Better Youth Spaces FAQs

The 42 priority areas have been selected by the government based on the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) at upper tier local authority level. DCMS will publish the full methodology used on the day the fund is open for applications. 

Open access youth provision is youth work that: 

• Happens outside school hours* 
• Is not part of formal education or alternative provision 
• Is open to all young people—no referral needed** 
• Is actively promoted to local young people 
• Involves trusted adults who guide, support, and challenge 

It can still be open access if: 

• There’s a waiting list, as long as anyone can join it 
• There’s a registration process, as long as it’s not selective 
• It charges a fee, as long as cost isn’t a barrier 

*There may be exceptions for young people aged 18-25 where they have special educational needs or disabilities, are leaving care, or are considered ‘at risk’ or vulnerable 

**Self-referral is allowed and young people with SEND or physical disabilities may need a parent or carer to help them access provision. 

Activities may take place in schools but must meet the definition of Open Access Youth Provision and if the equipment is going to be stored at the school it cannot be used by school. 

It should be based on your regular beneficiaries of the site (refurbishment projects) or the service (equipment/ vehicle projects) you are applying for. 

A site (which can be a building, land or mobile unit) where the primary aim is providing provision for children/young people up to the ages of 18 (or 25 where the young people have special educational needs or disabilities, are leaving care, or considered ‘at risk’ or vulnerable). 

We would consider groups such as those experiencing homelessness, victims of domestic violence or leaving care as ‘at risk’ or ‘vulnerable’. This is not an exhaustive list and we will assess on an individual basis. 

’Enrichment’ involves activities that enhance an individual’s learning by providing greater depth or opportunities to apply knowledge or skills in real-world or practical settings, including teaching knowledge and skills such as fostering critical thinking and problem solving, or stimulating emotional, and social growth. Enrichment activities encompass a wide range of structured activities and clubs, including (but not limited to) sports, music, art, drama, dance, outdoor/adventure, debating, volunteering, youth groups, business/enterprise and tech/digital. They can also include engaging with culture more widely (e.g. visiting museums, libraries, theatres, galleries). 

Applicants must correctly assign refurbishment and equipment costs in their application. 

Equipment = Items that have no permanent connection to the structure of the building, the ground (in the case of land) or the vehicle (in the case of mobile units) and can be removed will be considered equipment. Examples would be pool tables, sofas, computer equipment in a bus, swings or playground equipment not fixed to the ground, fridges or cookers that are not integrated. 

Refurbishment = Items that have a permanent connection to the structure of the building, the ground (in the case of land) or the vehicle (in the case of mobile units) and cannot be removed will be considered part of refurbishment works. Examples would include integrated cookers, built in storage cupboards, sensory garden items bolted to ground, playground items bolted to ground, accessible ramp attached to the bus etc. 

Like for Like replacement is ineligible.  

Equipment/vehicles/ refurbishments will not be deemed like for like if a) it is not identical AND b) it meets one of the fund objectives i.e. it either improves the reach of activities provided, it improves the safety of existing youth facilities, it improves the youth sector’s capacity and quality to deliver a range of enrichment activities, or it improves the financial sustainability of youth facilities.  

If the replacement equipment/vehicle/ refurbishment is identical or delivers no improvements in these areas versus what it is replacing then it would be deemed to be “like for like” replacement and therefore ineligible. 

You must have at least two unrelated governing body directors/ trustees/ committee members to be eligible.

Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO); Company Limited by Guarantee (with dividend, asset and mission lock); Community Interest Company (CIC) Limited by Guarantee; Community Interest Company (CIC) Limited by Shares; Local Authority;  Uniformed Groups (e.g. Scouts, Guides etc..); and Community Benefit Societies. We don’t accept applications from Companies Limited by Shares. 

We can only accept applications from unincorporated uniformed groups, or unincorporated charities registered with the Charity Commission. We do not accept applications from other types of unincorporated organisations. 

For refurbishment applications you need to have a formal, written lease and the agreement must have a minimum of 2 years to expiry at the point of application to be eligible. Applications for equipment are not subject to this rule. 

No, but you do need to comply with SIB’s Safeguarding Policy.

Yes, you can apply. As part of the application process, we do ask how many hours a week of open access youth provision you currently provide for young people, and also how many hours of support are provided to young people aged 11-18 years. We will be prioritising applications where organisations provide higher levels of support to our key groups & age ranges. 

Regardless of the amount being requested by an applicant (up to a maximum of £50,000) for small refurbishment projects, we require 3 quotes for all works. All quotes must be itemised, dated and should have been obtained within the last 3 months at the point of application. You will need to upload all quotes to the application using the fields provided. 

You must also clearly state in your application your chosen quote and the rationale for choosing it. This does not have to be the cheapest, provided you can provide a clear rationale for why you have chosen it. If you are unable to provide 3 quotes for equipment items above £10k or for any refurbishment work, we will still accept your application, but you will be asked in the application form a) why this has not been possible and b) how you have ensured value for money.  Applications that can demonstrate good value for money may score more highly. 

Yes, we will, but you must ensure you have all the relevant building permissions already in place at the time of application if you are applying for any small refurbishment works (e.g. building regulations, planning consent, listed building consent, landlord consent etc. as applicable). It is your responsibility to ensure you have the relevant permissions/ consents you need in place. Not having the relevant permissions/ consents in place at the time of application will mean that your application/ grant will be withdrawn. 

When applying for equipment you need to choose the address/ area where equipment/ vehicle(s) will primarily be stored. When applying for refurbishment you need to choose the address/ area of the land/building. The postcode/ area needs to be in an eligible area, alongside your organisation meeting the full eligibility criteria for the fund. 

No, this fund cannot consider part funding or match funding requests due to the timescales for this funding to be spent. Your application must cover the full costs of the work/ equipment.

No, if your application has been unsuccessful for your site then you cannot reapply to this fund.

No, you can only apply to the fund once per site.

Yes, each application is based on one physical site, so in this instance you would need to make 5 separate applications. Each application would need to ensure it meets the full eligibility criteria for the fund and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

If you have carefully read the detailed fund and application form guidance (once available) and collected all the required information that needs to be uploaded to your application, we estimate the online form taking at least one hour to complete. You do not have to complete your application in one go and can save and return to your application at a later date.

Yes, you can apply for both equipment and refurb support, up to a combined total amount of £100,000 per site. However, the total cost for refurbishment within your application cannot exceed £50,000. For example: You could apply for £50,000 for a small refurbishment project and £40,000 for equipment. Total ask to the fund £90,000. 

Yes, you should claim for any irrecoverable VAT when applying to fund, but you should not include anything that you will be eligible to recover.