Community Grants
Bassetlaw District Council's Grant Aid
Scheme
Grant Aid Forms >
Categories
of Grant Aid Available > Major Grants > Minor Grants > Concessionary
Use of Council Premises > Capital Projects > How to Apply For a
Grant > The
Payment of Grants > Type Timescale.
Guidance Notes for Applicants
The Council makes grants and contribution's each
year to Parish Council's and Voluntary Organisation's within the
District of Bassetlaw. These notes describe the various forms
of assistance that are available, the process through which
applications receive consideration and the requirements which need
to be met by applicants.
The Council's aims in offering grant aid are to
support and encourage new initiatives; to maintain and develop
current projects, events, facilities and resources; and to increase
the accessibility of leisure and art-related activities to the
people of Bassetlaw, both as participants and attendees.
These guidance notes contain the following
contents:
Grant Aid Forms
Categories of Grant Aid Available
Almost half of the Council's Grant Aid is
provided to Parishes via the Contribution Scheme for Concurrent
Functions. Each year in December or January, all Parish
Council Clerks and Parish Meeting Chairmen are informed of the
process for obtaining this form of assistance.
The remaining Grant Aid falls into the categories
listed below:
- Major Grants
- Minor Grants
- Concessionary Use of Council
Premises
- Capital Projects (eg Village Halls,
Community Centres etc)
Applicants are asked when they request an
application form which type of grant they are seeking and sent the
relevant application form for that grant. The notes which
follow describe the various types of grant in more detail.
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Major Grants
Major Grants are awarded to organisations that
have demonstrated a need for significant revenue support to enable
them to assist the Council in securing the best possible quality of
life for people in Bassetlaw. Constraints on the Council's
budget are such that new applications in this category cannot be
considered at the present time. Potential applicants should refer
to the following sections and select the category of grant most
appropriate to their needs.
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Minor Grants
This is the most popular category of grant; in a
typical year the Council receives in excess of 60 requests for
assistance. There are no specific criteria governing the
types of activity for which grants will be awarded, provided that
the conditions set out on the final page of your application form
are satisfied.
The payment of grants may, in appropriate
circumstances, be conditional upon the submission to the Council of
receipted invoices for purchases of equipment, etc.
Applications should normally be submitted by
clubs or organisations with properly appointed officers.
However, applications from individuals who have achieved
excellence in their particular field will be considered, provided
that a specific need for assistance is identified.
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Concessionary Use of Council Premises
This category is largely self-explanatory.
It relates to the use of rooms, generally at Worksop or
Retford Town Halls, for public meetings, exhibitions, fund-raising
events, etc. Awards may represent the waiving of part of the
hire charge to a maximum of 50%.
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Capital Projects
The Council has a scheme of capital grant aid
which is available to Parish Councils, Community Associations and
other Voluntary Bodies. Applications may be made in respect
of a wide range of facilities including Village Halls, Playing
Fields and other recreational and leisure facilities, but should be
confined to capital expenditure on acquisitions, extensions,
improvements, etc. A breakdown of estimated costs should
accompany each application.
Expenditure on redecoration (except as an
essential element of an improvement scheme), renewals or other
running costs is not covered by the scheme and should be met by
charges for the use of the facility and/or by local fund
raising.
The relationship, if any, between the applicant
body and Parish Council should be indicated in the application.
Grants are generally restricted to one-third of approved
expenditure where the applicant is a Parish Council, or half of
approved expenditure where the applicant is a voluntary body
independent of any Parish Council. Approval of a grant at
this level is not automatic; each application is considered on its
merits and approval is also dependent upon resources being
available within the Council's budget.
Grants in this category are paid only upon
submission to the Council of receipted invoices for the works, etc.
This rule may be varied or waived in circumstances where the
organisation demonstrates that it is able to meet its own share of
the cost but is unable to meet the whole cost unless the grant is
released.
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How to Apply For a Grant
All applications should be submitted on the
Council's official form. The specific form can be obtained
from and should be returned to the following address:
Finance Support Assistant
Financial Services
Bassetlaw District Council
Queen's Buildings
Potter Street
Worksop
Notts.
S80 2AH
Applications are considered approximately five
times per year, by a cross party group consisting of four
Councillors and then reported as information to Cabinet at the end
of each year. It must therefore be appreciated that there may
be a considerable time lag between the receipt of an application
and its determination. Applicants are asked to bear this in
mind, especially when considering submitting a request in relation
to the use of premises on a particular date. You will have been
advised when your completed form must be returned by, and the date
of the next meeting via a letter with your application form.
Any additional particulars may be included in a
covering letter at the discretion of the applicant. It is in
the interests of applicants to supply as much information as
possible, to enable Members and Officers of the Council to
understand the justification for the awarding of assistance.
All applicants must complete and sign the
declaration at the end of the form.
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The Payment of Grants
After the Grant Aid applications have been
considered and reported to Committee, applicants will be notified
in writing of the outcome as soon as is practicable. Under
exceptional circumstances grants are awarded unconditionally; in
such cases payment is made by cheque within a short time.
Other grants are conditional upon the production of evidence
that work has been undertaken and expenditure incurred. In
such cases, the grant approval lapses if the evidence is not
provided and the grant claimed within the specific timescale of its
approval. These timescales are as follows:
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Type Timescale
Minor Grant must be claimed within one year
of award date.
Concessionary Use - can only be used for the
actual event/date for which it was awarded.
Contributions to Village Halls and other
projects - must be claimed within three years of the award
date.
Major Grant - these are determined at the
beginning of each financial year and once awarded are paid each
quarter within that financial year.
In cases where difficulty is anticipated in
complying with this requirement, applicants should write to the
Council well before the expiry date if they believe that an
extension of time can be justified.
Should you have any queries regarding your
application or Grant Aid in general, please do not hesitate to
contact our Finance Support Assistant on 01909 533737 or e-mail on
finance@bassetlaw.gov.uk.
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