Application form guidance [please delete before sending application]

General tips

There are a number of guidance notes contained in the application form, please read these carefully and respond to all relevant points. Please delete or overtype the information in square brackets once you have read and understood it.

Write clearly and concisely avoiding the use of jargon or abbreviations; remember that the assessor reading your application may not have a background in your field of expertise.

Do not exceed stated word limits.

Section 1 - Organisation details

This section requires you to input details relating to the lead organisation; we welcome applications from consortia, but require one organisation to take the lead role as the applicant, main point of contact, payee for funds, and responsible body who agrees to ensure the terms and conditions of the grant offer are upheld by all involved.

Please ensure that the contact details given are for the day-to-day contact for all enquiries relating to the project application.

If applicable, you should list all consortium partners involved in the project –

it is expected that partnership agreements are already in place, or that you have correspondence from authorised representatives at each partner organisation, that confirms involvement in the project and acknowledges submission of your application

If applicable, you should list all the delivery partners involved in the project - please complete this section if you are applying as a single organisation but intend to work with other organisations to deliver the project

Section 2 - Project overview

Through this section we want to understand:

How the activities and outputs you are proposing will meet the objectives and longer term goals of the pilot

How effectively your plan will meet the individual needs of each local authority

How you have or will support local authorities to involve young people in the assessment of existing provision and development of individual action plans to improve.

This section is worth 25% of the assessment.

Section 3 - Project delivery

Through this section we want to understand how well placed you are to deliver on your proposal at pace. We will assess the project plan and project team skills alongside the capacity and capability of your organisation to deliver your project to ensure your programme meets the objectives and longer term goals of the grant funding.

This section is worth 40% of the assessment.

We are looking for applicants to:

demonstrate a track record of projects of a similar scope and/or scale

give us confidence in the experience of key staff and their roles in the project

set out a clear project plan that gives us confidence the organisation will be able to mobilise quickly.

give us confidence that they will ensure that the funds are spent in the timelines of the fund.

We have provided indicative timelines in the application form guidance online, however you may suggest alternative timelines if appropriate. Please note that all funds must be spent and all activity completed by 31 March 2026.

Section 4 - Legacy and Sustainability

Through this section we want to understand how you will ensure your project will have long term benefits to participating local authorities and their communities and young people. We are particularly interested in how you will work with local authorities to ensure the outputs and outcomes of their action plans are sustained once the pilot has finished.

This section is worth 15% of the assessment.

Section 5 - Monitoring and Evaluation

Through this section we want to understand that you are willing to work collaboratively with an independent evaluation supplier and that you have the capacity and capability to effectively manage and monitor the relationships with local authorities and your reporting to DCMS. We are also looking for applicants to demonstrate how they will utilise learnings from the funding in their organisation and how they will share learnings more broadly.

This section is worth 10% in the assessment.

Section 6 - Programme finances

Through this section we want to understand how your organisation will ensure the robust financial management of this funding and ensure value for money. The applicant submitting the lowest price will serve as a benchmark, with applicants receiving marks on a pro-rata basis from the lowest to the highest price.

This section is worth 10% in the assessment.

We are particularly interested in applicants demonstrating:

robust internal processes to monitor and account for the delivery partner funding

clear safeguards to prevent fraud

Section 7 - Equality and diversity statement and safeguarding statement -

This requires details of your organisation/consortium’s approach to equality and diversity and safeguarding. It is critical for the safety and wellbeing of staff and volunteers delivering the pilot that it is delivered in an equal opportunities and diversity framework and with a rigorous safeguarding policy.

This section is pass or fail in the assessment.

Section 8 - Eligibility and Mandatory document checklist

We have provided you with a quick reference checklist to ensure you are eligible to apply for this funding and have included all the documents you need to submit as part of your application.

Please use the checkboxes to indicate which documents you have / haven’t included.

Section 9 - Authorisation

Your application form must be signed by someone with the authority to represent your organisation in making the application, for example: the CEO, the head of finance, or the head of the board of trustees.

Local Youth Transformation Pilot Delivery Partner 25/26 - Application Form

Please read the guidance for applicants in full before completing your application.

Organisation Details

Organisation name
Organisation website
Organisation address
Organisation postcode
Organisation country
Organisation legal status	[e.g. Charity registered in the charity commission website, a corporate body (ltd), a community interest company, a cooperative, an independent provident society, new charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), other…]
Organisation Charity Commission or Companies House number
VAT registration number
Main contact name
Main contact job title
Main contact email
Main contact phone number(s)
Number of full time equivalent (FTE) staff employed by the lead organisation
Delivery Partners - details of organisations you intend to work with to deliver the project (if applicable i.e. if you are applying as a single organisation but intend to deliver the project in partnership with others. You will be required to submit evidence of the partnership as part of the application - see Section 8).	Organisation name: Website: Role in the project: Contact name: Contact email:

Project Overview

Project Description
In no more than 500 words tell us about your project - this should include a clear description of the activity that will be carried out to support local authorities participating in the Local Youth Transformation Pilot. Please ensure you set out: How you will provide support and what activities you will carry out to meet the outcomes set out for this fund including: improving capability in 10 to 12 Local Authorities to improve their local youth offer; building DCMS’ understanding of the challenges and opportunities local authorities face in meeting their statutory duty as set out in Section 507B of the Education Act 1996; and ensuring longer term sustainability in participating local authorities to deliver their youth services statutory duty. Activities you intend to carry out, including but not limited to: supporting LAs, and where applicable their partners, to carry out an assessment of existing provision and needs identifying areas to improve and working with local authorities to develop individual proposals to improve providing a tailored package of advice and support for local authorities, and where applicable their partners, to implement their proposals and engage with the evaluation, including producing practical tools and guidance.
Involving Young People
In no more than 250 words please explain how you will support local authorities, and where applicable their partners, to involve young people in the assessment of existing provision and development of individual proposal plans to improve.

Project Delivery

Project Planning
In bullet points, list all the activities and associated outputs that will be delivered in each month of your project. This should be as succinct and specific as possible, however we recognise that some outputs will be dependent on and therefore finalised once local authorities have developed individual proposals. Please note that all activities must be completed no later than 31 March 2026.
Project team
Who will manage and deliver the project? Please list all roles, including the number of each role required, a summary of the role responsibilities and whether the role is currently filled.
Capability and capacity to deliver the project
In no more than 500 words, provide evidence to demonstrate that: your organisation has delivered projects of a similar scope and / or scale; existing networks that will help your organisation to deliver this project effectively and by the deadline of 31 March 2026; specialist expertise is in place, or will be recruited, to run and manage project activities
Eligibility
In no more than 500 words, provide evidence to demonstrate that your organisation meets the eligibility criteria set out. Your organisation must have: organisational capability in programme or project management experience of the youth sector landscape experience of working with, and providing support/guidance to, local authorities to drive service improvements expertise in incorporating youth voice within project design and/or delivery the capacity to deliver support to local authorities across England the technical expertise, capacity and knowledge to meet the objectives of the Local Youth Transformation pilot appropriate financial management systems and processes to account for Local Youth Transformation Pilot grant expenditure accurately and transparently.

Legacy and Sustainability

Long Term Impact
In no more than 500 words please explain how your project will have long term benefits for local authorities and the young people in their areas. What measures will you put in place to ensure outcomes and outputs remain sustainable once funding has finished?

Monitoring and Evaluation

Evidencing Outputs
In no more than 500 words, please outline your data collection processes including how you will monitor: relationships with and support for local authorities; and, reporting to DCMS. You may want to consider: what data/information will you expect or propose to collect to evidence the above [we recognise that some outputs will be dependent on and therefore finalised once local authorities have developed individual proposals]; how you will ensure the quality of the project; and, how you will learn and share lessons across the local authorities and DCMS
Monitoring and evaluation
The programme evaluation plan will be finalised once local authorities have submitted their individual proposals and action plans. In no more than 500 words, please outline your experience of working with research and evaluation organisations to support the delivery of programme evaluations, including the collecting and sharing of data. Please detail any common issues and how they were overcome.
Measuring and demonstrating outcomes and impact
DCMS will appoint an evaluator to evaluate the impact of this funding. Please confirm that you are willing to work with the evaluator and support them to gather necessary data to evaluate the project. Yes No
Lessons Learned and Sharing
Please demonstrate how you will use lessons learned to inform practice within your own organisations and how you plan to share good practice, learning and evaluation more broadly.

Project Finances

Total project cost
Please include total cost of delivering your proposed project, including any non-DCMS grant funded activity £…………………….
Amount of Local Youth Transformation Pilot funding requested (please note we cannot fund capital projects or items of capital expenditure)
£…………………….
Please outline any in-kind support you will additionally contribute towards the development of the project
Onward grants
If you are proposing to make onward grants to other organisations that provide specialist support or resources, please clarify how you plan to award and manage onward grants to delivery partners (maximum 250 words). To note, DCMS will be managing all funding directly to local authorities.
Project budget (please also attach a detailed budget breakdown)
Confirm that you have completed and attached a project budget, and use this space to provide any additional commentary. You should use the following cost categories as your starting point: Rent and other estates overheads Staff costs including NI and pensions Travel and subsistence Agency staff / consultancy Recruitment costs IT Promotional costs Training costs for staff and volunteers training costs for beneficiaries/ service users Monitoring and evaluation costs Dissemination of lessons learned / best practice Other (please specify). Please note we can not fund capital projects or capital costs. You should make monthly and financial year totals clear - DCMS standard practice is to pay in arrears and has a financial year of 1 April to 31 March.
Payments in advance
Payments will be made in arrears and only paid in advance by exception. If you require payments in advance of spend, please use this box to explain and justify your reasons. You must also provide evidence which meets one or more of the criteria below: You do not have enough working capital to start the project, such as costs for a recruitment process to staff the project; Without advance payment you would be forced to breach internal policies to cover the costs e.g. forced to use too much of your free reserves or you do not have any free reserves; The project includes making onwards grants. In this case we will need you to demonstrate how you will ensure you pay onwards grants in arrears and only pay onward grants in advance when the same above conditions apply to the onward grant recipient; Where there are specific legal barriers to an organisation reclaiming costs in arrears. Please also provide a drawdown schedule to show when you will need funding – your request will be considered as part of the assessment process
Financial management
You will be expected to detail and evidence expenditure on a quarterly basis when making payment requests. Please describe the financial management systems and processes you will put in place to ensure you can account for Local Youth Transformation Pilot grant expenditure accurately and transparently, providing a written report on a quarterly basis to DCMS. This may include separate cost centres, separate bank accounts, clear roles and responsibilities within your finance team, etc. Please also set out the processes you have in place, or will implement to reduce the risk of fraud throughout the fund.
Maximising value for money
In no more than 250 words, explain how you will achieve value for money, including through minimising costs and maximising efficiency

Equality and Diversity Statement and Safeguarding Statement

Equal opportunities and diversity
In no more than 250 words, describe how your project is inclusive and operates within an equal opportunities and diversity framework. Where available, please also attach your organisational equality and diversity statement
Safeguarding arrangements for children and vulnerable adults
Please include details of arrangements for safeguarding young people participating in this project. You should refer to your safeguarding policy, as well as your statement that confirms you have effective and appropriate safeguarding procedures that protect employees, beneficiaries or volunteers from harm, and that explains how any concerns and incidents are managed.

Eligibility and Mandatory documentation checklist

Organisation and Project Eligibility The questions below are to assess your organisation's eligibility to receive Local Youth Transformation delivery partner grant funding.
1.	Is your organisation a registered company, private company, or Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE)? As a grant, you must be able to demonstrate that the project is not for profit.
2.	Does your organisation have a Safeguarding policy and a statement that confirms your organisation has effective and appropriate safeguarding procedures that protect employees, beneficiaries or volunteers from harm, and that explains how any concerns and incidents are managed?
3.	Does your organisation have organisational capability in programme or project management, and have sufficient project management resource with appropriate knowledge and skills to manage the project effectively to achieve outcomes?
4.	Does your organisation have experience of the youth sector landscape?
5.	Does your organisation have experience of working with, and providing support/guidance to, local authorities to drive service improvements?
6.	Does your organisation have expertise in incorporating youth voice within project design and/or delivery?
7.	Does your organisation have the capacity to deliver support to local authorities across England?
8.	Does your organisation have the technical expertise, capacity and knowledge to meet the objectives of the Local Youth Transformation pilot?
9.	Does your organisation have appropriate financial management systems and processes to account for Local Youth Transformation Pilot grant expenditure accurately and transparently, and reduce the risk of fraud throughout the fund?
10.	Does the level of grant funding requested exceed 50% of your annual income?
11.	Does the project proposed meet the pilot aims to: Improve capability in 10 to 12 local authorities to improve their local youth offer. We would expect to see measurable improvement (against a baseline) in at least one area of identified need Build DCMS’ understanding of the challenges and opportunities local authorities face and how local authorities can best be supported to build capability and effectively meet their statutory duty. Ensure longer term sustainability in participating local authorities to deliver their youth services statutory duty by building confidence in meeting their responsibilities and how youth services can support other priority outcomes for young people longer term.
Mandatory Documents If you do not provide any of the below documents with your application, your application will not be assessed.
[REQUIRED] Fully completed application form including a budget and cash flow attached as spreadsheets [signed PDF and word document]
[IF APPLICABLE] Copies of all partnership agreements signed with each of the project partners (alternatively, correspondence from an authorised representative at each partner organisation confirming involvement in this project and acknowledgment of this application)
[REQUIRED] High level Gantt chart or project plan
[IF APPLICABLE] Organisational equality and diversity statement
[REQUIRED] Safeguarding policy and a statement that confirms your organisation has effective and appropriate safeguarding procedures that protect employees, beneficiaries or volunteers from harm, and that explains how any concerns and incidents are managed
[REQUIRED] Detailed budget breakdown
[IF APPLICABLE] Evidence in support of request to be paid at point of need, rather than in arrears
[REQUIRED] Contact details for two referees from a minimum of two organisations that have previously funded you to deliver a project [If possible please ensure one reference is from a government or local government organisation. Please indicate if you are a new organisation without references]
[REQUIRED] Copy of annual report and audited or certified accounts, covering the last two years. [Or similar published information about your organisation if available. Please note: in the event your last financial year end was more than 6 months ago we may request further accounting information at a later date as part of our due diligence process]
[IF APPLICABLE] Details of any grant funding you have received from a government or local government organisation in the last 5 years or are currently receiving. [Details should be laid out simply and include the value of the grant, start and end dates, and a 50 word max description of aims. If you have received more than 5 grants in the last 5 years please include details of the most recent grant received and the four highest value grants in the period]

Authorisation

I declare that I have the authority to represent [insert name of organisation] in making this application.

I understand that acceptance of this application does not in any way signify that the project is eligible for the Local Youth Transformation Pilot delivery partner grant funding or that funding has been approved towards it.

I understand that we may be awarded less than requested in this application.

I understand that DCMS will not accept deliberate manipulation and fraud - and any business caught falsifying their records to gain additional grant money will face prosecution and any funding issued will be subject to claw back, as may any grants paid in error.

On behalf of [insert name of organisation], I confirm that:

[insert name of organisation] has the legal authority to carry out the project;

The information provided in this application is accurate;

The organisation has appropriate safeguarding procedures that protect employees, beneficiaries and volunteers from harm; and

The organisation has appropriate GDPR procedures in place.

Signature:
Name:
Role:
Date:

Completed applications should be returned to youthrevenue@dcms.gov.uk with the subject line: Grant Application - [Organisation Name] - Delivery Partner - Local Youth Transformation Pilot.

Please note:

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Wednesday 7 May.

All applications received by the closing date will be assessed following the closing date;

Any applications received after the closing date will not be assessed;

All information and guidance relating to this funding can be found on gov.uk;

As the application process is competitive, the Youth Team is not able to provide support in completing the application;

All successful applicants will be subject to comprehensive due diligence reviews and other database searches, including fraud risk indicators.

We will receive any clarification questions up 23:59 17 April 2025.

Clarification questions will be published on gov.uk on an ongoing basis.

We aim to make a decision on the outcome of the competition in May 2025.

Privacy notice

All information will be processed in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018, the UK General Data Protection Regulation and any other relevant data protection legislation. Who controls the information you provide? The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) controls any personal data you provide in your answers. Why are we collecting and processing your personal data? Your personal data is being collected and processed by DCMS to perform fraud checks, assess your application and suitability for the Local Youth Transformation Pilot delivery partner grant. Our legal basis for the processing is that it is necessary for performance of a task in the public interest. We will not be using any automated decision making. Will we share your personal data? Your personal data may be shared with colleagues in DCMS and external individuals participating in the assessment panel or as part of the grant management process. We may also share your personal data with third parties if we are required to do so by law — for example, by court order, or to prevent fraud or other crime. We will not transfer your personal data outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) or to international organisations. If we are required to share details of your application further or use your responses to illustrate findings, we will ensure that neither you nor the organisation you represent are identifiable. DCMS may share information (excluding personal data) relating to your application with third parties outside government where required to do so by law, for example in accordance with access to information regimes (these are primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004). We will seek to publish and disseminate an evaluation (not including personal data) We do not intend to use the data for any other purposes. How long will we keep your personal data for? Information relating to successful grants will be stored for 7 years after the conclusion of any agreement per standard DCMS retention policy. Unsuccessful grant applications will be stored for 12 months and then disposed of with support of DCMS Knowledge and Information Management Team. Your rights over your personal data You have the right to see what personal data we have about you, to have it corrected, to request that we restrict what we do with your data in certain circumstances, and to ask us to stop using your data, but keep it on record. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact our Data Protection team at dcmsdataprotection@dcms.gov.uk Contact us If you have questions about how we are using your data or about this application process in general, please contact us at: Youth Team youthrevenue@dcms.gov.uk Department for Culture, Media and Sport First Floor, 100 Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ Please confirm below that you have read and understood this statement and agree with its terms. Your right to complain If you are not happy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to complain to our Data Protection Officer at any time. You can contact the DPO by email at: dpo@dcms.gov.uk You can also write to the DPO at Data Protection Officer Department for Culture, Media and Sport 1st Floor, 100 Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ You also have the right to lodge a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office about our practices, to do so please visit the Information Commissioner’s Office website.