Stockport VCFSE Work & Skills Fund

Part of the Greater Manchester Economic Inactivity Trailblazer Programme

Funded by the UK Government. Delivered in partnership with Sector 3, Stockport Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and the Department for Work and Pensions.

The Stockport VCFSE Work and Skills Fund is part of the
Greater Manchester Economic Inactivity Trailblazer Programme.

The fund plays an important role in Stockport’s Live Well initiative, joining up public, private and VCFSE sectors to support residents to ‘live well’. It is part of a wider commitment to making Stockport a place where everyone can thrive, regardless of background or circumstance.

This £100,000 fund will provide grants of £10,000–£25,000 to incorporated, not-for-profit VCFSE organisations in Stockport.

The programme will:

Tackle inequalities in access to work.

Strengthen employer knowledge and capacity to adopt inclusive recruitment and retention practices.

Build sustainable cross-sector partnerships between businesses and VCFSEs.

Increase opportunities for Stockport residents facing the greatest barriers to employment.

The fund is “trailblazing” in nature. It is designed to help organisations test new approaches or build on existing work to support inclusive employment locally.

Evidence shows that unemployment and poor-quality jobs are significant contributors to both physical and mental health inequalities.

“Stockport has always been a place where innovation and partnership go hand in hand.

This new Work and Skills Fund is a fantastic example of how our voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise sector can work alongside local businesses to break down barriers to employment.

I’m proud that we’re leading the way in Greater Manchester, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact this fund will have for our residents and communities.”

- Councillor Micheala Meikle, Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Skills at Stockport Council

Eligibility Criteria

To apply, organisations must:
- Be an incorporated not-for-profit VCFSE organisation operating in Stockport (charity, CIC, social enterprise, faith group, or community association).
- Demonstrate experience (or potential) in employment support, inclusion, or training.
- Consider people with lived experience of employment barriers in project design.
- Hold relevant safeguarding, equality, and data protection policies.
- Have a bank account in the name of the organisation and appropriate financial controls.
- Have been actively delivering services/programmes in Stockport within the last two years.
Who cannot apply:
- Unincorporated community groups.
- Individuals.
- For-profit businesses.
- Projects outside Stockport.
- Organisations without appropriate governance or policies.
This £100,000 fund will provide grants of £10,000–£25,000 to incorporated, not-for-profit VCFSE organisations in Stockport.
Projects should address two or more of the following priorities for Stockport residents aged between 16 – 64 years old. All projects should consider how they will engage with both participants and employers.
- Targeted support for people facing systemic barriers to employment
- Supported volunteering pathways that reduce barriers to participation including expense coverage and wraparound support to encourage people to volunteer in their communities as a pathway to employment.
- Training for employers on inclusive recruitment, accessibility, trauma-informed practices, mental health at work, and/or flexible job design.
- Toolkits and resources to help employers adapt recruitment, induction, and retention practices.
- Employer engagement pilots that build trusted cross-sector relationships and support businesses to implement inclusive practices.
- Promoting fair and flexible job opportunities for people facing systemic barriers to employment.
- Retrospective costs.
- Core organisational costs unrelated to delivery.
- Projects duplicating existing provision without added value.
- Activities outside Stockport.
- Unincorporated community groups.
- Individuals.
- For-profit businesses.
- Projects outside Stockport.
- Organisations without appropriate governance or policies.
- Complete the online application form. You can download a copy of the application form in a word document here or request it in a different language via funding@sector3sk.org
- Complete all sections, including a 5-month delivery plan.
- Have the documents available for Due Diligence checks – Safeguarding policy, certificate of public liability insurance, recent accounts and bank statement.
- Submit by 14 October 2025, 12 O’clock\ (midnight)
- Applications will be assessed by an independent panel.
Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
- Relevance: alignment with fund priorities and target groups.
- Impact: clear outcomes for people, employers, and systems.
- Feasibility: realistic delivery plan, track record, and capacity.
- Collaboration: co-production and partnerships.
- Value for Money: reasonable costs, clear budget.
- Meet the Funder session: Friday 26 September, 2pm - 3pm online. Please check Sector 3 eventbrite to register.
- 1:1 support available from Sector 3 to answer questions and guide you through the process. We cannot write applications on your behalf (contact kaylie.chapman@sector3sk.org to arrange an appointment.
- Questions regarding monitoring and evaluation? Contact Sophie on sophie.powell@sector3sk.org
- Require reasonable adjustments to support you with the application process? Contact funding@sector3sk.org
- Application Window: 23 September - 14 October 2025
- Meet the Funder Event: Friday 26 September
- Application Review session with Sector 3 - 8 October
- Application Deadline: 14 October 2025 (midnight)
- Panel Decision: 23 October 2025
- Due Diligence Checks: 27 - 30 October 2025
- Funds transferred: 31 October 2025
- Project Start Date: Beginning of November 2025
- Mandatory Reporting Information Session: 6th of November
- Learning, Insights & Reporting Sessions: First Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday of each month from November 2025 – March 2026
- Final Report Due by: 31 March 2026
  Please note - the final report dates have been set by the funder
For the Trailblazer Fund, GMCA require funded organisations to submit certain information so they can monitor and measure the impact of the fund. You will be required to submit information about engaged participants and the progress of your project. This should not be a barrier to support.
Funded projects will:
- Record participant data on a provided template and share with funders monthly. Reporting questionaire example available to download here
- Attend monthly a Learning, Insights & Reporting session
- Submit a final report by 31 March 2026.
- Share anonymised case studies, outputs, and learning.
Reporting Deadlines:
- Wednesday 3rd of December 2025
- Tuesday 6th of January 2026
- Wednesday 4th of February 2026
- Thursday 5th of March 2026
- Tuesday 31st of March 2026