Corporate Services Funding for Innovative Projects 2014 - 15

Application Information and Criteria

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This information has been produced by the Community Engagement Team in the

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

For more information, contact:

Online: www.rbkc.gov.uk/communityfunding Email: communityengagement@rbkc.gov.uk

Tel: 020 7598 4633

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1. Introduction

The Royal Borough has made funding available to the third sector for innovative projects as part of the Corporate Services Grants Programme. Up to £0.5m is available over two years; there is no limit to the amount organisations can apply for and the minimum grant that can be allocated is £10,000. Applications are sought from third sector organisations for projects which meet the criteria; the deadline for applications is 12 noon on Friday 26 July 2013.

2. Why has the Council decided to do this?

The increased pressure on public sector budgets has led many parts of the third sector to seek ways to become less reliant on public funds and find new ways to deliver services to address unmet need by using more creative and sustainable funding models. The Council wishes to support and encourage such initiatives and assist the third sector’s efforts to deliver services to residents in a cost effective way. The injection of additional funding through the Corporate Services Grants programme will provide the Council with an opportunity to do this.

3. What types of proposal is the Council seeking?

The Council is looking for proposals that: a) Demonstrate innovation in one or more of the following respects:

offering a new service in the Royal Borough; being delivered by a new provider (ie. one not currently in receipt of Corporate Ser-vices Grants Programme funding);

reaching a new client group. b) Offer a convincing possibility of being sustainable with little or no public sector subsidy within three years. c) Contribute to the achievement of one or more of the following Council priorities:

tackling social isolation identified in a range of groups, not only older people; supporting residents to improve their life chances through work and skills; and encouraging community resilience through greater neighbourliness, civic participation and self-help.

The proposed services should be predominantly for the benefit of Kensington and Chelsea residents.

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4. Sustainable funding

The Council wants to be confident that the services it supports will continue to be provided once the grant comes to an end. Applicants will therefore need to demonstrate how the project will become sustainable once Corporate Services innovative project funding has ended (for instance through fees, membership subscriptions, private sector funding, volunteer resources or the sale of goods or services). Given the probable scarcity of public funds over the next few years, the Council is also keen to ensure that these services do not rely heavily on public funding for their continuation. Grant funding from the public sector should therefore not form a major part of anticipated future income. Selling goods and services to public sector organisations and others would be acceptable. It is essential that applicants provide a clear and realistic budget which demonstrates how the long term viability of the project can be sustained. This could be by either adopting a social enterprise model which raises revenue funds; or through fundraising (from other sources) for which the organisation must provide evidence of previous success.

5. Who can apply?

Applications are sought from charitable, voluntary and social enterprise organisations. Collaborative or consortium applications involving more than one organisation are welcome. Applications from organisations with limited or no experience of working in the borough are welcome, though we expect such organisations to explain the local links they have, including relationships with existing third sector providers, and how they will develop them further. Applications from individuals will not be considered and we cannot fund campaigning, political or religious organisations.

6. How much can I apply for?

The minimum grant that will be allocated is £10,000 and there is no maximum amount. The funding start date is negotiable however the earliest the grant funding will be available is January 2014. Payments will be paid quarterly in advance in line with the business cases presented and will be negotiated on award of a grant.

7. What is the funding period?

Grants are available for up to a two year period and you should apply for the total amount required for the project for up to a two year funding period. The funding is strictly for a time-limited period only; continuation funding will not be available.

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8. How can the fund be used?

The fund can be used for a variety of resources which will help to get projects started and implemented, this includes:

capital and one-off costs such as IT equipment running and salary costs to secure match funding costs to expand an innovative pilot project costs to start an innovative project.

Proposals which use Council funding to secure match funding from elsewhere are especially welcome.

9. What cannot be funded?

Revenue for existing activities Initiatives which will not primarily benefit Royal Borough residents Costs that have already been incurred.

10. How to apply

To apply for an innovative projects grant, organisations are asked to submit a business case for their project that includes the following information: a) Context: Background information on the organisation and people delivering the project and their experience of project delivery elsewhere if appropriate. b) Aims and objectives: The aims and objectives of the project, the intended beneficiaries and evidence of the need that the proposal seeks to address. Details of the way in which the project addresses one or more of the three priorities identified in 3(c) c) The project: A detailed description of the project and what it will involve, and why it can be considered as innovative. d) Implementation plan: A plan on how the project will be implemented, including timescales. e) Financial information: This should include: (i) The budget for the project detailing the costs that will be incurred and specific information on the amount of Council grant being sought, the duration of the grant and what it will be spent on. (ii) A cash flow table demonstrating how the project will become sustainable over the lifetime of the grant. f) Evaluation: Information on how success of the project will be measured and evaluated throughout the lifetime of the grant. g) Bidder information: This should include: (i) Evidence of the organisation’s experience of working locally in the borough or how it aims to develop local knowledge and relationships. (ii) Applicants should provide the organisation’s constitution, audited accounts (for established organisations) and any other key organisation documents with their application.

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Applications should be limited to 10 pages; documents such as constitution and audited accounts can be submitted in addition to this as appendices. Organisations should submit three copies of their business case to the following address: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Community Engagement Team Third Floor, Town Hall Hornton Street London W8 7NX We also ask that applications are emailed to communityengagement@rbkc.gov.uk

The deadline for submission of business cases is 12noon on Friday 26 July 2013.

11. What support is available?

For information about the innovative projects funding and how it is being managed please contact the Community Engagement Team on 020 7598 4633 or email communityengagement@rbkc.gov.uk Charities based in Kensington and Chelsea can receive advice and support on their application or how best to develop a business case from Kensington and Chelsea Social Council. Contact Siobhan Sollis (siobhan@kcsc.org.uk) or Brenda Nambooze (Brenda@kcsc.org.uk) on 020 7243 9807. Specific guidance for local voluntary organisations on developing a budget is available from CASH; contact Paul Boielle on 020 8969 0747 Or email paul@cash-online.org.uk In addition, staff in the Community Engagement Team would be happy to meet with organisations who would like to know more about the funding and discuss applications; please email communityengagement@rbkc.gov.uk or call 020 7854 5853 to arrange an appointment.

We aim to administer the funding in keeping with the principles of the Kensington and Chelsea Compact. Further information about the Compact is available at: www.rbkc.gov.uk/compact Frequently asked questions and answers are provided at the end of this document for further guidance on the funding. Details of projects which have already received an inno-vative projects grant can be found at Appendix D of the key decision report at the following web link: www.rbkc.gov.uk/howwegovern/keydecisions/decision.asp?DecisionID=3876

12. Timetable and next steps

Applications will be assessed by a panel during the summer. A decision on applications will be made by the Cabinet Member for Voluntary Organisations and Resident Engage-ment during December 2013 and confirmed via a Key Decision Report. Grants will be available from January 2014.

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Corporate Services Innovative Projects Funding – Frequently Asked Questions

1. What funding is available?

The innovative projects funding is part of the Corporate Services Grants Programme. £2.3 was allocated through the programme in 2013-14 of which £378k was for innovative projects. A total of £627k has been allocated on innovative projects overall up to 2016 and a further £500k is available for innovation over the next two years.

2. What is the difference between the innovative projects funding, the existing Corporate Services Grants funding and City Living, Local Life funds?

The innovative projects funding is specifically targeted at developing new projects and ways of working in the third sector which are sustainable and less reliant on public sector funding. It will not fund existing activities and grants are strictly for a time-limited period only. Project and running costs for organisations are funded through the main priorities of the Corporate Services Grants Programme and although sustainability is encouraged the fund provides ongoing costs for organisations. More information can be found at: www.rbkc.gov.uk/communityfunding City Living, Local Life funding is targeted specifically at individual wards and must be supported by all three ward councillors. Each ward has a budget allocation of up to £20,000 per year to improve local life in its broadest sense based on consultation and en-gagement with communities. For more information about City Living, Local Life go to www.citylivinglocallife.org Organisations can apply for grants from all three of these funding pots if they meet the criteria.

3. What projects have already been funded? Seven projects were approved for funding in 2012; details can be found in Appendix D of the key decision report at the following web link: www.rbkc.gov.uk/howwegovern/keydecisions/decision.asp?DecisionID=3876

4. What is a business case? To apply for innovative projects funding an organisation must submit a business case for their project. The business case should provide all the information about who is delivering the project, how the project will be delivered, what it will achieve and how it will be fi-nanced during the funding period and in the future to demonstrate sustainability. A list of specific things required in the business case is detailed in the criteria.

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5. What is the minimum and maximum amount I can apply for? The minimum grant that will be awarded is £10,000. There is no maximum limit. We have set this minimum figure as the Council would like to invest a sizeable amount in supporting the third sector to deliver transformation.

6. Can I reapply if my organisation was unsuccessful in 2012? Can I apply if my organi-sation is already in receipt of a Corporate Ser-vices Grant? Yes. Organisations can reapply for funding if they were unsuccessful in 2012 if they feel the business case has been amended sufficiently that it now meets the criteria. Please contact the community engagement team if you applied and would like further feedback; contact details can be found on page 6. Yes. Organisations that meet the criteria and are already in receipt of a Corporate Ser-vices grant, either for innovation or through the main priorities, can apply for grant.

7. Can my organisation still apply even if funding is for a short term period, for example a three to six month’s project? Project funding is available for a maximum of two years; short-term projects are also welcome as long as the project meets one or more of the priorities and can demonstrate its sustainability once innovation funding has ended.

8.Can funding be used for salaries, buildings, equipment and transport, for example? The fund can be used for a variety of resources which will help to get projects started and implemented, including: capital and one-off costs such as IT equipment running and salary costs to secure match funding costs to expand an innovative pilot project costs to start an innovative project.

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9.What kinds of activities will not be funded? Innovative project funding will not support: Revenue for existing activities Initiatives which will not primarily benefit Royal Borough residents Costs that have already been incurred.

10. Can my organisation apply for funding even if the project or organisation operates outside Kensington and Chelsea? Applications are welcomed and encouraged from organisations that are not based in the borough however the project must primarily benefit Royal Borough residents. Organisations must also demonstrate their experience of working in the borough or how they plan to develop local knowledge and relationships.

11. Can an individual apply for funding? Are there particular types of organisations that cannot apply? Individuals do not qualify for the funding. Applications from campaigning, political or religious organisations will not be accepted.

12.Will you accept a joint business plan with another organisation? Collaborative and consortium applications involving more than one organisation are welcome. If you are applying on a consortium basis, please provide one business case for the project but you should provide organisational information for each of the organisations involved in delivering the project. Your business case should explain how the partners will work together.

13.Does my organisation have to find match funding for any elements of the project we are proposing? Match funding is not essential to the success of an application but this will be looked upon favourably. Organisations will need to demonstrate an ability to attract funding from more sustainable sources once the innovation grants ends; for example, income generating activity, self-funded activities as well as attracting funding from other funding sources.

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14.What do you mean by ‘a new client group’? You may identify a specific group of people that is geographically based or has a common interest that is not currently in receipt of a service which is needed by this group. This would be a new client group. You would need to provide evidence of a gap in services for these people and the need for your service/project for this group.

15.Can an organisation apply for more than one project? Organisations can submit more than one business case if they would like funding for more

than one project.

16.What other key documents should I provide with my business case? In addition to the business case, organisations are asked to provide documents including audited accounts, governing document (such as a constitution or memorandum of articles), and other key documents which provide important information about the organisation. These documents could include an Annual Report and business plan.

17.Does it have to be a new service/project that is funded or can my organisation apply for

something for which funding is coming to an end but meets the innovative projects funding criteria?

Innovative projects funding will fund projects that provide new services that have not previ-ously been delivered in the borough or for existing projects to be delivered in a different way which means they will become sustainable and no longer rely on public sector fund-ing. Existing projects will not be supported irrespective of future funding arrangements.

18.What support and advice is available to help my organisation with my business case? Local voluntary and community organisations can seek advice and support in developing their application and completing a business case from Kensington and Chelsea Social Council. Contact Siobhan Sollis (siobhan@kcsc.org.uk) or Brenda Nambooze (Brenda@kcsc.org.uk) on 020 7243 9807. Guidance on developing a project budget is available for local voluntary organisations from CASH; contact Paul Boielle on 020 8969 0747 or email paul@cash-online.org.uk. The Community Engagement Team is available to answer questions about the fund and how it is being allocated. Contact us on 020 7598 4633 or email communityengagement@rbkc.gov.uk.

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19.Will the Council be providing any training or information on sustainability and how to access other council or external funding? Kensington and Chelsea Social Council and CASH can provide advice and support to local groups on developing your business case and other funding applications. See contact details at question 18.

20.How will business case/s be assessed? A panel of officers with a range of experience and knowledge will assess business cases against the criteria specified and will then make recommendations to the appropriate Cabinet Member. The Cabinet Member will seek the views of the Cabinet and Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee members before making a final decision on the award of grants. The decision will be subject to the Council’s key decision process. There is no right of appeal.

21.How long will it take to process/assess the business case and come to a decision? The deadline to submit a business case is 12 noon on Friday 26 July 2013. Applications will be assessed during the autumn and decisions will be confirmed in December 2013.

22.Will I have to apply every year for funding? No, funding is available for up to two years and organisations should apply for the total funding they need for their project for up to two years; organisations will not be able to re-apply for further funding of a project.

23.Will I need to submit monitoring data to evidence progress of a project? Milestones, targets and subsequent monitoring arrangements will be negotiated on award of a grant based on the business case. Successful organisations should expect to provide monitoring updates on a quarterly basis to the Community Engagement Team and will be subject to monitoring visits.

24.If successful, will the money be awarded in stages in advance or arrears? In keeping with the Kensington and Chelsea Compact, payments will be made in advance on a quarterly basis subject to satisfactory performance data collected via a quarterly monitoring form; details will be negotiated on award of a grant.

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