Background
Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak, and listen in a way that enables us to communicate and make sense of the world. A lack of vital literacy skills holds a person back at every stage of their life. As a child it is a barrier to success at school, as a young adult it can lock you out of the job market, and as a parent it makes it harder to support your own child’s learning.
For children and young people facing socio-economic disadvantage a lack of literacy skills can exasperate the equality gap further. Recently schools have reported a decline in Literacy skills, largely attributed to the loss of in-person learning during the Covid pandemic. In particular Oracy skills (speaking and listening) have fallen behind the expected level.
The Mercers’ Company has been supporting Literacy work since 2019. Under Phase One 8 organisations were funded to develop the literacy skills of children who are reluctant readers and writers. Specifically, the development of reading and writing for pleasure.
Funding Opportunity
Due to the success of the funding initiative so far, and increasing need for this support, we are pleased to announce that the Mercers’ Literacy Special Initiative Phase 2 plans to fund two cohorts of grantees from January 2024.
The aim is to support projects that help Children think of themselves as readers and writers, who have a voice, leading to the below outcomes:
- improved social and emotional skills;
- increased ability to engage with school; and
- higher attainment and improved live chances.
For the first cohort we are looking for proposals that develop the child as a reader and writer by promoting reading and writing for pleasure. Proposals should be inclusive, equitable and sustainable, and focus on:
- the development of oracy skills
- Key Stages 3 and 4 (12-16 year olds)
- children facing disadvantage/those most in need of this kind of support
We are offering:
- a grant of between £150,000 and £300,000 per organisation, paid across four years;
- a learning partner, with subject expertise, to support reflection and draw out learnings;
- access to (optional) capacity building support through trusted partners; and
- a cohort approach (5 - 8 organisations) creating opportunity for shared learning
We will fund:
- constituted not for profit organisations, charitable incorporated organisations (CIO), charitable companies (limited by guarantee), social enterprises and partnerships.
- work supporting children in London including organisations that do, or could have, a national reach.
- project and core costs (if applying for core costs, the total funding request cannot be more than 50% of your organisation’s total annual income at the time of application).
- we are open minded about the form of financial support provided and are willing to consider social investment and repayable grants.
We don't fund:
- individuals
- work outside of London
- capital projects (bricks and mortar)
- general appeals or financial support for project costs that have already been incurred.
The Application Process
You can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) providing key information on your proposal. EOIs will be assessed and shortlisted organisations will be invited to make a full application.
Please consider that if you are invited to make a full application, you must clearly demonstrate:
- evidence of previous relevant work;
- how your proposed activities will lead to the defined outcomes;
- an understanding of, and partnerships in, the communities in which you plan to work;
- how you've considered accessibility, differing learning styles, and intersecting protected characteristics in your project design; and
- how your work will be sustained beyond the grant (i.e. is it scalable/replicable).
Grant application timeline
- Launch of Literacy Phase 2 via webinar and access to EOI form - Monday 12 June 2023
- Deadline to submit and EOI - 10 July 2023. This has now passed.
- Organisations contacted about outcome of EOI - w/c 7 August 2023
- Application window (if invited to apply) - Early August – 2 October 2023
- Assessment and due diligence (inc. visits) - October – November 2023
- Decisions made and organisations informed of the outcome - 30 November 2023
- Projects to start - From January 2023 onwards
- First payment of funding granted to successful applicants - Between January & June 2024
For more information, please read the presentation slides and Q&A from the Monday 12 June launch webinar.