The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) Kickstart Scheme portal is open and available for employers to apply.
The Scheme is designed to support young people aged between 16-24 who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.
The goal of the £2 billion Kickstart Scheme is to create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people across a range of sectors in England, Scotland and Wales.
What will employers receive?
You will receive:
- funding for 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week
- associated employer National Insurance contributions
- employer minimum auto-enrolment pension contributions.
What happens after the placement is completed?
There will also be extra funding to support young people to build their experience and help them move into sustained employment after they’ve completed their Kickstart funded job.
How to apply?
If you are an employer looking to create jobs placements for young people, you can apply for funding as part of the scheme.
- You can submit your application online.
- If you are applying for 30 or more job placements, you can apply directly.
- If you are applying for less than 30 job placements then you can join a group of other employers, nominating a representative for the group to submit the application. Please note you can register with existing representatives, such as local authorities, chamber of commerce or trade bodies. The representative will check that your job placements are eligible for the Kickstart scheme and will submit the application on your behalf.
See: UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme Guide for Employers
What you need to provide during the application
You will need:
- the Companies House reference number or Charity Commission number
- the organisation address and contact details
- details of the job placements and their location
- supporting information to show that the job placements are new jobs and meet the Kickstart Scheme criteria
- information about the support the organisation can give to develop employability skills of young people
After you have applied
Your application will be reviewed to check it meets the requirements of the Kickstart Scheme. It will then go to a panel for consideration.
This is not a competitive process, but Kickstart will only provide funding when the job placements meet the criteria.
DWP aims to respond to applications within 1 month.
If your application is successful
If your application meets the requirements of the scheme, you’ll receive a letter with a grant agreement.
This agreement will include what your company or organisation has agreed to provide, and how much funding you will receive from the Kickstart Scheme.
See: Apply for Kickstart Scheme Guidance
Kickstart employers guide
For more information we’d recommend the Kickstart Employers Guide
There have been some updates and you can read about them here. We’d be happy to hear from you with any further questions or if you require clarity on any matters. Simply email info@ammu.uk