Funding opportunities for young people

The Cabinet Office's new Centre for Social Action has opened a £14million Innovation Fund, managed by NESTA, to fund programmes that encourage people to create positive change through social action. Grants will range from £50,000 to £500,000 and successful applicants can also access non-financial support such as business advice and making new relevant contacts. The first round of the fund is looking for innovative ventures and programmes that use social action to achieve impact in four areas, including young people. For further information visit www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/public_services_lab/giving_and_social_action/csa_innovationfund/assets/features/centre_for_social_action_innovation_fund_fund_details.

The Big Lottery Fund has published an invitation to tender for a youth engagement campaign. The campaign aims to establish positive connections and communication between young people within, and across, communities through the use of music, social media and other appropriate channels. The potential value of the contract, which closes for applications on Monday 17 June, is estimated at between £3.85million to £4.85million. For further information visit
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/about-big/-/media/Files/Tender%20Documents/itt_youth_engagement_campaign.doc.

The Bridges Social Impact Bond Fund provides capital investment and support to organisations to deliver programmes designed to improve social outcomes in areas including education, employment, housing and care for vulnerable young people in the UK. Each investment made by the fund will be of up to £3million to deliver an outcomes-funded intervention programme. For further information visit
www.bridgesventures.com/bridges-social-impact-bond-fund.

Youth Music has announced that its next closing date for applications is 3 October. Grants of up to £250,000 are available to support projects that provide music-making activities for children and young people, especially those young people in challenging circumstances. For further information visit http://network.youthmusic.org.uk/funding?utm_source=Linx+279+-+16+May&utm_campaign=linx279&utm_medium=email.

The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust awards grants to registered charities for projects that are undertaken in the UK. Grants of up to £3,000 are available through this year's award criteria of children and youth. The next deadline for applications is Saturday 1 June, trustee meetings are held four to six weeks after application deadlines. For further information visit www.austin-hope-pilkington.org.uk/index.htm.

The Freemason's Grand Charity, which provides grants of between £500 and £5,000 to smaller charities and £500 and £50,000 to larger charities, is currently giving grants in the categories of youth opportunities, medical research and vulnerable. The next deadline for applications is Friday 31 May. For further information visit www.grandcharity.org/pages/grants_to_charities.html.

The Hedley Foundation supports young people, the disabled and the terminally ill. The foundation provides up to £5,000 to charities where the grant will make an impact. For further information visit www.hedleyfoundation.org.uk.