Aims/priorities: Cost of Living Support Grants between £1,000 and £10,000 are available for social enterprises and trading charities in Greater Manchester that are:
- providing enterprise-based services to people and communities that are in acute need owing to cost-of-living pressures.
- providing impactful services to people and communities that are in acute need due to cost-of-living pressures
- experiencing financial difficulty as a result of rising running costs in their own financial model
The grant can only be used to cover core salary costs, not to fund one-off projects which will come to an end. Cost of Living Support Grants aim to sustain the provision of essential community services and boost the sustainability of grantee organisations. As part of their award, recipients will receive a grant and enterprising activity support delivered by GMCVO to help increase their trading activity and resilience.
This fund offers grant support with two key aims:
- To enable trading charities and social enterprises to sustain their enterprise models and, where possible, scale up their enterprise activity to meet increased demand AND
- To enable trading charities and social enterprises to better meet the needs of their communities through the provision of impactful cost-of-living support, reaching those most acutely in need due to cost-of-living pressures
Although not an exhaustive list, cost-of-living support services include:
- The supply of food
- Warm spaces
- Financial advice
- Essential transport
- Safe housing
Who can apply? This fund will support organisations who:
- are incorporated trading charities and social enterprises based and working in Greater Manchester (for more information see our Brief Guide to Social Enterprise)
- are in the early stages of trading (have been trading for up to 3 years)
- are looking to sustain or, where possible, scale up their enterprise models to meet increased demand
- are providing impactful cost-of-living support to people and communities that are in acute need due to cost-of-living pressures
- are experiencing financial challenges as a result of rising running costs in their own financial model
- may be considering applying for social investment from GMCVO
To be eligible to apply, we require that at least three of the following nine characteristics applies to your organisation:
- Based in, or delivering significant social impact in places which are in the 50% most deprived areas in England (deciles 1-5 of the Index of Multiple Deprivation)
- Providing employment and skills support to those impacted by the cost-of-living crisis
- Providing relief from food or fuel poverty
- Providing support around digital inclusion
- Providing support to people from communities experiencing racial inequality
- Providing support to older people (aged 50 or above)
- Providing support to disabled people (including those living with long-term health conditions)
- Providing support to vulnerable children or vulnerable adults and their carers
- Providing support to people experiencing homelessness
Grant amount: Between £1,000 and £10,000 are available
Application process: The application process is made of two stages:
- Complete an Enquiry Form here - please read our guidance before submitting this form.
- After reviewing your eligibility, you will be invited to complete a full online application form and submit your supporting documents.
Deadline: Sunday 7 April 2024.
Contact information: Email: gmcvo@gmcvo.org.uk