Objective 2: Responding to Inappropriate and Problematic Attitudes and Behaviours on Gender Norms and Relationships in Educational Settings

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Prevention Programme

Finding out what works to prevent violence against young women and girls (VAWG) is a key part of delivering on YEF’s mission to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. It is also central to the cross-government strategy “Freedom from Violence and Abuse” that was published in December 2025. 

Objective 2: Responding to Inappropriate and Problematic Attitudes and Behaviours on Gender Norms and Relationships in Educational Settings

Introduction

This funding round forms part of a wider YEF programme of funding, evaluation and research over the next three years on what works to prevent and respond to VAWG. 

We know that supporting children and young people to develop healthy, respectful equal relationships is an important part of preventing violence against women and girls. Universal education through Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) has a vital role to play. But some children and young people may also need more targeted support when they begin to display inappropriate or problematic attitudes and behaviours around gender norms and relationships. 

This is why the Department for Education and the Home Office have partnered with YEF to launch this funding round. We are seeking to fund and evaluate interventions which take place in education settings and respond to emerging inappropriate and problematic attitudes and behaviours amongst children and young people before they escalate into more serious harm. 

This objective aligns with Pillar 1: Prevention and early intervention in the government’s VAWG strategy, particularly its focus on protecting young people, challenging dangerous attitudes and preventing problematic behaviours from escalating. 

What we’re looking to fund

We are inviting applications from organisations delivering targeted interventions that identify and respond to inappropriate and problematic attitudes and behaviours around gender norms and relationships among children and young people aged 10–18. 

This funding round focuses on secondary prevention: early, targeted support for children and young people who are beginning to show emerging concerns, before behaviours escalate to the point where statutory services such as children’s social care, policing or youth justice are required. 

We expect interventions to centre around targeted work with children and young people displaying inappropriate and problematic attitudes and behaviours. However, the interventions may also include training and support for teachers and school staff, tools or resources to support early identification, and approaches that help educational settings respond safely and appropriately to emerging concerns. 

Projects should primarily operate within educational settings, and support these settings’ capacities and systems to identify and respond to these behaviours amongst pupils. Delivery may take place in community or partner settings where there is a clear and substantive link to an educational setting. 

Applicants should show how their intervention is informed by existing evidence, theory, literature or established practice. We are not looking to fund entirely new interventions developed from scratch, but we recognise that promising interventions may need further refinement, adaptation or testing before they are ready for a more rigorous evaluation. 

For successful proposals, YEF will fund both intervention delivery and evaluation. YEF will appoint an independent evaluator to co-design and deliver the evaluation. We cannot fund delivery that is not part of an evaluation. 

Scale of the evaluation

We will fund and evaluate each project selected. We expect many projects funded through this round to be most suitable for a feasibility study or pilot evaluation, depending on the maturity of the intervention, and the applicant’s capacity to deliver at the required scale. Applicants should propose the evaluation design they think is most appropriate for their intervention and suggest a delivery scale and budget to match. The final evaluation design, scale and timeline will be agreed during co-design with YEF and the appointed evaluator. 

Please see the application guidance for more detail on YEF’s evaluation approach, likely scale requirements and expectations of funded projects. 

How to apply

Applicants must submit a full proposal, using the application form and budget templates. Full application guidance can be found here: 

Applications should be submitted to: grants@youthendowmentfund.org.uk with the subject line VAWG Prevention Programme – Objective 2

The deadline for submission is 9am, Wednesday 2^nd September.

Information webinar 

If you’re interested in finding out more about this grant round and asking any questions, please register to join our webinar on Thursday 23rd July, 1.30-3pm.

If you are unable to attend, a recording of the webinar will be made available on our website after the event. 

Estimated timeline

Eligibility criteria  

The full eligibility requirements are summarised below and explained in more detail in the application guidance. Please ensure your intervention meets these requirements before proceeding with an application: 

• Location: you must plan to deliver your intervention in England. 
• Your organisation: your organisation must be a registered charity, company, statutory body or Community Interest Company. 
• Activities: interventions must focus on targeted early support for inappropriate and problematic attitudes and behaviours around gender norms and relationships. 
• Target settings and children: interventions must support children and young people aged 10–18 (or up to 19 in SEND settings) and have a clear link to, and support for, educational settings. 
• Outcomes: interventions should aim to improve children and young people’s knowledge, attitudes or behaviour in ways that contribute to the long-term prevention of VAWG and harmful behaviours in relationships. 
• Willingness to engage in an independent evaluation: funded organisations must work with an independent evaluator throughout co-design, delivery and evaluation. 
• Readiness for evaluation: interventions should be sufficiently developed for a feasibility study or pilot evaluation (potentially following refinement), with a clear rationale and emerging Theory of Change. 
• Experience: applicants must demonstrate relevant experience and the capability, partnerships and contextual understanding needed to deliver the proposed work well. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

An FAQ document can be found here. The document will be regularly updated across the funding call: 

If you have a question that is not covered in our application guidance or FAQs, please email grants@youthendowmentfund.org.uk