Decision details

The reasons for the decisions are:
In response to the known gaps in integration-focused provision for people seeking asylum and new refugees in Greater Manchester, as well as the individual and system-level risks created by increasing numbers of asylum decisions since 2023, funding has been identified from GM AEB underspend and allocated to funding local provision to boost the voluntary sector-led integration, work and skills offer to people seeking asylum and refugees living in the city-region.

The employment and integration prospects for refugees are relatively strong and there is a significant opportunity to maximise them by reaching people early and with a skills-focused offer that meets their holistic needs.

From delivering the GM Refugee Transitions Outcomes Fund employment programme over two years, we know that language levels and housing are the greatest barriers to new refugees finding sustainable employment. People with asylum backgrounds and refugee households are significantly over-represented in GM’s homelessness accommodation and rough sleeping populations. We also know that when people receive their status, they are frequently unprepared for independent living in the UK, lack confidence and lack basic community supports that give them a strong enough foundation to pursue their goals. At the same time in a number of LAs, ESOL waiting lists are long, even when a person has a class place a range of barriers often prevent them from attending formal classrooms settings and there are worrying gaps in the availability of pre-entry provision. Where pre-entry provision is offered by VCFSE organisations, it is frequently delivered without local or national government funding.

A total of up to £3 million has been made available for the locality grants strand of the Refugee Welcome Programme (RWP) – Work and Skills, to fund provision over two years. The funding has been proportionally allocated to GM LAs based on the latest available borough information on the number of people seeking asylum resident in Home Office accommodation.

GMCA Education, Work & Skills directorate are funding this service directly from internal AEB reserves therefore there are no funding constraints.

Allocations Process
The available funding has been proportionally allocated to GM LAs based on the latest available borough information on the number of people seeking asylum resident in Home Office accommodation as per the table below:

LA - Bolton
Share of Asylum population - 12%
Yr 1 Allocation (max available) - £174,824
Yr 2 Allocation (max available) - £174,824
Total (max available) - £349,649

LA - Bury
Share of Asylum population - 5%
Yr 1 Allocation (max available) - £76,547
Yr 2 Allocation (max available) - £76,547
Total (max available) - £153,095

LA - Manchester
Share of Asylum population - 22%
Yr 1 Allocation (max available) - £328,907
Yr 2 Allocation (max available) - £328,904
Total (max available) - £657,814

LA - Oldham
Share of Asylum population - 9%
Yr 1 Allocation (max available) - £138,444
Yr 2 Allocation (max available) - £138,444
Total (max available) - £276,888

LA - Rochdale
Share of Asylum population - 9%
Yr 1 Allocation (max available) - £140,419
Yr 2 Allocation (max available) - £140,419
Total (max available) - £280,838

LA - Salford
Share of Asylum population - 8%
Yr 1 Allocation (max available) - £122,476
Yr 2 Allocation (max available) - £122,476
Total (max available) - £244,952

LA - Stockport
Share of Asylum population - 10%
Yr 1 Allocation (max available) - £143,712
Yr 2 Allocation (max available) - £143,712
Total (max available) - £287,423

LA - Tameside
Share of Asylum population - 6%
Yr 1 Allocation (max available) - £88,071
Yr 2 Allocation (max available) - £88,071
Total (max available) - £176,141

LA - Trafford
Share of Asylum population - 5%
Yr 1 Allocation (max available) - £79,511
Yr 2 Allocation (max available) - £79,511
Total (max available) - £159,021

LA - Wigan
Share of Asylum population - 14%
Yr 1 Allocation (max available) - £207,090
Yr 2 Allocation (max available) - £207,090
Total (max available) - £414, 179

Total
Yr 1 Allocation (max available) - £1,500,000
Yr 2 Allocation (max available) - £1,500,000
Total (max available) - £3,000,000

GMCA provided a basic specification to all local authorities outlining the main aims and themes of the programme and asked LAs to provide a statement outlining their proposals for delivery, including model, objectives and impacts, who will be delivering the service, where the activity will be delivered, and minimum outcomes and spend profiles.

A review of these statements was undertaken to ensure proposals were in line with the main objectives of the programme. This was not a competitive process as the grant allocation is linked to the overall need within localities, but confirmation was needed to ensure LAs understood the requirements of the programme and funding prior to release of funds. The proposals were also reviewed by external parties with specific knowledge and expertise in this area. See Annex 1 for a summary of each LA delivery model/proposal, for information.

LAs were given the option to have the funding granted directly to them, or to identify a local VCSE organisation in their area currently working with this cohort who would be best placed to deliver this activity.

Bury decided to split their funding with £45,928.20 being retained by Bury and £107,165.80 being directly granted to a local VCSE infrastructure organisation from GMCA.
• Bury would like GMCA to direct grant £107,165.80 to the Bury Voluntary, Community & Faith Alliance (Bury VCFA) for onward granting to chosen small VCFSE providers in Bury.
• Bury VCFA is the contracted local infrastructure organisation for Bury and holds the Local Infrastructure Quality Award from NAVQA. Bury VCFA has a track record of administering Council monies to the VCSE sector on a regular basis, such as the recent UKSPF Culture Grant, but historically the Cost of Living and Standing Together grants and are the council preferred grant funding mechanism. Bury VCFA are best placed to deliver this activity in Bury.

Trafford decided that the full requested amount of £158,789 will be directly granted to a local VCSE infrastructure organisation from GMCA.
• The Trafford Community Collective CIC (TCC) supports the development of the VCFSE sector across Trafford as well as the six Community Hubs. The Community Hubs were originally developed to respond to community need during the COVID pandemic within existing and established community organisations, and the LA continues to fund them in 2025.
• TCC has a wide range of members and partners, many of which are wellbeing related, and have close links with the NHS (including Mental Health services). Therefore, the Collective is best placed to deliver this activity in Trafford.

Both Bury VCFA and Trafford CC are the only VCSFE infrastructures in those localities and so are uniquely placed to deliver this programme of activity in those areas.

Tameside is not included in this grant award report as their proposal was lacking detail in some areas and the GMCA project team are working with them ensure the necessary information is captured. So as not to delay the other LAs receiving their grants, we will produce a separate grant award report for Tameside when their proposal is more robust.

Based on the responses from the LAs, the total amount of grant funding being awarded is
£2,823,447.30 split as follows:

LA Grant requested
Bolton £349,648
Bury £45,928.20
Manchester £657,814
Oldham £276,888
Rochdale £280,838.30
Salford £244,952
Stockport £287,424
Wigan £414,000
Total £2,557,492.50

VCSE Grant Requested

Bury VCFA £107,165.80
Trafford CC £158,789
Total £265,954.80

The payment model of this grant will be yearly in advance, with the first instalment being made upon signing of the Grant Funding Agreement with further 1 payment to be made April 2026 upon receipt of satisfactory monitoring reports for the first year.

Grant funding of £2,823,447.30 (split between the GM Local Authorities) is awarded to the LAs outlined in this form, to deliver the GM Refugee Welcome Programme: Work & Skills.