Buy Local Norfolk have fought hard to become an approved gateway organisation offering our members the opportunity to apply for the Kickstart scheme. We have been successful in this and are welcoming applications from our members.
But do you know what the scheme is all about? Let us fill you in!
What is the Kickstart Scheme?
The Kickstart Scheme provides government funding to create new job placements for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment.
What does the funding cover?
- 100% of the National Minimum Wage (or the National Living Wage depending on the age of the participant) for 25 hours per week for a total of 6 months
- associated employer National Insurance contributions
- employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions
Who can apply?
Businesses of all sizes can apply for this scheme
What happens after the 6 months placement has ended?
You are under no obligation to keep the employee on, unless this is a feasible option for you to consider. The main aim of this grant is for a young person at risk of long term unemployment to gain work experience in order to aid their employability in the future.
Can I apply via Buy Local Norfolk if I’m not a member?
We are only offering our gateway services to our Buy local Norfolk members. There are so many benefits to joining us that far outweigh the small fee of £10 per month. View more about membership and apply to join us here: www.buylocalnorfolk.org.uk/membership/
Will I have support with training the young person?
Indeed, we have you covered! There is £1500 funding per employee to be used for setup costs and to support the young person to develop their future employability prospects. Buy Local Norfolk will offer a package to cover all required aspects of personal development, employability support and training for the employee such as first aid at work, using social media at work, attendance, health & safety, CV writing & interview skills, customer services, basic accounts for work and household accounts, including providing any equipment such as laptops etc. Should you choose for us to deliver this, we would require the £1500 grant to be passed to us to cover this.
Should you wish to manage all of this yourselves, we will need you to provide proof that the young person has attended and completed all the required training courses and receipts to cover the money which has been used. All unused funds will need to be returned.
Do I need to have PAYE set up?
The simple answer is no you don’t.
If you do not have PAYE set up, and take on the BLN offer of the training programme etc, Buy Local Norfolk will pay the young person for you via our PAYE system.
How do I apply?
As a gateway organisation, all our members can apply through us. Simply email office@buylocalnorfolk.org.uk and we will send over an application pack.