Who can apply, and for what?
This scheme which is currently operating in 7 of the Councils Wards aims to ensure that Communities who have a local development proposal can access expert development advice and assistance where necessary to help them take local projects on from the planning to the funding and implementation stages.
The scheme operates in the following wards:
Ward 7 (Cromarty Firth)
Ward 8 (Tain & Easter Ross)
Ward 10 (Black Isle)
Ward 11 (Eilean a'Cheo)
Ward 19 (Nairn)
In Ward 1 (North, West and Central Sutherland) and Ward 5 (East Sutherland and Edderton) the scheme is operated by the Sutherland Partnership.
The scheme is open to formally constituted voluntary groups whose membership is open to the whole community. Assistance is discretionary and each application will be considered on its own merits.
The funding is intended to provide project development help through the employment of a community development consultant or similar by community organisations. The scheme aims to help groups’ progress projects or to access specialist expertise which is not available within the group. It should therefore enable groups to progress a project which is a local priority by allocating funding to the group to procure expertise to work for the group, generally for a short period of time.
The Community Project Development Scheme is unable to assist with ongoing general fundraising or simple development work. Applications will only be considered where the group have clearly identified what project they wish to undertake, who it would be aimed at and what benefits could be anticipated. Assistance is not intended to support the everyday activities of the group or for simple work for which group members have the skills for.
The maximum grant is £2,000 which includes a contribution from the community group of 5%. This contribution must be in cash and not in kind.
Any constituted community group is eligible to apply for a grant. The group may only make one application per project. We cannot approve assistance to projects that have already started. The fund is open for applications from April until 31st December each year until 2011.
The Application Process
In order to apply for assistance you must complete the attached Application Form (786kb doc)
The form includes the information your Ward Manager will need to gather from you in order to appraise your application for assistance. Please fill out the form as completely as possible to avoid delays. The form must be signed by an officer bearer of the group, preferably the Chair. You can, if you wish, arrange for an appointment to run through the form with the Ward Manager prior to submission. The description of the work for which assistance is required must be clear and quantified as this will effectively form the brief for the work for which assistance will be given.
Once the Ward Manager has received the form they will contact you for any additional information or clarification needed and make a decision regarding the level of assistance that can be granted.
Where assistance is refused you will be told of the reasons in writing.
Where assistance is agreed the Ward Manager will send you an “Offer of Grant” letter which includes the legal terms and conditions of our assistance. Your will then be required to formally accept the grant before it is issued by returning one copy of this letter. The offer letter must be signed by the Chair or Vice Chair of the group.
In all cases the applicant will be required to submit a report at the end of the assisted work outline what work was done and the outcomes (e.g. funding applied for to x number of sources, project assessed as viable/not viable etc)