Teviot and Liddesdale Neighbourhood Support Fund Pot A guidance notes

Please read these guidance notes carefully before completing the application form

Teviot and Liddesdale Neighbourhood Support Fund Pot A

In Teviot and Liddesdale Neighbourhood Support Fund Pot A, groups can apply for the following;

• Micro grants, up to £500 (fast track)
• Resilience activities, up to £1,500
• The full amount available in the Community Council’s Pot A fund, whilst the funds are available

Please note;

• Burnfoot Community Council allows applicants to apply a maximum of twice per fiscal year
• Burnfoot Community Council does not support staffing costs. Sub-contractor and professional costs remain eligible when they are required for successful project delivery
• Hawick Community Council does not support staffing costs. Sub-contractor and professional costs remain eligible when they are required for successful project delivery

Each Community Council has considered how the Neighbourhood Support Fund can best meet the needs of the local area and has been responsible for forming an assessment panel to make recommendations on any funding applications received. Applicants will apply to the Community Council operating in the ward the project will be delivered in. To check the boundaries of the Teviot and Liddesdale Community Councils, please click here or visit our website.

The Teviot and Liddesdale Neighbourhood Support Fund Pot A will be operated in line with the principles of best practice and our Code of Practice for Following the Public Pound.

Applications for funding

To be able to apply for funding you must meet the following conditions:

Eligibility

1. A voluntary, community group or charity that is based in Teviot & Liddesdale
2. Be fully constituted or have organisation rules with a minimum of three members (or that of an umbrella organisation)
3. Have a bank or building society account in the group's name
4. Have independently approved annual accounts which are less than 15 months old (New groups must be able to provide a 12 month estimate of income and expenditure)
5. Be committed to equality for all and equality of opportunity

Criteria

Funding can be used for a variety of purposes including the purchase of equipment, small capital works, hire and running costs, maintenance costs and capacity building projects

Funding cannot pay for:

• Ordering or spending which has taken place prior to application approval.
• Alterations and improvements to licensed serving areas
• Trips abroad
• Maintenance of private roadways
• Used vehicles
• Planning Applications
• Hospitality – food and drink
• Work normally undertaken by statutory bodies

Who cannot apply:

• Individuals or groups that wish to pass the funding on to individuals
• Organizations involved in party political activities
• Companies who aim to make a profit for distribution to individuals/shareholders
• Statutory bodies

How will projects be assessed?

Funding applications will be received by ourselves who will assess eligibility:

• The project falls within the scope of the grant scheme
• Your group’s commitment to promoting equality for all and equality of opportunity
• If you have completed a project supported by a grant from the Neighbourhood Support fund, you must have completed and submitted an evaluation form
• All relevant supporting documents are submitted with the application, including relevant permissions. If your group does not have a Constitution, Rules or a bank account you should send us information about the umbrella group who will manage the grant on your behalf if you are successful. This group will them be treated as the applicant and should submit the application and supporting papers.
• All application questions have been completed

If the application meets the eligibility criteria it will be passed to the assessment panel in the Community Council ward you are applying to. The panel will then make a funding recommendation to the Area Partnership who will make a final decision. Any questions that the applicant has regarding the panel’s recommendation can be raised with us or the Council.  Your application will be expected to evidence:

• What need/demand there is for your project/activity
• Community support for your project
• Impact your project will make within the community
• How you will measure how well your project meets your proposed outcomes/impacts
• How your group is set up, managed and where appropriate what specific skills and expertise you have to deliver the project
• Your current finances and the financial needs of the project

Notes

If your group has more savings than the income your group receives in a year, you should explain what you are planning to do with this money. If you have not set aside this money for anything specific, funding is unlikely to be awarded.

Project Planning

• Speak to people your project is aimed at - gather community views and responses
• Speak to groups/organizations/services connected to your project theme to see if they can enhance your project or work with you
• Consider what resources/people/venues etc. are needed to make your project work
• If your project involves a building, lease of land or a public space, permissions / agreement from the relevant body must be gained before making an application.
• If your project involves any form of construction you need to have heritable ownership of the land or building, or hold a lease that cannot be brought to an end by the landlord for at least 5 years.

Consider going plastic free

We have made a commitment towards becoming more sustainable and reducing emissions over a number of years – can you help us to achieve that? 

When submitting an application we would like you to consider going plastic free where possible within your project.  If you would like more information on going plastic free you can find lots of useful information on the links below;

• Zero Waste Scotland - Sustainable Choices
• Zero Waste Scotland - Ditching Disposables
• Zero Waste Scotland - Reducing Food Waste

For advice on other funding opportunities, please contact:

Grants Administrator

• Communities & Partnerships Team, Headquarters, Newtown St. Boswells TD6 0SA.
• Tel: 0300 100 1800
• Borders Community Action 
• email: info@borderscommunityaction.org.uk

The following documents must be submitted in support of any application:

1. A copy of your constitution or rules (or that of your umbrella organization), dated and signed.
2. A copy of your bank statement, less than three months old
3. A copy of your most recent annual accounts (less than 15 months old) dated and signed as approved. (New groups must be able to provide a 12 month estimate of income and expenditure)
4. Copies of 3 quotations/estimates for items of expenditure over £1,000
5. One quotation/estimate for items up to £1,000
6. A copy of your Equal Opportunities Policy or Equality Statement
7. A copy of lease agreements, written permissions, or planning permissions where appropriate

How are decisions made?

Recommendations on funding will be made by the assessment panel in the Community Council ward you are applying to. For applications greater than £500, the recommendations on funding applications will be presented to the Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership for a final decision. All applications must be fully submitted ahead of the Area Partnership meeting. Application cut off dates can be found within the funding rounds section.

(Fast track) applications of under £500, will be sent to the relevant Pot A panel for review, with the funding decision being made the application will also be sent directly to the Director of Resilient Communities to make a funding decision.

What happens if funding is approved?

We will notify the applicant and issue a grant offer letter detailing the terms and conditions of the grant. Grant offer letters must be signed and returned to us within 3 weeks. Funding will not be paid until we have received a signed award letter. Funding can only be used for the purpose defined in the application. Projects receiving funding must commence within 12 months from the date of acceptance of the funding.

Upon completion of your project and 12 months from receipt of the Neighbourhood Support Funds, whichever comes first, you will be required to complete an evaluation and submit receipts to evidence that the amount given has been used for the purpose intended. The conditions of any offer of funding, along with the project outcomes, will be monitored by the assessment panels through your evaluation report. Any amount not used must be repaid in full.

Failure to comply with any conditions attached to funding may result in the funding being repaid to ourselves and affect future funding awards.

What is the timescale for funding?

You must send in your completed application with supporting documents at least five weeks prior to the Area Partnership meeting at which you wish to have your application considered. Dates of Area Partnerships meetings can be found here, alternatively contact the Communities and Partnerships Team. 

Following receipt of the signed award letter and acceptance of the terms and conditions, grants will be paid either directly into your bank or building society account or paid out by cheque. Please note: if you are successful – it can take up to one month for payment of the grant to be processed.

If you have difficulty or are unable to access forms on-line or submit papers by email, and would like assistance in completing this form or have any other queries, please contact our Communities and Partnerships Team on 0300 100 1800. Otherwise, all completed forms and attachments should be submitted via email to communitygrants@scotborders.gov.uk

Further information can be found online

You can get this document on audio CD, in Braille, large print and various computer formats by contacting the above address