Our Environment Our Future Questions and Answers Part One: Part Two: An overview of Our Environment Our Future Who can apply to be the UK portfolio Lead? Part Three: The application process Part Four: What type of projects can be included within the portfolio? PART ONE: Overview Q. What is this programme about? A: Our research and engagement with stakeholders (including young peoples groups) tells us that young people feel disconnected from their local environment and want a greater say in how it is shaped and used. This programme aims to support young people so they have influence in shaping their local environment and acquire new skills that can contribute to the green economy. We will invest 30 million across the UK to support groups of young people (aged 11-24) to improve their local environments. The 30 million available will fund a number of individual projects (25-35) across the UK to scale-up or replicate. Q: What do we mean by local environment? A: Local environment means any natural or built asset in the area in which the young people live. Q: What do we mean by scale up and replicate? A: We are interested in the ways in which organisations that are already having an impact (and can evidence this) can share their approach with other organisations, or apply their approach in new areas or can adapt their current working to reach into new parts of their community. At this stage in the programme we are not being prescriptive about how this is done. In their application, the UK portfolio lead will be asked to explain how they will support the projects in the portfolio and this will include setting out their own definition and experience of scaling or replicating or supporting others to do so.
Q: What is the need for the programme? A: We want to invest in this area because many young people: feel disconnected from their local environment and would like a greater say in how it is shaped and used would like the opportunity to take part in activities that would improve it want to gain the skills and experience that would help them contribute to the green economy (jobs, volunteering or training explicitly linked to environmentally sustainable activities). By local environment we mean any natural or built asset in the area in which the young people live. Q: How will you seek to ensure that the best projects are selected for this programme? A: We will appoint a UK portfolio lead organisation (or partnership) to help us to deliver Our Environment Our Future. Once appointed, we will work with them to identify the best portfolio of individual projects to meet the programme aims and outcomes. Q: How many years is the programme over? A: The portfolio projects should run for between 3 and 5 years and we expect to fund the UK portfolio lead organisation (or partnership) for up to 7 years (allowing for time to evaluate and share learning from the portfolio). PART TWO: Portfolio lead Q: Has the UK portfolio lead been selected yet? A: No. Applications to become the UK portfolio lead will close at noon on 16th May 2014. We will announce the successful applicant in early autumn 2014. Q: Who can apply to be the UK portfolio lead? A: The UK portfolio lead will be the organisation (or partnership of organisations) who will manage the overall investment, including the individual projects delivering work with young people, and will help gather and use learning. The UK portfolio lead can be from the voluntary and community sector, public sector, social enterprise or private sector. This organisation may want to
bring on board a number of partners to ensure it has the knowledge, experience and expertise needed to oversee the whole portfolio. Q: How much is available for the programme? A: We have committed 30 million for the programme. This budget will cover: Funding for a portfolio of no more than 35 projects Development funding of up to 50,000, which can be requested at stage 1 to develop a stage 2 application Some or all of the UK portfolio lead and its partner s project costs, capital equipment that is essential to the delivery of the project and a contribution to your overheads and management costs. The combined total of these costs must not exceed 10 percent of the programme budget. Therefore, the maximum that is available to the UK portfolio lead is 3 million. The 50,000 available for development funding forms part of this total. An evaluation of the programme, which is of suitable nature for the size of the programme Q: If the UK portfolio lead s costs exceed 10 percent, will the programme cover these costs? A: No. The UK portfolio lead s management and overhead costs for delivering the portfolio can be no more than 10 percent of the total programme cost ( 3 million). It is our view that a portfolio of this size can be delivered within the framework of full cost recovery and within this limit. There is a 5 percent limit on individual portfolio project management costs. Management costs for both the UK portfolio lead and the portfolio of individual projects are considered as part of the assessment criteria (value for money). Q: If you are a partner to the UK portfolio lead, are you eligible for a part of the funding available to the UK portfolio lead? A: Yes. The management and overhead costs for delivering the portfolio can be no more than 10 percent of the total programme cost ( 3 million) and the UK portfolio lead will be responsible for ensuring that costs attributable to partners are included within this budget.
Q: Will the UK portfolio lead need to fund the project and then reclaim the money? A: Funding for the portfolio will be agreed with the successful applicant once decisions are announced. Funding would normally be released in advance in line with a payment profile agreed between the portfolio lead and the Fund. Q: Is there set amount that portfolio projects can apply to the UK portfolio lead for? A: The portfolio projects need to cost no more than 1 million. Q: How many projects will make up the portfolio? A: Your management and overhead costs for delivering the portfolio can be no more than 10 percent of the total programme cost ( 3 million). For the purpose of this example we will assume that your evaluation costs will be somewhere around the 1 million mark this means that you will have a minimum of 26 million to allocate to projects. So if each project in the portfolio is awarded 1 million the portfolio would consist of 26 projects. If a number of projects were awarded sums slightly under the 1 million mark then your number of projects would increase we do not expect your portfolio to consist of any more than 35 projects. There is a 5 percent limit on individual project management costs. Management costs for both the UK portfolio lead and the portfolio of individual projects are considered as part of the assessment criteria (value for money). Q: Will the UK portfolio lead need to identify all the projects at Stage one? A: The UK portfolio lead applicant will need to explain its methodology for identifying projects in the stage one application form. The portfolio of individual projects does not need to be identified /confirmed until stage two. Further discussions around a preferred methodology for selecting projects will take place at stage two. Q: How will the UK portfolio lead select the projects?
A: The UK portfolio lead applicant will need to explain its methodology for identifying projects in the stage one application form. The portfolio of individual projects does not need to be identified /confirmed until stage two. As we are looking for the Portfolio to be made up of existing projects with a track record and the ability to scale up, adapt or replicate, we would expect the Portfolio Lead to set out what the essential criteria would be for a project to be suitable for the Portfolio. This might include, for example, the type and quality of their evidence of impact. Further discussions around a preferred methodology for selecting projects will take place at stage two. Q: Will the portfolio lead's expertise need to include grant-making? Will the UK portfolio lead be in a grant making and monitoring relationship to the individual projects that they select? A: The UK portfolio lead will not be making grants and does not need to have grant making expertise. We are looking for an organisation with the relevant project management skills, experience and capacity to develop and coordinate the portfolio. This is best demonstrated through experience of: leading, managing and implementing major strategic partnerships monitoring, evaluating and sharing learning using learning to influence policy and practice A thorough understanding of the themes of the programme young people and their connection to the local environment is also vital but it is possible for the UK portfolio lead to work in partnership with expert bodies to achieve this element, if it does not hold this expertise itself. Q: Will we help the UK portfolio lead to assess portfolio projects? Will we lead on the assessment of portfolio projects? A: The portfolio of individual projects does not need to be identified /confirmed until stage two. Further discussions around a preferred methodology for selecting projects will take place at stage two. The Fund will not lead on the selection of portfolio projects and we expect the lead to explain its selection methodology during stage 1. Although the Fund will not lead on the selection of the portfolio, we will advise and support during the selection process and the
final sign off of the completed portfolio will be through the Fund s UK Committee. Q: Will we share details of potential portfolio projects with the UK portfolio lead? A: In the Who can apply section of the Our Environment, Our future webpage, we have a link to a form where projects who would like to be considered to form part of the portfolio can register their details. We will share these details with the successful UK portfolio lead. We will also share information with the Portfolio Lead about projects that we have previously funded through relevant environmental and C&YP programmes. We also expect that the UK portfolio lead will have networks that it can draw on to identify projects that may wish to be considered as part of the portfolio. Q: What if I want to be a partner to the lead applicant? A: We recognise that some organisations may want to support the Portfolio Lead, perhaps because they have a specialism in relation to the environment or working with young people, or perhaps because they have knowledge of a specific place or UK country. You may already know organisations that are considering applying or have been approached by applicants. This is fine; you do not need to let us know in advance that you are part of an application. We have also provided a form on our website that enables you to post a short description of your organisation and why you are interested in the programme. This is not a formal application form, nor does it indicate that your organisation is endorsed or approved in any way. It will enable any potential lead applicants to the programme to make contact with you if they see that your organisation can provide an expertise or specialism that would enhance their overall bid. We will play no part in brokering between organisations and it will be up to lead applicants to make the contact. Posting your details on the website in this way does not exclude you from also applying as a lead applicant in your own right (though we would expect the facility to be used primarily by organisations who wish to be partners rather than leads). Q: Do you expect the UK lead to support projects in every UK country? A: Yes. We are looking for a UK Lead that is able to work across the UK (or to work with partners who can provide full UK coverage). In addition, we expect the UK Lead/Partnership to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the context of policy and practice in each of the four countries.
Q: Does the portfolio lead need to have significant experience of working with young people, working on environmental issues and/or supporting young people to develop new skills? A: We are looking for an organisation with the relevant project management skills, experience and capacity to develop and coordinate the portfolio. This is best demonstrated through experience of: leading, managing and implementing major strategic partnerships monitoring, evaluating and sharing learning using learning to influence policy and practice A thorough understanding of the themes of the programme young people and their connection to the local environment is also vital but it is possible for the UK portfolio lead to work in partnership with expert bodies to achieve this element, if it does not hold this expertise itself. Q: Can the UK portfolio lead also run one of the projects? Yes. However, we would ideally expect no more than 1 project from the UK portfolio lead and one from each of the partner organisations to be included in the portfolio. One of the ambitions of the programme is to bring together projects that can learn from each other in new and interesting ways, so we would expect the portfolio to be formed by encompassing projects with little or no previous connection with each other. That would not lend itself to the portfolio being composed of projects that were already in an established network. Furthermore, if the portfolio lead runs a project within the portfolio, they would need to demonstrate clearly that they have the capacity for this along with the management of the portfolio. Q: If the UK portfolio lead or partner organisation has a devolved or federate structure, can they only include one project in the portfolio? We can allow some flexibility in the number of projects received from the UK portfolio lead or a partner organisation where, for example, the organisation is a federation. However, one of the ambitions of the programme is to bring together projects that can learn from each other in new and interesting ways, so we would expect the portfolio to be formed by encompassing projects with little or no previous connection with each other. We would also like to see a degree of variety in the approaches that the projects take so if more than one project were to be allowed, we would encourage them to be different and distinct.
Q: Does the UK portfolio lead need to commission an independent organisation to undertake the portfolio evaluation? A: We expect potential UK portfolio leads to outline their plans for an independent and robust impact evaluation of the individual portfolio projects and the portfolio as a whole within their application. The evaluation could be run inhouse by an organisation involved in the UK portfolio lead partnership or commissioned externally. Whatever approach is favoured it is critical that the evaluation is independent from the delivery of the portfolio and that clear lines of communication exist between the evaluation team and the UK portfolio lead.
PART 3 The application process Q: How does the application process work? A:
January to May 2014 you develop a UK-wide project and set out your plans to develop a portfolio of individual projects 16 May 2014 submission deadline for stage one applications May to July 2014 we assess your stage one application and discuss it with you Summer 2014 our UK funding committee considers your application and we will tell you whether you have been successful in receiving development funding and progressing to stage two in ealry autumn August 2014 to January 2015 we pay you development funding (if awarded) to develop the partnership and to select the individual projects. We will advise you on how to develop your stage two application 9 January 2015 you submit a stage two application January to March 2015 we assess your stage two application March 2015 our UK funding committee considers your application March 2015 if successful, we award you a grant
Q: Are you holding any briefing events to tell people more about the programme? A: In early February 2014 we held a webinar briefing for potential applicants. This version of the Questions and Answers incorporates questions that participants asked at the webinar. PART FOUR: Type of projects Q: How do you expect the UK portfolio lead to support the individual projects they select? A: The UK portfolio lead will need to develop its own methodology to support the projects, but we envisage the UK portfolio lead s work might include: identifying the most effective projects, and ascertaining, if looking to replicate existing approaches, the organisations already delivering those projects have the capacity, willingness and ability to replicate them more widely where appropriate, helping organisations to establish new partnerships providing advice, information and networking support to selected projects supporting projects to overcome barriers evaluating the impact of individual projects including unintended outcomes Supporting the projects with media and communications activities, including promoting the project and the programme. Q: What do the individual portfolio projects have to look like? A: The most important characteristic of the portfolio projects is that they are already able to demonstrate an impact in improving the local environment, engaging young people or both. They must then be able to use the funding through this programme to scale up, replicate or adapt their current practice. Scaling up may mean reaching new beneficiaries through strengthening the environmental or young people s engagement element of the project. Replication or adaptation may mean taking a successful approach into a new place, Examples of projects are provided in the stage one application form for illustrative purposes.
Q: Why are projects restricted to working with young people who are over 11 years of age? A: We carefully considered the age range when we were developing the programme. We recognise that children younger than 11 can influence and enjoy the environment and form lifelong behaviours and attitudes. Nevertheless, we also felt that older children and young people would benefit from involvement in projects at the time at which they are making significant life choices and defining their skill sets. We are aware of programmes and projects that work with children pre- and post-11 and on balance felt that the portfolio would be strongest if it focused on the latter as this could combine economic, social and environmental outcomes within the scope of the timescale and funding available. Q: Are intergenerational projects eligible? A: We want to see projects within the portfolio that benefit children and young people across the 11-24 age range. If a project also involves children younger than 11 or adults older than 24 then this is not a problem so long as the outcomes delivered can focus on the core age group of the programme (11-24). Q: Are we looking for a particular balance between skills acquisition and behaviour change? A: Each application should demonstrate how it will deliver the three programme outcomes. These are: 1. More local communities enjoy environmental improvements through activities led by young people. 2. Young people gain new skills relevant to finding jobs, training, volunteering opportunities or starting entrepreneurial projects that contribute to the green economy. 3. There is better evidence about how young people can improve their local environment and this evidence is used to inform wider policy and practice. Stronger applications will be able to demonstrate clearly how their plans will ensure that all of the programme outcomes will be achieved. We have deliberately set the second outcome quite broadly so that it can encompass a wide range of activities that can be measured in social as well as economic terms.
Q: Are we looking for a specific number of projects in each of the 4 countries? A: No. We are looking for a UK Lead that is able to work across the UK (or to work with partners who can provide full UK coverage). Although there are no requirements as to the number of projects in each country, the successful applicant will need to demonstrate how their approach will meet all the programme outcomes in each country. The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate how their approach makes a difference to young people and the environment in all countries within the UK. Q: What research/evidence did you use to design the programme? What type of evidence do you expect applicants to refer to? A: The programme was influenced by three things: discussions with stakeholders, including focus groups with young people; the learning from our own funding programmes focussing on the environment and/or young people; and reference to the available literature on issues such as the green economy, the benefits of improving the local environment and the attitudes of young people towards the environment and their future opportunities. We will expect applicants to have a good understanding of where there is evidence of projects that have a good track record of impact in relation to improving the local environment and/or engaging young people in order that they can have a fully informed view of what should be in the portfolio. PART FIVE: Further information Q. Who do I contact for further information? A. E-mail the programme team at ourenvironment@biglotteryfund.org.uk