Grants of up to £10,250 for partner organisations are available to help get set up and support their young people to take part. The funding can be tailored to the organisation’s needs and can vary as the project progresses. Examples of what would be included in the funding package are:
- A contribution to the Award Licence Fee or Operating Authority fee.
- Participation places for young people to enrol on the Award.
- Access to staff or volunteer training courses – such as National Governing Body Qualifications.
- The provision of an Approved Activity Provider (AAP) to run the expedition section for the organisation.
- Expedition equipment or resources as required.
- Support for delivery of the Skills, Volunteering, or Physical sections of the Award – this could be training or equipment.
- Staffing and volunteer costs (up to 1/3 of the total grant).
Funding Package per organisation:
The funding available for each centre can be used across the project period (though must be spent by 31 March 2025), with most of the funding for year one to establish the project. There is flexibility in how organisations can apply the funding.
A local Operations Officer will work in conjunction with applicant organisations to ensure challenges are identified and appropriate support given, with the help of the NI Regional Team. Should we identify a barrier to engagement that has not been accounted for, then we will consider reallocating costs as required.
Example of funding across the 2 years (organisations can tailor this to their needs)
Year 1:
- Award licence fee (100%)
- Equipment for young people – Expedition equipment or equipment identified to access a sectional activity.
- Award participation places
- Adult leader training costs – delivered by an external provider, such as a National Governing Body.
Year 2:
- Award participation places
- Licence fee subsidised (50%)
- Adult training costs
Equipment and Training:
Equipment is likely to be key to setting up the Award, whether for the expedition, or other aspects of the Award. The funded equipment purchased is owned and retained by the organisation and should be loaned but not given permanently to participants. All items should be purchased within 12 months of receiving funding. Invoices/receipts will be requested at the end of the year.
We will only fund reusable expedition equipment. Requesting funding for single-use or disposable items, such as gas canisters, will cause grant applications to be rejected.
Training will also be key, and the Award has courses available to help you get set up and for the expedition aspects of the award. A dedicated member of staff will be able to give you further information on these. The funding can also be used for training to enable delivery of the Volunteering, Skills, or Physical sections of the Award, for example through National Governing Body qualifications.