NatWest’s Skills and Opportunities Fund has committed £2.5m to fund projects in charities, social enterprises, community groups, state-funded schools and colleges across the UK and Ireland. The focus for this funding is to support organisations that help people in disadvantaged communities develop, create or access the skills and opportunities they need to help themselves; skills that will enable them to get into work or start a business, now or in the future.
NatWest believe that helping people gain such skills and access opportunities to learn can help turn their lives around and build better communities for everyone.
NatWest have split the country into seven regions, each with its own decision making board, in order to distribute the Fund. All regions will be looking to fund projects that enable people to help themselves and each will have differing priorities recognising regional differences.
Grants of up to £35,000 are available.
Projects must focus on a disadvantaged community within the UK or Ireland, helping people to learn new skills, get into work or start a business.
Applicants must be a not-for-profit organisation, a registered charity or state-funded school or college.
When all applications have been received and reviewed, NatWest will publish a shortlist of projects being considered for funding. Voting will then be open to the public. The outcome of the public vote will be taken into consideration by the regional judging panels and will count as one vote. The chosen projects will receive their funding in July this year.
The deadline for the first round of funding is Friday 22 May 2105, 12noon, going to a public vote on Monday 15 June.
The second round opens during September 2015.
For further information and to apply, visit: http://skillsandopportunitiesfund.natwest.com/