Applications for Area Based Grants are now open.
Nottingham City Council have made the decision to extend the current Area Based Grants Programme for one year until March 2023 with Groundwork Greater Nottingham remaining the designated lead organisation for Area 3 for this period.
There have been some significant changes to what Area Based Grants can cover for this period and therefore all prospective partners should read the below guidance carefully before applying and ensure that their application meets all the criteria as set out below.
Area Based Grants for this 1 year extension will cover the 3 below streams:
- Youth and Play
- Employment and Skills
- Small Group Support
Any organisation funded through the Area Based Grants Partnerships is expected to commit to the below as set by Nottingham City Council:
- Work towards a hub model for delivery
- Work towards clear outcomes agreed with Nottingham City Council
- Deliver activities that support the Nottingham Plan
- Work with a range of organisations including Voluntary and Community Sector, statutory and non-statutory bodies.
- Be pro-active in drawing in further funding streams for the city.
- Be creative and innovative to meet the outcomes identified.
- Strengthen delivery through the VCS including arrangements to include small localised organisations.
- Demonstrate value for money.
Eligibility
All organisations in receipt of funding must:
- Be not for profit, or have a clear clause ensuring all income is applied to the organisations purposes and not distributed to individual members, shareholders and owners.
- Have charitable aims that are suitable for work with communities in Nottingham
It is imperative that your organisation must have audited or examined accounts dependant on the requirements for the organisation as well as a significant level of detail to show restriction of funding.
You must also show evidence of safe and supportive work with vulnerable groups such as; people from diverse backgrounds, adults at risk and children and young people.
All organisations in receipt of funding must hold a specific safeguarding policy, which has regard to Working Together 2015/2018 and The Care Act 2015 and includes procedures for allegations or concerns about those who work in a position of trust.
All organisations/partners receiving NCC funding to deliver services MUST conform to these requirements in order to receive funding.
All organisations in receipt of funding must continue to ensure that they;
- Work in partnership and/or co-operation with appropriate agencies
- Demonstrate Best Value / Value for Money.
- Demonstrate impact of services.
- Ensure the safeguarding of all children, employees and vulnerable adults and undertake relevant DBS checks with paid employees and volunteers.
- Deliver their activities in accordance with Nottingham City Council’s Equality and Diversity Policy.
- Act in an anti-discriminatory manner, including (but not limited to) taking into account gender, race, age, culture, religion, belief, language spoken, sexual orientation and disability.
Delivery Process
The overall model for Area Based Grants will remain the same as previous years. Groundwork Greater Nottingham will remain to be the lead for Area 3 for the extension period. All those funded through Area Based Grants will form the Area Based Grant Partnership.
Area 3 covers three wards (based on the ward boundaries in place from May 2019 onwards):
- Aspley
- Bilborough
- Leen Valley
Funding is being offered for a one year extension. All funded bodies will be expected to deliver services as outlined within the criteria section of this document.
Organisations wishing to take part in this extension of grant funding must create a delivery plan that contains agreed outcomes and objectives.
Play and Youth
Children’s Integrated Services Division has been unable to meet the demand for its services within the available budget during this and previous years. To be able to support children, young people and their families within budget, it has been necessary to review all children’s services with the aim of identifying where structures and processes can be streamlined to deliver further efficiencies.
Whilst identifying further efficiencies, the Council has to ensure it is able to continue to meet its statutory duties and responsibilities for children, young people and families. Because of the scale of the financial challenge, the Council is unable to maintain the current level of service or provision.
Significant changes to service delivery means the play and youth service will cease delivering play sessions to 5-10 years olds and the youth offer for 10-17 year olds will be reduced to a targeted outreach / detached offer. This will mean a significant reduction in weekly youth sessions delivered by the city across the city of Nottingham and a reduction in staffing and delivery sites.
PLAY – Delivery must focus on universal play sessions (5-10 year olds) on a weekly basis from a specific location, which meets children development needs (SPICE) Social, Physical, Intellectual, Creative and Emotional.
YOUTH – Delivery must focus on universal youth sessions on a weekly basis, which meet the needs of young people’s personal, social and educational development.
Play and Youth – Holiday Activity Fund (HAF)
The Holiday Activity Fund is a £200 million country wide programme funded by the Department for Education. The programme aims to provide activities and food for children eligible for Free School Meals during the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays, plus October half term.
Organisations wishing to deliver holiday activities must:
- Market specifically to families where children are eligible for Free School Meals
- Adhere to all of the requirements for the project set out by the DfE
- Enlist multiple local providers to support with the delivery of the programme
- Ensure the families who use these sessions are signposted to the services in the city which may be able to support them
EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS
Employment and Skills grant recipients are expected to actively promote Employment & Skills activities in their areas and focus on supporting unemployed and inactive residents to engage with appropriate projects and programmes designed to progress them into employment.
SMALL GROUP SUPPORT
This funding aims to continue the offer of advice and support to smaller local VCS organisations and groups to enable them to maintain a robust organisation and offer a good quality service and / or activities to citizens. This could include small group support with issues such as management, policies, funding bids, or supporting the development of organisations enabling them to grow and thrive.
DEMOCRATIC DECISION MAKING
All ABG Lead Organisations must continue to pursue a democratic process of management involving partners in decision making and the allocation of funds and resources. In line with this, the ABG Lead Organisation is expected to undertake to share the duties and responsibilities of management of the programme with delivery partners where possible.
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING
Quarterly monitoring is required to demonstrate performance against targets and forms the basis of all performance management and monitoring. It will be used to trigger the release of future grant payments
All organisations who receive funding directly from Nottingham City Council must also compile an annual report to document progress and services delivered. All funded organisations should be able to evidence a strong record of delivery and achievement and identify additional resources or funding sourced by the partnership that will support delivery of the priorities.
ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION
All funded organisations will be required to promote activities delivered by their partnership and share publicity with NCC departments. All publicity of activity and services supported by the grant must acknowledge the support of Nottingham City Council.
AVAILABLE FUNDING
Due to the significant changes to the funding streams focus this year we are not suggesting an overall breakdown of the amounts to be spent under each stream and within each ward. However, decisions regarding which applications will be funded will be based upon Geographic spread across all three wards and will have to be within the funding parameters set by Nottingham City Council.
To read the full guidance notes for Area 3 Area based grants and access the application form, please see the links below.
Groundwork Greater Nottingham Area 3 ABG partner Application form 2022 v2
If you would like and further information, clarification or guidance on the application process please contact amy.palmer@groundworknottingham.org.uk