Joined Up for Jobs

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The City of Edinburgh Council and the Local Employability Partnership would now like to invite applications for the NEST Grants Programme for 2025-2028. The grants will fund work which supports key target groups as outlined in the Local Employability Partnership Strategy 2024-2026, who are experiencing poverty and are looking to progress towards work or in work. The aim of this grants programme is to reduce the impact that poverty has on Edinburgh’s citizens and to empower people through fair employment. The NEST programme aims to provide funding to, and work with, organisations as part of the “Joined Up for Jobs” network.

How to apply

Capital City Partnership, who are administering the application process on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council, have recently launched a new grant application portal(this will open in a new window). All applications must be submitted via the new portal. Applicants should register for the portal as soon as possible. Should there be any issues registering with the portal, please contact contracts@capitalcitypartnership.org.

Organisations can make several applications, but each should be for a separate and distinct project and must aim to support a different cohort of clients.

Grants will be awarded for a maximum of three years. The total budget available for the NEST Grants Programme will be dependent on the annual Scottish Government allocation of funds to local authorities. Applicants are advised to consider sustainability of funding as there can be no certainty of continuation of funding.

The maximum award for each application will be £100,000 per annum in the first year.

Capital City Partnership can offer optional feedback on draft applications. Draft applications for discussion must be fully completed and submitted to CCP prior to any meeting, with the deadline for draft applications being Friday 20th September. Feedback on your application will be provided between Monday 23rd September and Friday 27th September 2024.

The deadline for applications is Noon, Friday 11th October 2024. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Timeline

· Monday 2nd September 2024 – Application process opens

· Friday 20th September 2024 – Deadline for draft applications

· Monday 23rd September – Friday 27th September 2024 – Draft application feedback

· Noon Friday 11th October 2024 – Application process closes

· Tuesday 3rd December 2024 – recommendations discussed by Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee