Workplace Equality Fund
In partnership with the Scottish Government, Advice Direct Scotland are delighted to be administering the delivery of the latest iteration of the Workplace Equality Fund – a source of financial support for Scottish businesses and organisations striving to improve equality-related outcomes for priority groups within the workplace. The goal of the fund is to support employers in identifying, addressing, and diminishing longstanding barriers facing particular priority groups in entering and progressing within the labour market. More specifically, the intention is to incentivise and support collaborative projects which strive to reduce employment inequalities and cultivate positive practices in pursuit of a more inclusive working environment.
The fund is aimed at employers – both private sector organisations and public sector organisations based in Scotland are invited to apply. To be considered, these organisations must apply with a third sector partner (e.g. a registered charity); the partner should have knowledge and expertise with respect to the specific equality issue that the employer is seeking to address. Third sector organisations – including registered charities – that are based in Scotland are also eligible to apply. To be considered, these organisations must partner with another organisation. The third sector organisation can partner with a private or public organisation and serve as the equality-related expert with respect to the identified priority group, or they can apply with another third sector organisation and serve as the employer striving to support priority group employees. For all cases, applicants must be able to demonstrate that an appropriate partnership is in place with at least one other organisation. Partnerships may be newly established for the purposes of the proposed project, or they could be already established partnerships from previous work.
Projects can apply for a maximum of £75,000 per year (i.e., an overall total of £150,000 across a 2-year period). Projects requesting a value of less than £20,000 per year are unlikely to be accepted given the relative likelihood of weak impact on the priority groups. Applicants should be aware that they may receive a funding offer lower than their request. Please note that funding for year two is dependent upon the annual Spending Review and Scottish budget. Funding will also be subject to satisfactory delivery and effective governance and may be reviewed if any concerns are raised by the Scottish Government, Advice Direct Scotland, or the applicant organisations themselves.
Applications will be accepted from the 17th of January 2022 until the 11th of April 2022.