FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are a school, educational establishment or a youth organisation and are not running the Achievement Award Scheme and are interested in joining the scheme, the information below should answer some questions you may have.

What is the eligibility criteria?

The scheme is open to applications from secondary schools, clubs and youth groups which must meet the following criteria:

Be a:

Registered charity or
State secondary school/college or
Local authority youth club or
A properly constituted ‘not for profit’ organisation.
Be based in London or Essex
Have been operating for at least one year (this applies to youth organisations only)
Regularly work with young people aged 11 – 25
Have an active attendance of more than 12 young people
Be actively promoting the growth and development of young people
Be committed to participation of young people in decision making within the organisation
Be committed to diversity and inclusion
Be financially sustainable.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept applications from profit-making companies, private schools and statutory bodies not mentioned above, or from groups where the sole purpose of the youth work activity/programme is to promote/teach a political or religious belief.

If you are unsure if your organisation meets the above criteria, please contact us to discuss this before submitting an application

How do I apply to join the Achievement Award scheme?

To apply, you need to register with us and complete an online application form. We will ask you to provide your contact details, information about your organisation and information about the young people you work with.

We will acknowledge your application and a Grants Officer will make contact with you to arrange a convenient time to come and visit your organisation and assess your eligibility for the scheme.

Following our visit, a recommendation will be made to our Foundation Trustees and subject to all criteria being met, you will be accepted on to the scheme.

How long does the process take?

An average application takes eight weeks from the time you submit your online application, to receiving a written decision on whether it’s been successful or not.

In order to help ensure your application can be dealt with quickly, please send all the necessary documents with your application, please respond as quickly as you can to any requests for further information and please provide times for one of our Grants Officers to come and meet with you and see your school or club ‘in action’.

What documents will I need to provide with my Achievement Award scheme application?

If you are a youth organisation, a charity or another ‘not for profit’ organisation, you will need the following:

A Constitution or Memorandum & Articles of Association which includes a clause setting out what happens to funds in the event that the club/group closes. This needs to be signed by a senior representative.
A bank statement dated within the past three months.
Latest signed approved accounts. These need to be signed by a senior representative of your organisation. If your most recent accounts are on the charity commission website, you may detail this on your application form to save on printing.
Public Liability Insurance.
An up to date Safeguarding Policy and where appropriate a Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy.

If you are a sports organisation, you will need to provide your registration number or upload evidence of affiliation to an associated body.

You will also need to provide:

Your income, expenditure, and unrestricted reserves for the past 12 months
The name, affiliation, and contact details of two referees; one with professional experience of your organisation and the other a parent or service user

How will you use the information I provide?

Please read our privacy statement setting out how we use the information and data you provide.

What is the role of a coordinator?

The Coordinator is responsible for the administration of the Achievement Award Scheme within the organisation/group or school. The coordinator should be responsible and if under the age of 18, is to be supported by an adult

The administration of the programme has been designed to be easy to manage.

The Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that:

The scheme is run efficiently and effectively and as outlined in our toolkit.
That grant reports are submitted on time as required.
Communication with your JPF Grants Officer is maintained.
Any change of Coordinator is reported to your JPF Grants Officer.