Drug & Alcohol Service Support Grant 2024-2025

Grant Conditions

Overview 

The Drug & Alcohol Service Support Grant 2024/2025 is being administered by Active Kent & Medway on behalf of Kent County Council (KCC).

Both the Kent Drug Needs Assessment and Kent Alcohol Needs Assessment highlighted that individuals with drug and/ or alcohol support needs face substantial associated socioeconomic and health inequalities, including higher rates of premature morbidity and mortality, trauma, and mental health needs.

Deadline for applications is midday on Friday 10 January 2025.

Whilst addiction issues can impact anyone, there is increased vulnerability amongst individuals with co-occurring conditions who are exposed to other risks including domestic abuse, suicidality, and criminal justice. Other groups known to have a higher incidence of drug and alcohol related support needs include:

• • People with a history of childhood abuse, trauma and experience of the care system
  • Sex workers and those with sexual vulnerabilities e.g. LGBTQ+
  • People with mental illness /suicide history
  • People facing violence
  • People who are homeless, rough sleeping or facing housing instability
    

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Projects 

The grant(s) offered will need to support one of the below objectives. Examples are given but are not an exhaustive list and other ideas will be considered:

Increasing referrals and improving pathways into KCC commissioned drug and alcohol treatment services:

• • Dedicated marketing materials on KCC’s drug and alcohol treatment services for cohorts the organisation already supports
  • Undertaking outreach with certain cohorts who are not likely to engage with treatment and recovery services through traditional methods to promote support available

Providing recovery support activities that support individuals to develop their recovery capital and avoid relapse:

• • • Delivering activities which will provide individuals with purpose, this may include learning a new skill, hobby or developing the confidence to engage with existing employment support services

Funding 

Grants are available of up to £10,000, although it is expected that most grants awarded will be in the region of £5,000. 

If successful in receiving a Drug & Alcohol Service Support Grant, 100% of funds will be released upfront.  Any funding not spent, or not spent in line with the agreed initiative will be recovered by KCC.  

KCC are unable to roll over funding into the next financial year and will use this grant process to utilise underspend. Therefore, the grants are likely to be spent within the financial year they’re awarded and hence it is imperative they can be mobilised quickly.

Eligibility 

The grants are open to charities and not for profit organisations operating in the Kent County Council administrative boundary. All funded projects and schemes must be delivered within districts of Kent County Council.  Joint bids and/or consortium bids are permissible under this scheme so long as one of the organisations is a legal entity.  Applications from schools are not permissible. 

All applicants must be of good financial standing, this will be verified by KCC in the form of financial checks as outlined in section 6 of the Grant Prospectus.  

Organisations are only permitted to submit one application per bid round. Where multiple bids are received in the same bid round from the same organisation, KCC will award to the highest scoring bid contingent on it meeting criteria as set out in Section 4 of the Grant Prospectus. 

The funding cannot be used for: 

• The general running costs of an organisation (i.e. broadband, office space, costs towards regular sessions already being delivered)

•  Replacement equipment (please note: financial provisions should be in place to replace damaged / obsolete equipment) 

• Uniforms 

• Refreshments 

• Travel/Transport 

• CPD courses such as DBS Checks, Safeguarding and First Aid courses

• Costs towards Capital assets (fixed/permanent structures)

• Retrospective costs
  

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Essential information

Grant recipients should be aware of and work with the core drug’s and alcohol services to ensure cohesive pathways for individuals and to avoid confusion for service users and professionals.  

Follow this link to apply for a Drug & Alcohol Services Support Application Form

Follow this link to open the Drug & Alcohol Services Support Grant Prospectus

Follow this link to open the Drug & Alcohol Services Support Grant Privacy Notice