Young Women and Girls Fund

Tender description

The Home Office is seeking to award grant funding of up to £2.74m over a 3-year period to local authorities (LAs) in the 20 police force areas that account for 80% of serious violence in England and Wales. The purpose of the Young Women and Girls Fund (YWGF) is to improve services to young women and girls suffering gang related harm or exploitation, with a focus on understanding the specific and gendered risks that this poses. The YWGF will ensure women and girls are able to access the tailored, dedicated support they need. To do this, the YWGF will fund specialist Young Women's Workers (YWW) who will work directly with young women and girls who are risk of, or experiencing, gang exploitation. We welcome applications from local authorities who: • Can demonstrate a strong understanding of the nature and risks of gang related exploitation of women and girls in their area; • Can demonstrate the ability to mobilise a service quickly; • Can provide a credible and effective service for vulnerable young women and girls experiencing gang related harm. This should include details on the types of intervention the YWW will deliver, details of appropriate safeguarding measures, and a plan to engage with vulnerable cohorts who may be hard to reach; • Can demonstrate the ability to build credible and effective links with law enforcement partners, safeguarding agencies, Violence Reduction Units and voluntary and community sector partners in the eligible locations; • Can offer gender-specific support, recognising the differences between the experiences of girls and boys who are experiencing gang exploitation. Eligibility Local authorities within the 20 Violence Reduction Unit areas will be eligible to apply for funding from the YWGF, in line with the Home Office's geographically targeted approach to tackling serious violence. This includes local authorities within the following police force areas: London, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Northumbria, Lancashire, Thames Valley, Avon and Somerset, Essex, Kent, Nottinghamshire, Cleveland, Hampshire, Leicester, Bedfordshire, South Wales, Humberside, and Sussex. Together, these police forces account for approximately 80% of serious violence across England and Wales. Bidders will be able to apply for one worker per local authority area to work with women and girls who are experiencing gang related harm, receiving up to a maximum value of £43,000 (the cost of one worker) in years 2 and 3. In year 1 (22/23), bidders will be eligible to receive up to £28,666. Bidders are welcome to apply alone as the local authority or in partnership with other local public and/or voluntary sector organisations. While each local authority may only submit one bid, local authorities may wish to cross reference one another's bids where concerns around violence, child criminal exploitation and gang association cross geographical boundaries.