Get InVOLved Innovation Fund - Important Information

The Get Involved Innovation Fund supports VCSE organisations to pilot new activities to enable people from identified groups (see below) who face barriers to volunteering to become volunteering-ready, or engage in volunteering, to improve their health and wellbeing. 

For the first year (April 2025 – March 2026) the fund will focus on supporting organisations that have a track record of engaging with adults who have learning disabilities, and/or neurodiversity or autism, and looked-after children or children leaving care.

We are inviting constituted groups to apply to the Get Involved Innovation Fund to support new activities, or extend or adapt existing activities, which enable people with the above protected characteristics who do not normally do so to get involved in volunteering in the community, or in a health or care setting. 

What will the Fund support?

The fund is part of the Volunteering for Health project which aims to explore new ways to make volunteering more inclusive and welcoming of diversity. 

There is an emphasis on trying new approaches and learning more about the steps organisations need to take to become more welcoming and inclusive, so we want to be open to creative responses. 

The key criteria for proposals are that they need to –

• engage people from the target groups who do not currently volunteer (if a mixed group at least 50% need to fall into a target group)

• provide activities to enable them to become ‘volunteering ready’

• create opportunities so they can experience volunteering within the applicant’s organisation or by linking with another VCSE or statutory/NHS organisation

• demonstrate that the activities are a new development for the organisation 

• provide potential for broader application and practical learning outcomes to share with the sector

Awards will be made to cover costs incurred in the development and delivery of these activities, up to a maximum of £7,500. They will need to be delivered within 6 months of the award being confirmed unless otherwise agreed with the Volunteering Innovation Manager during the planning process.

Successful applicants will be able to develop and submit new proposals once the initial project is completed and assessed. 

Unsuccessful applicants will be able to submit a revised proposal incorporating guidance from the Volunteering Innovation Manager.

Which organisations can apply?

Any organisation that can demonstrate the following-

• It is a constituted not-for-profit organisation with named officers and an active bank account, including groups run by and for young people (ie under 18);

• It has up-to-date Safeguarding, Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities, insurance and other key policies in development or in place;

• It has a track record of working effectively with underserved or disadvantaged adults or young people;

• It has an ambition to develop new or additional work with adults who have learning disabilities, neurodiversity or autism, or looked-after children and those transitioning out of care in Norfolk or Waveney, leading to ongoing volunteering engagement that will impact positively on their wellbeing;

• Non-VCSE organisations can only apply as part of a partnership led by a VCSE group.

Reasons to apply to the Get Involved Innovation Fund

• If your organisation is already working with the target groups and you want to support them into volunteering, you can apply for up to £7,500; 

• If successful, your organisation will benefit from tailored development support and advice from Community Action Norfolk or Community Action Suffolk (depending on your location) to enable effective delivery of the project and to gather monitoring data, personal feedback and evaluation to be shared with partners;

• You will be supported by Voluntary Norfolk specialist volunteering staff to develop a co-produced project to reach and engage one of the target groups;

• You will be part of a national programme (Volunteering for Health) set up to learn how volunteers who face health inequalities can overcome barriers and improve their wellbeing through volunteering;

• The application process has been made as simple as possible, so you just need to submit an Expression of Interest, followed by a meeting (online or in person) to talk through your ideas and likely costs;

• Funding will be for targeted one-off projects or a short series of activities which could lead to future external grants or commissioned activities. 

Requirements

• You will need to collect demographic data required by NHSE and other information as agreed with the independent evaluators, but will be supported to set up mechanisms for this. 

• After your project/activities end you will need to provide a short account of what you did, who was involved, what activities the new volunteers did, and feedback from those taking part about their experience. This could include taking video or sound recordings on a phone, which we can help you with, and photographs of activities will also be invaluable. 

Get Involved Innovation Fund cannot support:

• Retrospective funding (activities that have already happened)

• On-going costs (e.g. office rental or regular salaries)

• Political or religious activities

• Organisational or running costs not directly related to the specific project activities.