Mental Health in Schools programme funding

Is it possible to see a copy of all the application questions?

​​​​​​The questions are listed in full at point 15 of the Funding Prospectus. 

Are specific scoring criteria aligned to certain questions? 

Individual questions are not exclusively aligned to specific criteria. Instead, scoring criteria are applied holistically across all relevant questions in your application.

How many grants will be awarded? 

One grant of £650,000 will be awarded. 

Are applicants expected to provide match funding?

There is no expectation for applicants to provide match funding. The availability of match funding will not influence the outcome of the application. 

What documents will applicants need to provide for due diligence?

The following documents will be needed for due diligence: 

• copy of the most recent audited accounts 

• evidence of public and employer’s liability insurance 

• copy of the organisation’s financial regulations/procedures 

• statement of the organisation’s cash flow forecast for the current year 

• the organisation’s budget for the current year 

• budgeted allocation of funding within the project 

• name and contact details of bank 

• details of previous GLA contracts/grants and values over the last 12 months 

• grant amount 

• project title 

• company or charity registration number 

• safeguarding policy for children and young people.

Are there any income threshold restrictions to applying for this grant? 

Our due diligence process will not rule out any organisation on the basis of income thresholds, but will highlight instances where we may introduce mitigations for higher risk organisations. 

Payments are attached to milestones, how often are you expecting these milestones to occur?

We intend to give two payments to the Delivery Partner – one early in Summer 2025 and one in April 2026. We would also expect termly reporting on the progress of the project for each school. 
 

Are there restrictions on where the VCSE organisation applying is based? 

There are no geographical limitations on where the provider is based. 

Do the application questions have word counts?


There are no word counts on the e-form, but we are looking for clear, succinct responses. We recommend 250 words. Please do get in touch with [email protected] if you are having problems with the e-form. 

I can’t seem to input my details into the form, what should I do?

If you're having trouble with this e-form, please do contact [email protected].
 

Is it expected that this project will continue after GLA funding has ended? 


The aim is to ensure that  key elements of this work,  such as the Community of Practice, toolkit and ongoing delivery plans are embedded and sustained beyond the current funding cycle. There is no expectation of further funding for this work. 

How will this programme be evaluated?

We will be recruiting an evaluator to be in place by the start of the Autumn term 2025. The evaluator will support the GLA, boroughs, schools and the grantee to find the best methods of evaluating this work.

Has the external evaluator already been selected?

We have not yet procured our independent evaluator but expect this process to begin shortly so that they can be in place for the beginning of delivery.

Is the programme 12 months or 18 months?

In its entirety this programme will last between July 2025 and March 2027. The intervention in schools will begin in Autumn 2025 and end in Summer 2026. After this point, the Delivery Partner will be expected to work with the independent evaluator on the evaluation which will be completed by March 2027.
 

How can I find out which boroughs are participating in this work?  

Please contact [email protected] for a list of the Boroughs that will likely be participating in this project. 

The list of Boroughs says they are ‘likely’ to be part of this programme. At what point will this list be confirmed?

By the end of the application process, these Boroughs will be confirmed and in place for the Delivery Partner. 

Upon which criteria have Boroughs been selected for this programme? 

The selection of the invited boroughs was guided by rigorous selection criteria developed in collaboration with the Mayor’s City Intelligence Unit. Drawing on a comprehensive literature review and their expertise in this policy area, the Unit identified the most suitable data sources to inform this borough-targeting exercise. These criteria included CAMHS waiting lists, Index of Multiple Deprivation, school absence rates and more. 

How much influence does a provider have on the selection of boroughs?

The provider will have no influence on the selection of boroughs. Boroughs will be selected by the GLA, guided by rigorous selection criteria developed in collaboration with the Mayor’s City Intelligence Unit.

How many schools will the programme be working with?

Exactly 16 schools.

Have the schools already been identified by local authorities?

Local authorities have already been identified and are in the process of choosing two local schools per Borough. We will have the list by the time the Delivery Partner is in place but not before.

Will the selected schools be communicated with during the grant application process?  

We do not expect to communicate a finalised list during the grant application process. We will have the list by the time the Delivery Partner is in place but not before. 

Could the schools list include special schools and/or alternative provision?

The identification of the participating schools lies with the Boroughs who are part of this work. We have not excluded special schools or alternative provision. This means the Delivery Partner will need to have an understanding of mental health support in all types of schools. 

What was the process like for schools? Did they apply to boroughs or were they selected by boroughs?

This varies from borough to borough but is based on the principle that schools will have the capacity to engage with the programme and will have heard about this work as early as possible.

Do we know what interventions the school may already have had access to? 

This project aims to not duplicate any existing work. Instead, this project will support and build on work to support students’ mental health and wellbeing.

Will we accept applications from consortiums of organisations? 

Applications will be accepted from consortiums of organisations as long as every organisation within the consortium meets the entry requirements. 

Does every organisation within a consortium have to meet the entry requirements? 

These requirements apply to all organisations within a consortium. 

Do the Consolidated Financial Accounts for consortiums need to be audited? If so, does this mean only consortiums with existing track record are viable?

The consolidated accounts for the consortium do not need to be audited as it is assumed each entity that is part of the consortium would have had their separate accounts audited (if appropriate). But we would expect a qualified accountant to sign off the consolidated accounts. The overall financial strength of the consortium will be considered – but the strengths and weaknesses of each consortium member will have a bearing on the overall financial strength of the consortium.

How does this programme complement MHST programme?

We are not looking to duplicate the great work of London’s Mental Health Support Teams in schools. We have worked closely with the NHS to ensure that this project supports schools where Whole School Approach services are not provided.

Can you define supervision from within the funding prospectus? 

As part of the Whole School Approach, supervision will mean how the Delivery Partner will support the school’s leadership team throughout the assessment and programme. You may set up 1:1s or group meetings with the school leadership team.

Are we looking for online/virtual or in person delivery? 

Delivery will depend on what the school is looking for. The assessment for each school that takes place at the start of the programme will unveil the unique needs of the school and allow delivery to be tailored.

Is there an expected amount of engagement work in each school? 

This is something we would like to see as part of organisations’ project proposals. Each school should be supported based on their needs, within the budgetary limitations of this grant. Applications should demonstrate this balance.

Does the timeline account for the school holidays given engagement with schools will be difficult in August?

There will still be time to build relationships with local authorities before the start of the school year. Delivery is designed to start in the autumn term, but it is understandable that there will likely need to be weeks in September to build relationships before delivery begins if there is no time during this academic year.

The scoring criteria asks for "Evidence of sustainability plans and consideration of how the project might be embedded beyond the funding period." Are you looking for a delivery partner to continue to be involved after the grant period? 

This point refers to work building a number of initiatives to continue after the project’s funding ends without the involvement of the Delivery Partner. These include a toolkit for future schools, creating a Community of Practice and strong delivery plans for the participating schools to continue implementing after the funding term.