The Big Spend FAQ's

What is The Big Spend?

The Big Spend is the name given in Hertfordshire for the Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF) and Youth Capital Fund (YCF). The name The Big Spend was developed and agreed by a group of young people in Herts as they felt it was more catchy and interesting than YOF and YCF.

What are the funds about?

Both funds are government funds which are allocated to Hertfordshire by the governments Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to spend in our county.

The whole aim of the funds is to give young people in Hertfordshire a chance to have a say in what is available to them in their local area. 

How much is available in each fund?

In Hertfordshire there is a budget of:

  • £596,800 for Youth Opportunity Fund
  • £516,100 for Youth Capital Fund

We have the above allocation to award during the period April 2010 -March 2011

How much can I apply for?

Currently there is no limit to what can be applied for, all that we suggest is that the bid represents value for money and the amount applied for reflects the number of young people that will benefit from it. For example the decision makers would be more likely to approve a bid for £20,000 which 80 young people would benefit from than a bid for £20,000 which 10 young people would benefit from.

So far approved bids have ranged from £250 to £85,000.

For 2008/09 the average amount awarded was £7,839 of Youth Opportunity Funding and £20,884 of Youth Capital Funding.

How do I apply?

You need to complete a Big Spend Application form. These can be downloaded from the Big Spend page at the bottom of this page or by completing our online application at /money/the-big-spend.htm.

Alternatively if you would like an application pack sent out to you, please send an email to yof@hertscc.gov.ukor a text to 07765 897988 stating your name and address.

What can I apply for?

The Youth Opportunity Fund is:

A fund for Revenue costs, which can be spent on project costs including the following:

  • Project staff
  • Professional expertise, such as specialist tutors
  • Venue/facilities hire
  • Small equipment purchases (under £2k).

The Youth Capital Fund is:

A fund for capital items such as:

  • Creation or improvement of buildings
  • Fixed equipment (over £2k)

Where the main or sole beneficiaries will be young people

N.B. Both YOF and YCF can be applied for together for any project using the same application form.

For examples of successful bids please click here: (Big Spend Watch)

The funds cannot be used for the following:

  • Individuals e.g. paying for someone’s driving lessons
  • Retrospective funding i.e. something already taken place
  • Groups, activities or projects which are discriminatory or promote a particular religious or political view.
  • School/College based projects where the activities are to take place during the school day and/or the main beneficiaries are members of the school/college.
  • Projects or activities that are considered to be unsafe e.g. without a health and policy, insurance etc
  • Projects or activities that are deemed to be illegal.
  • Trips (particularly overseas) where there will be no benefit to the local community

Where to go for help?

If you would like someone to assist you with your bid we would suggest you contact any of the following groups:

Your:

  • Local Youth Club
  • School or college
  • Youth Council
  • Local One Stop Shop
  • Youth Connexions Hertfordshire PA

Alternatively look on the Channel Mogo Discussion Boards or contact Steve, who is the Youth Participation Worker on the funds on 01442 454067 or 07765 897988 or email him at yof@hertscc.gov.uk  

Are there deadlines / When will I get a decision?

Currently there are no deadlines, the decision makers usually meet on a monthly to 6 weekly basis and when your bid is received and ready to be decided upon it will be looked at as soon as possible.

Most completed applications are decided upon within 4-6 weeks of receipt. Although this may be longer if the decision makers require any further information.

We would suggest that you bear this timescale in mind and that you get your bids in as early as possible to ensure that it gives you enough time to prepare your project and to receive the money before it starts.

Who makes the decisions?

All of the decisions made on applications for funding are made by fully trained young people aged 13-19 years. In Hertfordshire we currently have 2 groups of decision makers.

 If you are interested in making decisions on funding applications please contact Steve on 01442 454067 or 07765 897988 or email him at YOF@hertscc.gov.uk

What is my chance of success?

Last year 82% of all bids were awarded some money from the funds.

To ensure your best chance of success you should ensure that your bid meets the following key criteria:

  • The application should be made by a group of young people aged 13-19 years or up to 25 if the bid involves young people with special needs
  • The money must be used to benefit young people living in Hertfordshire
  • The project must be safe, legal and non-discriminatory

Please note applications for repeat bids (i.e. projects we have funded previously) are less likely to be successful.

The decision makers normally consider the following when making a decision:

  • How many young people will benefit from the funding
  • What the need for the project is
  • Whether the costings add up and represent value for money
  • Whether the group could get funding from elsewhere
  • Whether there is something similar taking place already in the area

 

What happens if my application is successful?

  1. Firstly you will receive a letter confirming the decision. If the amount approved is below £10k you will also receive a contract and supporting paperwork and then move to step 3.
  2. If the amount approved is above £10,000 you will receive a separate contract, normally within 2 weeks of step 1, along with supporting paperwork which should be completed and returned to us
  3. Once we have received the paperwork and checked it is complete we will arrange payment to your group’s account
  4. You should keep a record of all the money that you spend. Once your money is spent and your project is finished you should return this with a completed End of Grant Report form.

NB. If yours is a Youth Connexions project it will be slightly different

What happens if my application is rejected?

  • The panel will write to you explaining the reasons why they have made that decision
  • You are then welcome to re-apply but to have any chance of success the reasons for rejection must be taken in to account.