Kickstart for Employers

Interested in employing someone through the Kickstart Scheme? Want to know more about the application process?

Kickstart Training Package

Wondering how to manage the development of your Kickstarter? Find out more about our unique training package.

Kickstart Extension!

Yes, the Kickstart Scheme has been extended until the end of March 2022. This means you have more time to find the perfect candidate for your role!

However, you still need to submit your application by 10^th December 2021!

Make sure you don’t miss out on this great opportunity to boost your workforce and kickstart a young person’s career. Get in touch today.

What is Kickstart?

The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new jobs for 16-to-24-year-olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment. Through the scheme, you’ll be able to access a large pool of young people who are full of potential and are ready for an opportunity to develop.

Employers of all sizes can apply for funding which covers:

100% of the National Minimum Wage (or the National Living Wage depending on the age of the participant) for 25 hours per week for a total of 6 months
associated employer National Insurance contributions
minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions

Employers can spread the job start dates up until March 2022. You’ll get funding until September 2022 if a young person starts their job in March 2022.

Who can apply to Kickstart?

Anyone who is between the ages of 16 and 24, lives in the UK and is in receipt of Universal Credit is eligible to apply for a Kickstart vacancy.

What are the requirements for a Kickstart vacancy?

The jobs created with Kickstart Scheme funding must be new jobs.

The jobs must not:

replace existing or planned vacancies
cause existing employees, apprentices or contractors to lose work or reduce their working hours

The jobs must:

be a minimum of 25 hours per week, for 6 months
pay at least the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage (https://www.gov.uk/nationalminimum-wage-rates) for the employee’s age group
only require basic training

Each job needs to help the young person become more employable. This employability support could include:

looking for long-term work, including career advice and setting goals
support with CV and interview preparations
developing their skills in the workplace

What is a Kickstart Gateway and why should I use one?

Kickstart gateways act on behalf of employers by batching together applications and submitting them to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Digital Innovators has partnered with Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce to form a Kickstart Gateway. As a result, we will help you with your initial application and will support you in the training and development of your Kickstart worker.

By using Digital Innovators as your Kickstart Gateway, you will be able to access to the DI Collective – our community of students who have completed our skills programmes which are designed to develop the key employability and digital skills that employers seek in job candidates.

Once your job placement has been advertised, we will be able to recommend candidates from the DI Collective whose skills, strengths and interests are suited to the role (or roles) at hand to apply.

Ready to get started?

Start your application

How does the application process work?

Once you have expressed your interest in submitting an application for Kickstart funding, we (as your Kickstart Gateway) will send you an Initial Kickstart Form – or you can access this here.

This form is then submitted to DWP for review to ensure that it meets their criteria before agreeing to provide funding. Due to the nature of these checks and the popularity of this scheme, this can take up to 8-10 weeks.

Once your initial application has been approved, we will provide you with a Grant Agreement and Vacancy Template to fill out. These documents will outline the specifics of the funding agreement as well as the job specification for your Kickstart vacancy.

After these have been submitted and verified, a Kickstart vacancy will be published – this usually takes 7 days. You will then be contacted by the young people who have been matched to your job placement by the DWP, after which you can conduct interviews and complete the necessary stages to select your desired candidate.

You will only obtain funding if you appoint a young person that DWP have introduced. You must inform the DWP that the young person has started their new job with your organisation, after which you should receive the first wage payment 6 weeks after the initial start date. The following wage payments will typically be received 4 weeks after the first payment.

How does the DWP determine whether an application is suitable for Kickstart funding?

The Kickstart Scheme job placements are funded using a grant agreement. There are rules around who grants can be paid to. Checks must be made to show your organisation is established, reputable and financially solvent.

You are more likely to be approved if you:

have existed for a while
regularly and recently submitted accounts
have a credit score which is a low-risk category
have a low probability of imminent business failure
have enough liquid assets to pay your debts
do not have any recent county court judgments (CCJs)

These factors are taken into consideration when assessing your Kickstart Scheme application. Failing on one or more of these does not mean you will not be approved.

For more information on this process and tips on making your Kickstart placement successful, click here.

Kickstart Info and Training:

You will get £1,500 funding from the DWP per Kickstart position. This should be spent on setup costs and supporting the young person to develop their employability skills, which can be done by enlisting the help of a training provider.

Your Kickstart role must help the young person become more employable. This could include: support in looking for long term work after the 6-month contract, career advice, goal setting, CV support, interview preparation and developing their skills in the workplace.

The DWP may ask you for your records to show that you’ve spent the funding on setup costs and supporting the young person’s employability. Digital Innovators will be able to provide you with details of training we have delivered to aid with this.

Find out more

Any questions?

If you have any additional questions or would like any support from the Digital Innovators team, please get in touch: