Children In Need Launch COVID-19 Next Steps Grant

The Next Steps programme is BBC Children In Needs response programme designed to deliver support for children and young people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible organisations will be able to apply for between £5,000 and £80,000 for work commencing in September 2020. These grants can last up to 18 months. It is designed for established organisations who are already delivering work in their communities and further afield.

Who can apply?

The Next Steps programme will be for not-for-profit organisations within the UK who meet our Minimum Standards for Grantmaking. Your organisation must be registered with the appropriate regulatory body, such as your nation’s Charity Commission or Companies House (unless your organisation currently holds a BBC Children in Need grant).

We will not be accepting applications from educational institutions (including schools), prisons, hospitals or other statutory bodies.

Is this the right fund for your organisation?

These grants are designed to fund sustained responses to the COVID-19 situation. These projects can last up to 18 months and begin in September 2020. The fund will help organisations with more complex service adaption, including additional staffing requirements. It is designed to be as flexible as possible, covering a wide range of activities.

We expect a high level of interest in this programme. We will prioritise applications from organisations that:

• Target children and young people disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (see below). We recognise that the current crisis increases pre-existing inequalities.
• Have mission statements, objects, or aims which focus on supporting and empowering a particular group or community experiencing disadvantage.
• Respond confidently in a local area and are best placed to do so. We want to fund organisations that have the reach and trust of the communities/communities of interest they serve.
• Can prove a track record of engaging disadvantaged children and young people over the last two years.

BBC Children in Need targets children and young people aged 0-18 years impacted by disadvantage including illness; distress; abuse or neglect; any kind of disability; behavioural or psychological difficulties; or living in poverty or situations of deprivation.

Through our research team, we have identified particular cohorts of children and young people particularly impacted by the coronavirus crisis.