What is the London Schools’ Climate Kick Start?

We’re happy to announce that the London Schools’ Climate Kick-Start will take place in autumn 2022.

This year’s programme will empower young people to help tackle the climate and ecological emergencies and air pollution, through practical, positive action, and by encouraging students into green careers.

We’re inviting all secondary schools and alternative education providers in Greater London to take part. There are prizes of £10,000, plus free career events and free resources available.

The funding will facilitate innovative projects over the following year, giving students practical experience in designing and implementing environmental solutions to issues such as climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, air pollution, and single-use plastics.

The programme is run by the Mayor of London, with partners Let’s Go Zero 2030 and Bloomberg, along with support from the London Schools Climate Summit.

This year builds on the success of the first Climate Kick-Start in 2021 which empowered 66,000 young people to go further and faster in addressing the climate and ecological emergencies and London’s toxic air pollution.

The London Schools’ Climate Kick-Start aims to showcase the fantastic work that so many London secondary schools and associated organizations are already doing to help tackle environmental issues, but also to enable all students to get a better understanding of the pathways and opportunities into green careers through hands-on experience.

Funding 

We’re offering grants of between £8,000 to £10,000 to enable around five state schools to kick-start or accelerate longer-term environmental work and provide exemplar projects to inspire other London schools. (Unfortunately, independent and private schools are not eligible to apply). In some cases, this may not cover the total cost of the project (e.g. an energy or energy efficiency project) but may provide a launchpad for you to secure additional funding, or provide match-funding for an existing proposal.

These grants can also be used to contribute to existing projects you have implemented or are planning in your school (for example, to accelerate or increase the project’s impact or to better engage students with the design and development).

Types of projects could include the below (or a combination of several areas):

  • Planting and growing: installing a green roof, outdoor classroom, or school nature garden to help climate action and nature
  • Waste: a ‘zero waste’ programme, ensuring all waste is reused or recycled, implementing a composting scheme for food waste, a reusable bottle, and container scheme for all students, or workshops and tools to upcycle school uniforms
  • Food: creating a school allotment to grow canteen food, a scheme to greatly reduce food waste and its carbon impact through locally-grown, seasonal produce
  • Travel and air quality: a bike loan scheme, cycle infrastructure, and cycle skills workshops, or an electric bus and charging point to transport students with care and support needs, air quality monitoring
  • Green skills: partnering with a careers service, university, or college to provide work experience or formal gateways into green jobs and cleantech careers
  • Energy: exploring innovative solutions such as a heat pump to provide low carbon heating, clean electricity generation through installing solar panels, or new technologies like kinetic pavements
  • Other: anything else relevant such as sustainable drainage solutions (SuDS) to reduce surface water flooding, or de-paving a playground to reduce overheating

Please read the guidance notes carefully before you complete the application form.

Knowing how busy schools are currently, we have worked hard to keep the application process as streamlined as possible. We estimate it will take around 2 hours to complete the application.

How to Apply

You must complete your application through our online portal by 5 pm Monday 26 September 2022. Please read all the guidance documents below, including the list of application questions, before you start your application through the portal. Also, ensure that you meet the following eligibility criteria before starting:

  • Your project will take place in Greater London
  • Your project is for a state-funded secondary school or alternative education provider
  • The project will engage students in Key Stages 3 and 4 (ages 11 to 16)
  • You are applying for between £8,000 and £10,000 in grant funding
  • Your project will have an environmental theme
  • You will complete your project between 7 November 2022 and 31 October 2023
  • There will be no cost to students and they will be able to participate as part of the standard school day
  • Students will be engaged in the design, development, and future legacy of the project

A few technical notes on using the portal:

  • The portal works most effectively using Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox browsers. Using other browsers (such as Chrome or Safari) is likely to result in technical issues completing the application.
  • Varying network security at different schools can cause issues accessing the portal. If you do have any issues accessing the portal please contact us immediately, so we can support you.
  • We have prepared a Frequently Asked Questions document below that should help to troubleshoot other issues that users may have. There is a link to this below.

If you have any queries at any point, please do not hesitate to contact us by email at LSCK@groundwork.org.uk  or call us on 0207 239 1390.

Application documents and links

Please ensure you read all the documentation below prior to starting your application.

 

LSCK Sample Application Questions

Get Involved

For more information about London Schools Climate Kick-Start, please visit https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/london-schools-climate-kick-start