Community Grant Scheme

Who can apply?

The Community Grant is open to any Ryedale community-based organisation or group, for projects that make a positive impact on community-owned or managed facilities and activities in Ryedale, such as village halls, play areas, sports facilities, village owned shops and activities that support the
local community.

What can you apply for?

Applications will be considered for projects requiring capital (for example, buildings or equipment) or
revenue funding (for example training or staff costs). The projects considered by the fund can be
varied and diverse but must be able to show that they make a positive contribution to at least one of
the Council’s stated priorities as follows:

Sustainable growth

• Promoting a strong economy with thriving businesses and supporting infrastructure
• Capitalising on our culture, leisure and tourism opportunities
• Managing the environment of Ryedale with partners
• Enabling provision of housing that meets existing and anticipates future need
• Minimising homelessness, improving the standard and availability of rented accommodation and supporting people to live independently

Customers and communities

• Helping our partners to keep our communities safe and healthy
• Supporting communities to identify their needs, plan and develop local solutions and resilience

In respect of projects involving the purchase of, or improvements to land or property there must be no outstanding loans, mortgages or charges on, or in respect of the land or property involved unless under full guarantee against foreclosure. If the application relates to land or property which is not owned by the applicant organisation there should be no less than 10 years unexpired security of tenure at the date of the grant application, although a shorter term may be acceptable in some cases.

What can’t the grant be used for?

• Any expenditure that takes place prior to grant approval, including planning fees andnprofessional fees. Consequently no work must be started or firm contracts made in respect of anynproject before the grant application has been considered and a written offer of grant received.
• Existing running costs of your organisation and existing salary costs
• Fundraising costs
• Previously funded projects
• VAT that your organisation can recover
• Political or religious activities
• This funding is not intended to replace existing statutory funding or for projects that have previously been funded by other organisations, such as street lighting, highways improvements and school facilities.
• Private sector businesses, Local Authorities and organisations already in receipt of core-funding or Service Level Agreements are not eligible to apply

How much you can apply for

• You can apply for up to £5,000, although the maximum grant will be 25% of your project costs.
• Project costs of up to £1,000 are eligible for 100% of project costs. The amount of grant being requested must be clearly stated on the application form.

Apply now

How we assess your application

If your application is complete and includes all the information requested and your organisation is eligible for consideration, we will assess your organisation and project against the following criteria:

Your organisation…

• Is well-managed and financially sound
• Would be able to manage the project if a grant was awarded
• Reflects the community it serves
• Takes into account the needs and aspirations of the community in its work.

Your project…

• Contributes to the delivery of the Council’s stated priorities
• Responds to a clearly identified need and has community support, and this should be evidenced with research such as a parish plan or village appraisal or offers of help in kind
• Will deliver clear outcomes for the communities of Ryedale and the impact of the project has been anticipated and is supported by evidence
• Has a budget which is accurate and reasonable with a realistic plan to secure matching funding
• Has a clear and realistic projection of income for the future maintenance of the facility and a plan for its future operation
• Includes details of how it will be monitored and evaluated ie how will you show that the project has delivered the desired outcomes in Ryedale and share lessons learned?
• Must be deliverable within 18 months of the grant offer date

Additional priority

The resources available under the Council’s grant programmes are constantly under pressure and every year the budget is oversubscribed with requests for funding. Projects which contribute to the criteria outlined above are usually classified as high priority, however additional priority will be given to bids which:

• Attract partnership or match funding, particularly if funding has already been secured
• Are initiated by community based organisations or groups
• Are supported by evidence of need such as consultation or a parish plan
• Can demonstrate community support and participation, for example through offers of help in kind

Application approval

We will send you a grant offer letter detailing the amount, terms and any special conditions of the award. You must agree to abide by the Council’s standard grant conditions when accepting any award.

Payment

Grants are paid 50% in advance, with the remaining 50% paid on evidenced project completion by sending copies of all relevant receipted invoices to the Council. Please note that the remaining 50% of grant funding should be claimed within 18 months of grant approval otherwise the Council has the right to withhold payment. Grants are paid by bank transfer, with notification being sent to the contact as specified on the application form. We will ask for bank details when an offer of a grant is made, however work may be inspected before payments is sent. Alternative payment arrangements can be made by request.

How we monitor the project

We will monitor the impact of all projects funded by the Council. This will demonstrate the outcome of awarding grant aid and benefit to the communities of Ryedale. Aspects of your project which will need monitoring may include the benefits the project has achieved, as well as how many people or organisations have benefited. When we award a grant and before the grant begins, we will agree with you the things we would like you to monitor. We may also request materials such as photographs to use in future promotions of the scheme or to demonstrate best practice.

Your commitment

In order to achieve the best return for the Ryedale community from the grants we award, the Council expects the following from grant recipients:

• That you undertake to monitor and evaluate your service or project and its benefit to the Ryedale community
• To adhere to the principles of equal opportunities
• That you undertake to deliver a high quality of service
• Recognition of the funding contributed by Ryedale District Council in promotional material
• Providing information for inclusion in case studies
• Ryedale District Council has the ability to withdraw the grant offer if an organisation takes any action which could bring the District Council into disrepute

Our commitment

In order to provide a service which delivers grant aid to the voluntary sector in a fair and appropriate way, we:

• Monitor and evaluate our service to ensure we provide the best service we can
• Assess all eligible applications against our criteria
• Acknowledge applications and answer letters within 5 working days of receipt
• Ensure that no applicant receives less favourable treatment for any reason

Data handling and privacy

In order to consider your application we must process your information, some of which is personal
(for example your name, address, email address etc). We are allowed to process this information
because administering the grants is part of our statutory function.

As part of the grant application process we will share the details on the application form with Elected
Members and Officers of Ryedale District Council, as well as other relevant organisations such as
grant making bodies and Town and Parish Councils in order to consult with them regarding the
application. Information in relation to your grant application will be retained by the Council for two
years following the completion of the project.

Please see our Privacy Notices section for more information on how we use your data.