1. How do I hire for my roles?

Kickstart will take the time to find and source candidates who are a good fit for your role/s.

You will fill out a job vacancy template to detail the role/s you are looking for. If you are looking to hire for more than one role, you will need to complete a job vacancy template for each role. 

Once completed, Capital Enterprise will submit your job vacancy template/s to DWP to be advertised to the young people. It is at this point that the hiring process starts. 

Each young person on Universal Credit will have a work coach assigned to them from Job Centre Plus. Work coaches will start referring young people to apply to your role/s, if they are a good fit.

You are then welcome to conduct your hiring process as normal. You do not have to hire any of the candidates that you interview, but please note you will only receive funding if you hire a candidate that has been referred to you by the work coach.

2. Can I source candidates myself?

Only the Job Centre and work coaches can advertise your role/s and source candidates for you – you will only receive funding if you hire a candidate that has been referred to you by the work coach.

If you hire a candidate who has not been referred to you by the work coaches, then you won’t be eligible to receive funding or for the reimbursement of wages.

3. When do businesses receive the Kickstart funding?

Businesses who hire a Kickstarter employee from the candidates who have been referred by the work coaches will receive the funding once the employee has started work and is signed up to the business’ payroll. 

Once your Kickstarter is on your payroll and has started their placement, you should notify us. DWP will transfer the initial grant payment (for the set-up and employability support costs) to Capital Enterprise, as soon as possible after the placement starts. Capital Enterprise will then pass the agreed amount of that initial grant funding to the business.

The funding for the 6 month placement is then paid in arrears, on confirmation that the employee has been paid through PAYE, by the business, in the previous month. 

So, the business will pay the monthly Kickstarter salary to their employee. DWP will pay Capital Enterprise the relevant monthly salary amount, in arrears, with the first payment expected to be in or around the 6th week of the job. Capital Enterprise will pass this first payment to the business as soon as possible. The second to sixth salary payments will then be paid approximately every month after the first payment, on confirmation that the employee has been paid through PAYE for the previous month.