Enabling Communities Budget Scheme guidance

What can receive support

  • Projects with clear community benefit that stimulate new community activity (to address a gap in services/provision) or that extend/grow existing community activity in East Suffolk – the aim of the scheme is not to provide funding across multiple years for the same project or activity.
  • Projects that provide local solutions to local needs and demonstrate clear outcomes.
  • Projects within an East Suffolk ward, whether covered by one or multiple councillors.
    or
  • Projects outside the councillor's ward where it can be demonstrated that people from within the ward can participate in the project and/or will benefit from project outcomes.
  • Where project activity benefits more than one ward, the project can be funded by pooling budgets with other councillors or funded from a single Enabling Budget.
  • Grant allocations should be between £100 and the maximum of £7,500.
  • 100 per cent of project costs OR projects that have/need partnership/match funding.
  • Projects which support delivery of the council’s Strategic Plan.
  • Projects that are based on the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion.

These examples are given as a guide and are not exhaustive.

Examples of projects

Below are just a few examples of the type of projects this fund has helped:

  • Purchase of play equipment.
  • Village hall/Community centre refurbishments or purchase of equipment.
  • One-off events that will benefit the wider community – but please ensure that applications are sent to us at least 3 weeks before the project/event start date.
  • New community initiatives (can include staff costs/support costs in the pilot/start-up phase).
  • Projects that will help and support people with disabilities and their carers.
  • Purchase of defibrillators and associated training.
  • Youth groups and activities.

These examples are given as a guide and are not exhaustive.

Who can receive support

Enabling Community Budgets are intended to support activities delivered by community, voluntary and social enterprise organisations. Other groups can be considered but the lead organisation must be best placed to deliver the activity or to act as the accountable body on behalf of groups not able to meet all the governance requirements themselves. The range of groups we can support are listed below:

  • Constituted “not for profit” community or voluntary groups.
  • Registered Charities (registered with the Charity Commission).
  • Charitable Companies Limited by Guarantee.
  • Local branch of a national organisation.
  • Community/Social Enterprises.
  • Schools looking to provide community and/or extracurricular activities.
  • Village Hall/Recreation Ground Committees.
  • Residents Associations.
  • Town and parish councils.

It is a strongly recommended that any services providing childcare, especially to vulnerable children and young people, are assessed and registered by Ofsted. Your application is much more likely to be supported if this is the case. N.B. Grant payments directly to individuals will not be supported.

We want to support projects that:

  • Identify the assets (what is strong) within a community.
  • Explore ways to use these assets to their full potential.
  • Help to identify and prioritise current and future community needs.
  • Enable communities to provide local solutions to local needs.
  • Identify and support community leaders and champions.
  • Support communities to be resilient – strong, connected and quick to recover when things go wrong • Increase the number of formal and informal volunteers in communities.

You are more likely to receive a grant if you:

  • Are clear about exactly how the grant will be spent.
  • Can demonstrate how the project will help deliver the East Suffolk Strategic Plan priorities.
  • Can demonstrate a clear need for the project and the difference that it will make.
  • Are responding to local aspirations and have local support.
  • Can show what your organisation has achieved so far – your track record.
  • Are actively involving the community in planning and delivering the project.
  • Can demonstrate sustainability after all the grant funding has been spent.

Excluded activities

The Enabling Communities Budgets do not normally fund the following activities:

  • VAT – If you are able to claim back VAT then VAT is not eligible as part of the costs of your project and should not be included.
  • Items or projects which only benefit an individual such as bursaries/sponsorship.
  • Projects with high ongoing maintenance costs – unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that they have the funds and skills to maintain the project once the ECB funding ends (i.e. that the project is sustainable).
  • Travel or expeditions for individuals or groups outside East Suffolk unless there is clear community benefit/legacy – oversees travel will not be supported • Groups operating as a business for profit.
  • Loss of profits/income.
  • Activities that are statutory obligations such as curricular activity in schools, highways projects.
  • Medical research and equipment for statutory or private healthcare.
  • Payments towards endowment funds, deficit funding or loans.
  • National and regional organisations unless they have a local base and/or their application is for a specific project that directly benefits people in East Suffolk • Activities promoting political or religious beliefs.
  • Political parties or organisations intending to support or oppose any particular political party, or to discriminate on the groups of race, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation.
  • Sponsored or fundraising events.
  • An individual or family in personal need (other funding is in place for this).
  • Retrospective funding for projects that have already commenced.
  • Repeat funding for the same activity/project in consecutive years (see below).
  • Projects that will displace existing provision.
  • Animal welfare.

The ECBs are not intended to provide ongoing/annual funding for community groups for the same projects. We can support the same group for a different project in consecutive years but need to ensure we don’t create dependency and being seen as a core funder for a project.

Strategic priorities

For projects to be considered for grant funding, they must contribute to the council’s Strategic Plans aim ‘to promote a bright, green, open, free, and fair future for all East Suffolk’. Projects should also contribute to one or more of our four key themes and their priorities –Environmental Impact, Sustainable Housing, Tackling Inequalities and Thriving economy. The priorities are:

  • Environmental Impact:
    • Continued commitment to net zero by 2030.
    • Supporting sustainable transport.
    • Restoring ecosystems and biodiversity.
    • Work in partnership to manage coastal adaptation and resilience.
    • Focus on reduction, re-use and recycling of materials.
    • Encourage food self-sufficiency.
  • Sustainable Housing:
    • Deliver the right housing based on our communities need
    • Tackle fuel poverty and support new heating technologies
    • Add to, improve and make better use of our housing stock
    • Promote housing developments which enhance wellbeing and protect the environment
    • Reduce and prevent homelessness
    • Promote community pride in homes and neighbourhoods
    • Encourage more self build in East Suffolk.
  • Tackling Inequalities:
    • Use local data to design and deliver services.
    • Work with partners to better understand need.
    • Priorities early help to support residents.
    • Digitally enable our communities to help residents in need.
    • Efficiently deliver benefits and grants to residents.
    • Further develop our Community Partnership model.
    • Reduce health inequality and improve wellbeing.
    • Take action to improve community safety and reduce ASB.
  • Thriving Economy:
    • Empower residents to build the right career skills.
    • Encourage creativity and enterprise, and support start-ups.
    • Support businesses to eliminate waste and recycle more.
    • Ensure local plans work for local people.
    • Encourage Investment in East Suffolk key sectors.
    • Increase the economic viability of our towns.
    • Community wealth building by working with local companies.
    • Ensure our residents can benefit from national infrastructure projects.
    • Support responsible tourism and visitor economy.

The organisation

As a minimum, a group must have:

  • a constitution, set of rules (a written document stating how the group is to be run, and for what purpose), vision or policy statement,
  • two unrelated (by family, legal or civil arrangement) people to operate or manage the community group or organisation and
  • a separate bank account (or access to one) in the name of the organisation (not an individual) with two cheque signatories (not related by family, legal or civil arrangement)

Groups will need to confirm that they have all the relevant policies in place and sign to that effect on the application form. These could include child protection, vulnerable adults, health and safety and equal opportunities polices, plus relevant insurances/licenses (if applicable). If groups do not have relevant governance/policies in place, we will not be able to process the application until the group have engaged with Community Action Suffolk who can advise about the relevant documents.

Capital projects must ensure that they have all relevant planning and building permissions before a grant can be paid and at least 5 years security of tenure in place (either through a lease agreement and permission from the Landlord, or through evidence of ownership of the building).

What next?

If the application is entirely complete (i.e. all of the required information is provided) and is successful, the organisation will be notified of the decision through a Grant Acceptance within 10 working days of the date that the Funding Team received the application.

Funds through the Enabling Communities Budget should be spent only on the items/purpose detailed in the application form and within 12 months of the date of the Grant Acceptance. The project/activity should not be started/purchased until the Grant Offer has been issued.

Organisations who are delayed in starting their project, but still require the funding awarded, should contact the Council asap. If the grant is not spent on the approved purposes or there is an under spend, the council has the authority to reclaim part or all of the grant.

An evaluation and monitoring form will be sent out for the project to complete after the activities have been completed. These will then be used to provide case studies to promote the scheme. Where possible it would be great if you could provide a photograph that we could use to promote our support for your project. Failure to return a monitoring report may/will impact on your organisation ability to apply for other funding from East Suffolk Council, including future Enabling Communities Budget applications.

The council is keen to promote how its funding is used as this stimulates other projects and encourages future applications. You must acknowledge East Suffolk funding support in any relevant publicity, with the council’s logo, where applicable. Failure to do this could result in the grant being reclaimed.

How to apply

For groups only:

If you would like to access funding through the Enabling Communities Budget Scheme please complete the application form.

 

Once completed and signed, send to your local ward councillor for approval.

The ward councillor will complete their section and will send to us for processing.

For ward councillors only:

The responsibility is on councillors to ensure that every application meets the scheme guidance.

Once the applicant has completed the form, it must be sent to you as their councillor in order for you to verify the information, and complete and sign the councillor declaration. The form should then be sent to grants@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.

Hard copies can be submitted and should be sent to:

Funding Team
East Suffolk House
Station Road
Melton
Woodbridge IP12 1RT

If you would like this document in large print, Braille, audiotapes, or translated into another language, please email grants@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.