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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.

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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.

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:

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.