NatWest opens second round of Skills & Opportunities Fund
NATWEST has opened the second round of funding for its Skills & Opportunities Fund.
The first round of the £2.5m funding scheme attracted more than 1,000 applicants and saw 42 successful organisations receive money, including eight from the Midlands and East of England, secure over £1m in funding.
Applications are now being invited from charities, social enterprises, community groups and state-funded schools or colleges across the Midlands and East of England. The fund will support projects in disadvantaged communities that help people learn new skills, get into work or set up their own business, now or in the future.
The UK and Ireland have been split into seven regions to distribute the fund: each region has a judging panel that will review all the entries and publish a shortlist. Voting will then open to the public on Friday October 30, with the public vote counting for one vote in each region in the final judging process. Successful projects should receive their first funding in December this year.
Ross McEwan, CEO NatWest, said: “We have been working hard to make a difference in our communities for generations, with a particular emphasis on supporting young people, businesses and entrepreneurs. Our recently launched £2.5m Skills & Opportunities Fund builds on this commitment and is aimed at helping people in disadvantaged communities to build better lives, and in turn, to create stronger communities for everyone.
“The response to the launch in May surpassed all our expectations, and it has been great to meet some of the organisations we’re supporting already. I look forward to meeting some of the projects we can support in this round of funding too.”
Janet Hutson, Chairman of the Midlands and East of England Regional Stakeholders Board, added: “In the Midlands and East, we’re looking to back projects and engage with the local community to help build a long lasting legacy and deliver a measurable social impact on employability, enterprise or education.
“We want to ensure we support people across our Region in gaining qualifications, finding employment and in starting their own business. Where organisations have volunteering opportunities for our staff, whilst not essential, we would also like to hear about these.”
The application period closes at noon on Friday September 11. Representatives of qualifying organisations can apply for funding by visiting: skillsandopportunitiesfund.natwest.com.
