Community capacity and resilience funding

Grants available

The Isle of Wight Council Adult Social Care and Housing Needs Directorate invites applications for grants to support residents with the cost-of-living essential items.

The period of the grant shall cover expenditure form 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

Who Can Apply?

Applications can be made by any organisation / Council department including

  • Town, Parish, and Community Councils
  • Education establishments
  • Community Interest Companies
  • Charities
  • Registered Community or Voluntary Organisations
  • Faith groups

What are we looking for?

We are able to fund applications that are not eligible for funding through the Household Support Fund or any other grant but meet the following criteria:-

  • support households in the most need, particularly those not eligible for other Government support, with immediate support linked to food, utilities or wider essentials
  • seed-funding for a sustainable project linked to food, utilities or wider essentials
  • Administration costs (at a maximum of 5%) which would cover staffing, advertising, other publicity to raise awareness of the scheme, printing application forms, small IT changes etc.

Examples could be

  • Direct support to reduce utility debt
  • Energy reduction equipment such as draught excluders, thermal curtains
  • Domestic insulation, boiler repairs
  • Energy efficient essential white goods
  • Cookery sessions for residents of all ages
  • Providing immediate support with food essentials

This is not an exhaustive list and we welcome grant applications with innovative ideas for supporting Island residents that while there is a focus on cost of living and poverty initiatives, other schemes may be considered, particularly community-based support projects that provide wider support linked to the Islands Poverty Reduction Strategy objectives e.g. acknowledging that there are wider detriments to the causes of poverty.

Support should demonstrate an intention to strengthen overall community capacity and resilience by working in partnership to aid residents and enable them to become self-sustaining and empowered to have better control of their lives both now and in the future.

Applications should also be aligned to Community Capacity & Resilience guidance and show that recipients are eligible for support.

Criteria

Applicants can request consideration of any spend that meets the identified criteria from 28 May 2024. 

Where projects are requesting funding for activity which has previously been covered by the Household Support Fund Grant your application needs to evidence that this grant funding has been fully utilised 

Applicants will need to have appropriate measures in place to ensure that the measures identified do not compromise the safety of the people accessing support throughout the project.

Applicants are encouraged to consider and set out where match funding can be demonstrated to aid a community provision of support e.g., Town, Parish and Community Councils match funding any financial support that demonstrates sustainability and mutual commitment to local community support initiatives.

The application should also demonstrate why it is essential support that may otherwise not be available, and the outcomes and impact that is expected to achieve from the seed funding. We would also like to see how the provisions may develop sustainable projects of support beyond this initial funding.

What expenditure is not covered by this grant?

 The grant must not be used for

  •  Expenditure incurred prior to 1 April 2024 or after 31 March 2025
  • Activities for which the local authority has already earmarked or allocated expenditure – unless the provider is able to appropriately evidence that this funding has been exhausted and the activity undertaken will avoid duplication of funding.
  • Activities which do not support the primary purpose of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Household Support Fund.
  • Cash awards / bank transfers to residents
  • Capital purchases
  • Utility costs or extensive hire / property rental costs.

How to apply for funding

  • Contact the Partnerships and Support Services team at CCRF@iow.gov.uk to request an application form and the guidance document
  • Complete all sections of the Application form (the application form will be attached to our response email) together with any supporting documentation you wish to submit.
  • Make sure that the form is fully signed by the applicant.
  • Return the form and any other supporting documents to email: ccrf@iow.gov.uk

You must ensure that the email title reads: “APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDING –COMMUNITY CAPACITY & RESILIENCE FUND ” and states the name of the person/organisation applying for the funding.

 Applications not meeting this criteria will automatically be declined.

Application process and timescales

  • Applications will be accepted between the period 18 to 29 November 2024 and 8 to 24 January 2025.
  • All funding awarded must be spent by 31st March 2025 and evidence of that spend provided to the council – a reporting document will be provided.
  • Any amount of the grant not spent by 31 March 2025 must be returned to the council
  • Panel meetings to consider applications will take place on 9 December 2024 and 3 February 2025.
  • Applicants will need to ensure that forms are received by the deadline for their application to be considered
  • Applicants will be contacted within one week of Panel meeting to inform them of the outcome.  Some applicants may be asked to provide more detail or amend aspects of their project in order to meet the funding criteria.
  • Successful applicants will be required to sign a Funding Agreement which outlines the terms and conditions of the grant.   This will usually be within one week of the final decision
  • Grants will be paid in full upon completion of Funding Agreement

How will the applications be assessed?

Each application will be assessed on its own merit. 

Each application will be acknowledged upon receipt, and then checked by a member of the Panel to ensure that it is complete, and suitable to be scored by the Grants Panel. 

At this stage we may come back to the applicant(s) to request further information.  If the application meets the basic requirements it will then be considered at the Grant Panel meeting.

If there are insufficient monies remain in the fund to meet the applications submitted, grants will be awarded according to need; value for money and proposed impact. 

The Panel reserves the right to consider reducing the value of awards offered in order to support a larger number of applications

Other important information

How payments will be made?   

Payments will be made directly into the organisation’s bank account. 

How projects will be monitored?  

The Isle of Wight Council’s Adult Social care and Housing Needs directorate is committed to supporting the delivery of high quality experiences and outcomes for those we serve.  To do this we will monitor the quality of the activities we fund, using a range of means which are appropriate to the individual projects.   

Following award all successful applicants will need to

  • evidence the expenditure and provide original receipts
  • evidence the impact/outcomes achieved

For more information about the funding available, or if you have any queries or concerns about requirements contact Laura Hales – Commissioning & Projects Officer      

Email: Laura.Hales@IOW.gov.uk