Migrant Advice and Support Fund - application guidance

Q1. Project proposal – initial six-months:

Please outline your request for funding and how you expect your project will benefit migrant Londoners, particularly those underserved by current advice and support provision?

Please include the following in your answer:

• Where your project will take place
• Who the target participants are for your project
• How your target participants are currently underserved by existing advice and support provision
• The main activities you will deliver in your project
• How your intervention will specifically benefit your target participants
• How your approach is tailored to the needs and sensitivities of the target participants
• How you will measure success of your project.

We do not require background information about your organisation for this question, this will be covered in a separate question within the application form.

Be specific and clear to show how you would effectively deliver appropriate advice and/or support activities to migrant Londoners.

This is an opportunity for you to explain how your approach aligns with the programme objectives, which are as follows:

• Develop advice, support and outreach capacity for currently underserved groups, and areas of emerging need; 
• Promote lasting collaboration across the advice sector for the betterment of migrant groups; 
• Promote practices which prioritise staff wellbeing in challenging contexts to improve the long-term resilience of the sector.

This is also an opportunity to demonstrate an understanding about the key groups who are currently underserved by existing advice and support, their current level of need, as well as the current picture of support / provision amongst / within those groups.

This is an opportunity to demonstrate a clear understanding of how current political and legislative context is impacting on migrant Londoners.

In particular, this question will help us to assess the following assessment criteria:

• Strength of proposal to deliver activities
• Extent of ability to reach members of the community, and understanding of the issues
• Likelihood of success
• Projected impact.

Q2. Please outline whether you would like to extend your project to March 2024. Please provide details of how much additional funding you will require for the extension period and how you will spend this additional grant.

Please provide details of how much additional funding you will require for the extension period and summarise how you will spend this additional grant.

We will confirm plans for extension with successful grantees in the new financial year (2023-24).

Be specific and clear to show how you would effectively deliver appropriate advice and/or support activities to migrant Londoners.

In particular, this question will help us to assess the following assessment criteria:

• Strength of proposal to deliver activities
• Likelihood of success
• Projected impact

Q3. If applying in partnership, please provide information about the relationship and how tasks will be distributed.

This question is mandatory for all organisations applying in partnership. 

Please note that whilst partnership working is encouraged, it is not required to apply for the fund.

We are looking for a strong understanding of partnership working, the barriers and opportunities for organisations to work together to deliver services.

In particular, this question will help us to assess the following assessment criteria:

• Strength of proposal to deliver activities
• Likelihood of success

Q4. Tell us about the specific expertise and skills your organisation has to deliver this project successfully.

Please include information about the following:

• relevant qualifications, experience, and skills
• track record of engagement with London’s migrant communities
• whether your organisation (or project) is led by those with lived experience
• methods of engagement with migrant Londoners 
• a short summary of the team that will be involved in the project
• details of any work or projects that are relevant to the programme.

Methods of engagement may include (but are not limited to): 

• outreach in community settings
• translated resources
• development of key relationships.

Organisations must have the relevant qualifications, skills and experience for the services offered, such as:

• SRA accreditation or appropriate OISC Level, if the funding proposal includes immigration advice provision.

In particular, this question will help us to assess the following assessment criteria:

• Relevance of previous engagement with migrant Londoners
• Likelihood of success.

Q5. Delivery:

What steps will your project take to mitigate risks which could impact on successful delivery?

Please include:

• three to five main risks  
• whether the severity of each risk is low, medium or high (in terms of project delivery) 
• whether the likelihood of each risk is low, medium or high.

In particular, this question will help us to assess the following assessment criteria:

• Strength of proposal to deliver activities.

Q6. Outcomes:

How many people do you estimate will be involved in your project?

Please indicate the estimate of the number of people supported as follows:

• People supported directly by the project are those who will directly access or attend your services or activities. 
• People supported indirectly are those who will benefit as a result of your project, despite not directly engaging with it (such as family members or the wider community).

If applicable, please include an estimate of how many Ukrainians and/or Hongkongers your project will support (this breakdown is required for funding administration purposes only, it will not affect your score).

In particular, this question will help us to assess the following assessment criteria:

• Potential impact.

Q7. How much funding are you requesting from the Migrant Advice and Support Fund, and how will you spend the grant? (Use a separate Excel document if necessary)

We expect your budget to follow the below example format:

Q8. Please tell us how this funding will make a difference.

Tell us what impact this funding will have on your organisation itself. This could be in terms of reach, trust, resilience, retention, partnerships developed etc.

In particular, this question will help us to assess the following assessment criteria:

• Potential impact.

Q9. Equality and Diversity:

Please describe your approach to workforce diversity and ensuring equal opportunities are available for all staff and volunteers.

This includes your approach to ensuring good practice in recruitment, training, and support for staff and volunteers involved in this project.  

In particular, this question will help us to assess the following assessment criteria:

• Strength of proposal to deliver activities.

Q10. References:

Please provide the contact details of at least one reference that can vouch for your organisation’s work.

This could be a local councillor or MP, local authority employee, school, partner organisation or funder for example.

We cannot accept references from another member of staff or volunteer.
 
References will only be contacted where applications are successful.

In particular, this question will help us to assess the following assessment criteria:

• Strength of proposal to deliver activities.

Q11. Optional question:

The GLA will be commissioning a separate service for grantees to access around staff wellbeing. Please suggest any topics/areas that your organisation would like to focus on when considering staff wellbeing (optional).

This may include subjects such as effective boundaries, recognising vicarious trauma, preventing and managing burnout, collective care, etc.

This question will not be used to assess your application.

This is an opportunity for the GLA to learn from applicants about what support will be most effective for grantees.

The prime consideration in assessing applications is addressing the unmet needs of migrant Londoners and the way in which your project or partnership will respond to these through quality advice provision or support.

Each of the above questions will be scored in accordance with the following criteria: