development and their wellbeing. Those activities can:

• support them to build their skills for life and work, and raise aspirations in education, training and employment
• improve trust and tolerance
• help them become active members of society and connect with their community
• champion their voice
• help disadvantaged and vulnerable young people

5.4 We are looking to organisations to provide access to educational and recreational leisure-time activities which are for the improvement of young people's well-being and sufficient facilities for such activities.

5.5 Wellbeing, as defined in Section 507B of the Education Act 1996, relates to:

• physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
• protection from harm and neglect
• education, training and recreation
• the contribution made by young people to society
• social and economic wellbeing

5.6 The following is a list of groups of young people who may be identified as being more vulnerable and may need additional support to access activities. Young People who are/have:

• in the care of the local authority/subject to a child protection plan
• in/or at risk of entering the youth justice system
• homeless or at risk of being homeless
• not in education or at risk of being excluded from education and those that are frequently truanting
• at risk of exploitation
• living in low-income families
• LGBTQ
• emotional health/wellbeing or mental health issues
• learning difficulties or disabilities (including SEND age 20-24)
• parents/carers/family members who are misusing substances
• young carers

Note this list is not exhaustive and organisations may identify other young people who may be vulnerable or at risk of being vulnerable.

5.7 In line with the council's strategic approach to make Gateshead a place where everyone Thrives, and the vision of our Health and Wellbeing Strategy, projects should aim to address inequalities across Gateshead (See appendix 1 for geographical details). Projects should also have regard to vulnerable groups listed in bullet point 5.6 above.

6. Scope of Call

7. Outputs and Outcomes

7.1 Applicants will need to demonstrate how the eligible activity funded by UKSPF will achieve identified Outputs and Outcomes for interventions.

7.2 We expect the number of participants, Outputs and Outcomes proposed within applications to be realistic and achievable but deliver good value for money. An important consideration when assessing value for money is the level of UK Shared Prosperity Fund Outputs and Outcomes that the project would deliver.

7.3 The application should clearly state the methodology used to determine the levels of Outputs and Outcomes proposed.

7.4 The Outputs and Outcomes selected for Gateshead's Investment Plan are presented in Table 1 and Table 2.

Table 1

Table 2

7.5 Individual projects will be required to deliver against named Outputs and Outcomes associated with the call (Table 1 and Table 2). However, applicants are not required to deliver against every Output and Outcome, only those that applicants feel are relevant to their project. Whilst we are not setting minimum or maximum volumes, applications should clearly state the methodology used to determine the number of participants, Outputs and Outcomes proposed.

7.6 It will be possible to report multiple Outputs and Outcomes per participant.

7.7 All projects will be required to report regularly on progress towards achievement of targets. This will need to include both quantitative and qualitative data. Applicants will need to explain how they will collect and record this information to maintain a fully evidenced audit trail. If a project fails to deliver contracted Outputs and Outcomes, a performance penalty may apply.

7.8 For further information please refer to Gateshead Council's Call for Proposals Guidance and Annex A Outcomes and Outputs definitions.

8. Application Process and Prioritisation Methodology

8.1 There is a one-stage application process to the Youth Support fund.

8.2 Acceptance of an application does not in any way indicate or constitute an offer of a UKSPF grant.

8.3 There is a two-stage assessment process for the Youth Support fund: Gateway Assessment and Core Assessment.

8.4 Please refer to the Call for Proposals Guidance document for detailed information on this process.

9. General Information

9.1 Eligibility Rules

When developing an application, applicants must refer to the Call for Proposals Guidance document setting out the requirements of Gateshead Council's UKSPF programme. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the requirements are adhered to both at application stage and following approval. Failure to do so can lead to financial penalties leading to the recovery of up to 100% of the grant value.

If in doubt on any of the requirements, applicants are strongly advised to seek advice by emailing ukspf@gateshead.gov.uk.

9.2 Project timescales

Projects approved through this Call for Proposals will be expected to:

• commence delivery within the agreed timescale as stated in the Grant Funding Agreement; and
• have completed the delivery of all project activity and defrayal of all project expenditure by 31 March 2025

Should there be any changes to timescales, applicants will be notified at the earliest opportunity.

9.3 Output and Outcome definitions

This page provides an up-to-date list of Outputs and Outcomes and the indicator definition and unit of measurement that corresponds to each Output and Outcome (opens new window). Government may update, amend or add to this additional guidance and all applicants must ensure that they are using the most up to date versions of all documents which will be available on the UKSPF government website.

Annex A provides further detail on the evidence and additional information required to substantiate Outputs and Outcomes for the Youth Support fund.

9.4 Equalities

All applications as a result of this call will be required to demonstrate how equalities have been addressed in the project design and development to address the needs highlighted in the UKSPF Additional Guidance (opens new window).

10. Key Documents

• Gateshead Council UKSPF Investment Plan
• Gateshead Health and Wellbeing Strategy
• Call for proposals guidance
• Application Form (Word doc, 121 KB)(opens new window)
• Selection Questionnaire - Safeguarding (Word doc, 27 KB)
• Annex A - outputs and outcomes definition
• Annex B - Finance, Outputs and Outcomes Template (Excel doc, 66 KB)(opens new window)

11. Document Checklist

11.1 Incomplete applications will be rejected. Please ensure the following information (documents) are submitted.

• fully completed application form
• fully completed Annex B Finance, Outputs and Outcomes template
• organisation structure chart
• corporate policies if unable to provide links
• due diligence documentation as detailed in section 9 of the Call for Proposals Guidance
• Selection Questionnaire - Safeguarding

12. Document Submission

12.1 Completed applications must be submitted via email to: ukspf@gateshead.gov.uk.

12.2 Applicants are asked to include the name of the relevant investment priority you are applying for, which is "Community and Place Investment Priority", in the subject line.

12.3 Applications not received by the deadline will not be assessed and those which are not fully completed will be excluded.

12.4 Gateshead Council will acknowledge receipt of your application by email.

Appendix 1.