This FAQs page is for Local Authorities in receipt of a Section 14 Grant to support the development of a SEND employment forum as part of the Internships Work programme.
Below are responses to some FAQs about the grant and the programme. If your question is not answered here, please email SIgrants@ndti.org.uk or post your question in the comments at the bottom of this page.
This programme is ending in March 2026.
Grant Offer Letter & Eligibility
Who can sign the Grant Offer Letter?
The Grant Offer Letter was addressed to the Authorised Signatory provided to NDTi by your Local Authority; please ensure the documents are signed by this person. This is one of the due diligence checks, so the signature needs to match the name on our records or the grant cannot be approved.
To meet our audit and compliance requirements, we kindly ask that the document be signed either with a scanned handwritten signature or a recognised digital signature.
If the contact information that was originally summitted is incorrect, email SIgrants@ndti.org.uk with the new contact details.
What information do I need to send back to NDTi and by when?
You must accept this grant offer and the conditions made in it no later than close of play on Monday 9 June 2025.
If you wish to accept the offer of a grant, please return the Grant Offer Letter (in WORD format) to NDTi at SIgrants@ndti.org.uk with the following annexes completed and signed:
- Annex A (ii): Acceptance of Grant Offer & Effective Date
- Annex B (ii): Bank Account Details
- Annex D (ii): Grant Claim Form – complete a breakdown of planned expenditure for the period claimed (Year Three – up to March 2026) including outcomes, activity, timeframe, and amounts.
We want young people & families to know about SIs and the Local Offer, does this count as marketing?
Within the Grant Offer Letter, there is a link to the Government Terms & Conditions and section 27 has some more details about marketing. The grant cannot be used for advertising, marketing or website development.
However, we agree that young people and families should know what their options and choices are, so things like disseminating information about the programme, raising awareness of SIs or making sure the Local Offer is accessible would not be counted a ‘marketing’ activities.
Can grant funds be used to purchase training or membership from BASE and DFN Project SEARCH?
As BASE and DFN Project SEARCH are delivery partners and providing free trainings as part of the Internships Work programme, their training or membership cannot be funded by the grant.
Can we use the grant to pay for attendance at the BASE or DFN Project SEARCH conferences?
The grant can be used to fund professional development. As these conferences are separate from the Internships Work programme, this would be an acceptable use of the funds.
Would it be ok to include work around travel training in the grant claim form?
Yes, but this should be proportionate. Grants will not be approved if this aspect takes up a majority of your allocation.
Can we use consultants?
Due to the size of these grants, it would be acceptable to use some of the funds to pay for consultancy. However, this is not a long-term solution and you are encouraged to think about how this work will be sustained after the end of the programme.
About the Programme
How can I find out more about the programme?
The webpage for Internships Work can be found here; more information and resources will be added as the programme develops.
You can sign up to the latest updates by using the NDTi Newsletter link here and ticking ‘Children and Young People’. This newsletter will also feature details about upcoming events, including a Question & Answer webinar with the delivery partners (NDTi, BASE and DFN Project SEARCH).
Who is our Local Authority’s NDTi Lead for Internships Work?
A list of NDTi’s Regional Leads for Internships Work can be found here.
Who is receiving information about the programme in my LA?
Grant documentation and updates are sent to your LA’s Activity Lead, Finance Lead and Authorised Signatory. It may be worth setting up an internal distribution list for everyone who needs to be kept in the loop, so it’s easier to forward key information.
Regional Leads also have contact lists for the network meetings, reach out to your regional lead to be added.
Regional Networks Contact List
What training can BASE offer to job coaches?
BASE will reach out to priority Local Authorities who did not receive training in the first three years of the programme. BASE will be delivering training in systematic instruction and supported employment techniques for job coaches directly working with supported internship programmes.
Can DFN Project SEARCH support the development of our employer engagement strategy? If so, is there a cost?
As part of Internships Work, DFN Project SEARCH provides fully funded support, resources and training to improve employer engagement. This includes an Employer Ambassador Resource Toolkit and training for SEND employment forums.
Grant Requirements
How do I know what the grant requirements and reports are, and when they are due?
All grant requirements are outlined within in your Grant Offer Letter, which forms the Grant Agreement. There is also a summary page of deadlines here.
