For the remainder of 2010, the eligibility criteria for the Social Enterprise Opportunities Fund will be changing.

Liverpool Vision has teamed up with the Community Foundation for Merseyside to pool funding to support projects offering pathways back to employment to long-term unemployed people.

They particularly want to fund new social enterprises or charities which as part of their operations offer 'transitional employment' opportunities, however existing organisations providing innovative solutions to the issue of long-term unemployment are welcome to apply as well.

From Liverpool Vision's point of view, the main criteria is that assistance will help safeguard or grow the organisation and safeguard or create jobs within it.

The Opportunities Fund (up to £10,000) can pay for capital items such as vehicles, large items of equipment over £1,000, adaptations to premises and working capital. CFM funding (up to £12,000 from the Employable Communities Fund) can pay for revenue costs such as initial help with basic skills, taster work experience costs, training or confidence-building and initial engagement activities. Rent and office costs may also be eligible.

There are two opportunities to apply, with deadlines of 10th August and 16th November, with the possibility of a final grants panel meeting in December.

If organisations wish to apply, your first act should be to contact either Merseyside Expanding Horizons (0151 330 0552) or the Merseyside Disability Federation (0151 236 6674) to check eligibility for the Employable Communities Funding.

Note that although the two organisations are pooling resources, the short timetable means that they cannot prepare a unified application process so you will need to apply both to Liverpool Vision (0151 600 2949) and Community Foundation Merseyside (0151 966 4604)