From 3 February 2021, employers will be able to apply to the Kickstart Scheme, in the UK (for our Irish members see the similar Youth Employment Support Scheme), without a minimum threshold of 30 jobs. Furthermore, the government is closing applications for new gateways this week, but businesses can still sign up an existing gateway. Which means you can now apply for a Kickstart Scheme grant by either:

  • applying online yourself
  • getting help from a Kickstart gateway who is already working with the Kickstart Scheme

The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new job placements for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment. Employers of all sizes can apply for funding which covers:

Full details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-kickstart-scheme-grant

A key point, the job placements created with Kickstart Scheme funding must be new jobs. They must not:

  • replace existing or planned vacancies
  • cause existing employees, apprentices or contractors to lose work or reduce their working hours

As such we would recommend work in the following areas:

  • if you have pre-1990s projects that have not been processed;
  • if you have had a client(s) who have gone bankrupt before paying for the post-excavation processing i.e. preparing an archive, and there is no other funding sources;
  • public engagement projects not possibly through development-led funded.