St Stephen in Brannel Parish Council Grant Funding

Grant Funding Policy

1. Introduction

 1.1 St Stephen-in-Brannel Parish Council is committed to supporting, promoting, and encouraging volunteer organisations, charities, and community interest groups that provide benefits to the parish and its residents. To achieve this, the Parish Council makes an annual budget provision for grant funding.

1.2 The Parish Council has allocated £15,000 in the budget for grants to local organisations, which will be awarded in line with this policy.

1.3 As these grants are funded through public money, it is essential that all allocations are made openly, transparently, and fairly.

1.4 Decisions regarding applications under the Grants Scheme are delegated to the Finance and Policy Committee. A panel appointed by this committee will assess applications and make recommendations, with final decisions being made by the Finance and Policy Committee.

1.5 Applicants are encouraged to seek additional sources of funding alongside this grant scheme, particularly through match funding and other fundraising efforts.

1.6 The Parish Council seeks to provide grants that meet at least one of the following objectives:

• Enhances opportunities and demonstrates that the project benefits the parish and has local community support.
• Provides a new or improves an existing asset or service that benefits a significant proportion of residents.
• Enhances the profile and reputation of St Stephen-in-Brannel Parish.

2. Grant Schemes

The Parish Council operates two separate grant schemes:

2.1 Small Grants Scheme – for grants up to £1,000. Applications are considered at each Finance and Policy Committee meeting.

2.2 Large Grants Scheme – for grants exceeding £1,000. Applications are considered at each Finance and Policy Committee meeting.

3. Eligibility

3.1 The grant schemes are only open to:

• Community Organisations
• Local Charities
• Community Interest Companies (CICs)
• Individuals who have a connection to one of the above that is located in the parish.

3.2 Applicants must have a bank account in the organisation’s name.

3.3 The proposed project must provide a demonstrable benefit to the residents of St Stephen-in-Brannel Parish.

3.4 The Parish Council will not fund:

• Hospitality or refreshments.
• Salaries or staffing costs.
• Religious organisations (unless the funding is for non-religious community activities).
• Core school expenditure.
• Projects with party-political affiliations.
• Retrospective applications, unless approved at the committee’s discretion.

3.5 The Parish Council will only consider one application per organisation per financial year.

3.6 Applications will be considered from religious groups where a clear benefit to the wider community is demonstrated, regardless of religious beliefs. However, grants will not be awarded for upkeep, maintenance, or improvement of religious facilities.

3.7 Grants will not be awarded to political organisations (as per Local Government Act 1986 s2).

3.8 If an individual applies, they must:

• Live in the parish and/or
• Be affiliated with a local organisation within the parish.
• Provide a verifying letter on headed paper from the organisation supporting their application.

3.9 The Finance & Policy Committee may attach additional conditions to grants.

4. Applying for a Grant

4.1 Application Process:

• Applications should be submitted via the Parish Council website using the designated form.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Applications must be received at least 10 working days before a Finance & Policy Committee meeting.

4.2 Supporting Documentation:

Small Grants (£1,000 or less):

• Previous financial year’s accounts.
• A recent (within 3 months) bank statement.
• Start-up organisations must provide a proposed budget and financial plan.

Large Grants (£1,000+):

• Audited accounts for the previous financial year.
• A recent (within 3 months) bank statement.
• Evidence of other funding
• Evidence of community support/need
• The organisation’s constitution
• Quotes demonstrating best value for expenditure exceeding £1000.

4.3 If requested, applicants must attend the Finance & Policy Committee meeting where their application is being considered.

5. Grant Award Process

5.1 Assessment & Scoring
Applications are assessed based on:

• Achieves Outcomes (10 points) – Does the project meet at least one of the Parish Council’s objectives?
• Value for Money (10 points) – Does the project demonstrate efficient use of funds, collaboration, or match funding?
• Strong Governance (10 points) – Is the organisation well-managed, with financial oversight?
• Fit with Parish Council Strategic Aims (6 points) – Does the project align with the Parish Council’s priorities?

A minimum governance score of 6 and an overall score of 18 are required for a grant to be awarded.

6. Grant Conditions & Evaluation

 6.1 Successful applicants must:

• Acknowledge the Parish Council’s financial support in publicity materials.
• Provide an update report within 6 months (if requested), including invoices.

6.2 The Parish Council reserves the right to reclaim funds if:

• The grant is not spent in accordance with the application.
• The funds remain unspent after one year.
• There is a breach of conditions.

6.3 The Parish Council may provide letters of support for large projects requiring additional funding sources.

6.4 Applicants must not change the use of their grant award without written permission.

6.5 Applicants must reference the support of the Parish Council in all publicity.

6.6 If false information is provided, this may lead to withdrawal of the grant offer.

6.7 Individuals signing the application form must guarantee that if the grant is not used correctly, they will repay the outstanding amount to the Parish Council on demand.

7. Payment of Grants

7.1 Successful applicants must sign an agreement confirming acceptance of grant conditions before funds are released.

7.2 Payments will be made within four weeks of receiving the signed agreement.

7.3 Grants will only be paid to an organisation’s bank account – not to individuals.

Adopted by Full Council at the meeting held on Wednesday 2 April 2025 under minute number FPC41/25. Due for review in April 2028.