Youth charities in England can apply for up to £2m in government grant funding to help reduce the risk of insolvency as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The £16.5m Youth Covid-19 Support Fund is open to grassroots youth clubs, uniformed youth groups, and national youth and umbrella organisations.
It is hoped the grants will reduce the risk of insolvency and reduction in provision of organisations that would ordinarily continue to be financially viable, but have been affected by short-term challenges due to Covid-19.
Funds can be used to cover any deficit during the period from November to this coming March, or 25 per cent of annual expenditure, whichever is lower.
Funding for local organisations, defined as those whose most recent annual income was below £1m, is capped at £250,000, while funding for bigger charities is capped at £2m.
PricewaterhouseCoopers will administer the grants on behalf of the DCMS.
But the government department will provide oversight, making funding decisions alongside an independent panel, which will contribute to decisions on national awards.
Assessment will be based on priority of need, with applicant charities requested to provide evidence of how Covid-19 has affected their financial viability, resilience and sustainability, the DCMS said.
In a tweet, Baroness Barran, the minister for civil society, said: “The Youth Covid-19 Support Fund will help mitigate the impact of lost income during the winter period due to the pandemic, and ensure services providing vital support can remain open.”
The fund is open for applications immediately, and DCMS will hold a virtual launch on Thursday (21 January) to provide an overview of the fund and explain the application process.
The application window closes on 12 February.