COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS FUND

Waverley Borough Council Committee System - Committee Document

Meeting of the Executive held on 04/10/2004
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS FUND
APPLICATION PROCESS, CRITERIA AND TIMETABLE FOR 2005/06

Summary & Purpose

This report, which has already been considered by the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee, reviews the Community Partnerships Fund (previously the Matched-Funding Provision) and makes recommendations for the grant process, criteria and timetable for 2005/06 applications.

Members of the Environment and Leisure and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committees have received this report and were invited to attend the meeting of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee and speak.

Quality of Life Implications

Natural Resource Use	Pollution Prevention and Control	Biodiversity and Nature	Local Environment	Social Inclusion	Safe, Healthy and Active Communities	Local Economy
N/A	N/A	Positive	Positive	Positive	Positive	Positive

APPENDIX M

WAVERLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE – 4TH OCTOBER 2004

REFERRED ITEM FROM COMMUNITY OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

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Title:

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS FUND

APPLICATION PROCESS, CRITERIA AND TIMETABLE FOR 2005/06

[Wards Affected: All]

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Summary and purpose:

This report, which has already been considered by the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee, reviews the Community Partnerships Fund (previously the Matched-Funding Provision) and makes recommendations for the grant process, criteria and timetable for 2005/06 applications.

Members of the Environment and Leisure and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committees have received this report and were invited to attend the meeting of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee and speak.

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Quality of life implications – social, environmental & economic (sustainable development):


Natural Resource Use	Pollution Prevention and Control	Biodiversity and Nature	Local Environment	Social Inclusion	Safe, Healthy and Active Communities	Local Economy
N/A	N/A	Positive	Positive	Positive	Positive	Positive

The Community Partnerships Fund (previously the Matched-Funding Provision) provides direct benefits to residents and community groups in Waverley by supporting the improvement of local services and facilities. The proposals for the next bidding round for projects to be implemented in 2005/06 will ensure that the funding continues to meet the needs of the Council and its local communities.

E-Government implications:

There are no direct e-Government implications arising from this report. Community Partnerships Fund application forms and guidance notes are available on Waverley’s website and by e-mail.

Resource and legal implications:

The Council allocated a further Ł500,000 to the Community Partnership Fund in February 2003 for the years 2004/05 and 2005/06. Of this, Ł300,000 was for the Community Partnerships Fund in 2004/05. With interest income and some schemes no longer progressing it would be possible to allocate Ł300,000 for 2005/06, but a lesser allocation would have the advantage of leaving some resources available to assist with future years’ funding given the current budgetary constraints and the competing pressures on capital resources. A total of 25 applications requesting over Ł390,000 of grants were received in the last bidding round for 2004/05. However, many of the applications did not meet the grant priority for 2004/05 of supporting youth projects. In view of this, it may therefore be appropriate to reduce the budget for 2005/06.

Assuming members wish to continue with the scheme, the Community Partnerships Fund allocation for 2005/06 could be Ł240,000 allocated as follows:

Larger Grants – it is proposed that Ł200,000 is allocated to the main bidding round for projects with total costs of over Ł15,000, including the community Buildings Grants Schemes (total project costs over Ł10,000).

Small Grants Scheme – it is proposed that Ł40,000 is awarded during the 2005/06 year with delegated authority to the Director of Finance in consultation with portfolio holders.

The Council will be considering how the Community Partnerships Fund will be financed for 2006/07 and beyond as part of the 2005/06 budget process.
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Background

1. Waverley’s Matched-Funding Provision was established in 1998 with the aim of ‘maximising the opportunities for generating funds from external sources both by proactively seeking partnerships from outside organisations and by reacting to requests from outside bodies’. The scheme aims and principles are detailed in Annexe 1. The fund provides grants for capital or project costs. Revenue funding is awarded under the Sponsored Organisation Scheme.

2. Over the seven years, the scheme has successfully funded a wide range of community and Council initiatives and attracted a leverage of over 75% funding from external sources.

3. The Community Partnerships Fund includes two grant programmes:

a) Small Grants Scheme

Established in April 2000 to provide a quicker and easier application process for smaller projects. The total project cost for applications to be eligible under the Small Grants Scheme is Ł15,000. Applicants can apply at any time and they are notified the outcome within 8 weeks. The minimum grant is Ł1,000 and the maximum Ł5,000 with the majority of grants normally 25% of total project costs. Approval of grants is a delegated responsibility of the Director of Finance in consultation with the relevant portfolio holders.

b) Main Bidding Round

Applicants with projects costing over Ł15,000 apply in an annual bidding round. Applications are considered by Overview and Scrutiny Committees and grants approved by Executive and Council. Grants awarded are usually 25% of the total project costs up to a maximum of 50%.

The Council also takes part in the Surrey Community Buildings Grant Scheme and considers applications and awards grants under the main Community Partnerships Fund bidding round.

Review

4. The Community Partnerships Fund is monitored and reviewed each year to ensure that the scheme meets the Council’s priorities and the needs of the local community and to ensure that the scheme continually improves.

5. The proposed grant criteria, eligibility, assessment process and timetable for awarding grants for 2005/06 are detailed below.

Eligibility and Grant Criteria

6. Applications are thoroughly assessed and scored according to their eligibility and the degree to which they meet the grant criteria.

7. The proposed grant criteria and eligibility for the Community Partnerships Fund in 2005/06 are detailed in the application guidance notes attached at Annexe 2. To ensure that only organisations eligible to apply for Community Partnerships Funding are considered, it is proposed that officers be authorised to reject any applications not meeting the eligibility conditions as detailed in Annexe 2.

8. The key proposed changes for 2005/06 are highlighted in bold in the attached guidance notes and include the following:

q 2005/06 Priority

Applications are assessed against the degree to which they meet a number of key criteria, including Waverley’s priorities and Waverley’s Community Strategy. In addition, partnership, community involvement; community needs and community benefit are also assessed. For 2005/06 it is proposed that projects which improve services and facilities for young people and projects which enhance social inclusion will be given priority over other types of projects.

q Financial Reserves

In line with the reserves policy for the Sponsored Organisation Scheme, it is proposed to include the following statement in the application guidance notes:

‘Waverley will prioritise funds to areas where they are most needed. Organisations with general reserves (excluding any designated funds for specific projects) will need to justify the level of reserves in relation to the grant requested. Organisations with general reserves will need to submit a written reserves policy as part of their application and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.’

q Assessments

Each application will be thoroughly assessed and scored against the proposed grant criteria for 2005/06 as detailed in Annexe 2. The assessments are undertaken by officers in conjunction with the relevant service departments. In addition, a financial assessment of each organisation’s annual accounts is undertaken by Waverley’s accountants.

To assist with the assessment process in 2005/06 it is proposed that four Area Partnership Groups be established, one for each of the main towns and its surrounding area. The Area Partnership Groups will assess each of the applications relevant to their local area against the grant criteria and provide feedback to Waverley officers based on local knowledge and expertise.

The results of the Area Partnership Groups’ assessments of applications will be reported to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Executive and Council, in addition to the formal scoring process undertaken by officers.

It is proposed that each of the four Area Partnership Groups consist of representatives from each of the relevant Town and Parish Councils, together with two further representatives from voluntary organisations within the area. Each Partnership Group will be supported by the Partnership Funding Officer. Representatives assessing applications will be required, as part of normal standards, to declare any interests or conflicts in the applications being considered.

It is proposed that the Area Partnership Groups be established on a pilot basis for 2005/06.

Timetable

9. The proposed timetable for applications to the main bidding round is shown at Annexe 3. Applications for smaller projects (with total costs of Ł15,000 or under) can be made at any time. For larger projects, it is proposed to open the bidding round from 12th October 2004 with a closing date for applications of 5 pm on Monday 17th January 2005. The time allocated will enable the Council to promote the scheme and provide time for applicants to prepare their bids. To assist with the application process, a funding seminar for local groups will be held in mid-November 2004.

10. All the applications in the main bidding round will be assessed and scored against the grant eligibility and criteria during January and February 2005. It is proposed that applications, together with the assessment scores and recommendations from the proposed Area Partnership Groups, are considered at the meeting of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee with Corporate and Environment and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee Members invited to attend. This will enable all the schemes to be considered together.

11. Applications will then be considered by the Executive on 5th April. Organisations will be notified the outcome of their applications in writing after the Council meeting on 19th April 2005.

Observations of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee

12. The Committee, in considering this report and, in particular, the changes outlined at paragraph 8, was assured that the proposed policy in relation to ‘social inclusion’ was designed to assist the very organisations that members would normally be sympathetic towards and would not necessarily exclude organisations that did not fall into the category of bodies seeking to improve the well being of young people etc.

13. The second change was in line with the reserves policy for the Sponsored Organisations Scheme and was therefore welcomed.

14. The third change was a proposal to establish, on a pilot basis only, four Area Partnership Groups, one for each of the main towns and its surrounding area. These would assess the applications relevant to their local area against the grant criteria. The Committee was generally in favour of this proposal, subject to a review of the pilot early in 2005.

15. The Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee therefore agreed to commend the Executive as follows:

a) that the Community Partnerships Fund be continued in 2005/06 and in future years;

b) that, subject to there being greater clarity in the Application Guidance in regard to the social inclusion element of a project, the Guidance for the Community Partnerships Fund, 2005/06, including grant criteria and project eligibility, as set out in Annexe 2 to the report, be agreed;

c) the proposals in respect of Area Partnership Groups to assist with the grant assessments, as detailed in paragraph 8 of the report, be agreed as a pilot for 2005/06, subject to review early in 2005;

d) the proposed timetable for grant awards in 2005/06, as set out in Annexe 3 to the report, be approved; and

e) for the 2005/06 bidding round, projects which improve services and facilities for young people and projects which improve social inclusion may be given priority over other types of project.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Executive:

1. gives consideration to the observations of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee contained in paragraphs 12 – 15 above;

2. considers whether the Community Partnerships Fund should be continued in 2005/06 and in future years;

3. approves the Application Guidance for the Community Partnerships Fund for 2005/06, including the grant criteria and project eligibility, as set out in Annexe 2;

4. agrees that officers be authorised to reject any applications that do not meet the eligibility conditions as detailed in Annexe 2.

5. agrees that applications for the 2005/06 bidding round which improve services and facilities for young people and projects which improve social inclusion, may be given priority over other types of project;

6. approves the proposals for establishing Area Partnership Groups as a pilot for 2005/06, to assist with the grant assessments, as set out in paragraph 8.

7. approves the timetable for grant awards in 2005/06, as set out in Annexe 3;

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Background Papers (DoF)

There are no background papers (as defined by Section 100D(5) of the Local Government Act 1972) relating to this report.

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CONTACT OFFICER:

Name: Wendy Varcoe Telephone: 01483 523237

E-mail: wvarcoe@waverley.gov.uk

COMMS/EXECUTIVE/2004-05/206

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