UK Shared Prosperity Funding
SPF Grants less than £100k - Pembrokeshire Sustainable Communities Fund
On this page:
8. Programme Outputs and Outcomes
17. Expression of Interest Form
1. Introduction
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda. Funding has been allocated until March 2025 which will help address some of the challenges facing Pembrokeshire. The Pembrokeshire Sustainable Communities Fund forms part of that allocation.
This Fund will support a range of capital and revenue activities, including pilot activity across Pembrokeshire communities across a range of areas. Enabling communities invest and restore community spaces and relationships. Creating the foundations for economic development at neighbourhood-levels supporting the social fabric of communities.
The Pembrokeshire Sustainable Communities Fund will support the development and creation of activities aligned to the following themes.
- Tackling Poverty
- Access to Services
- Environment and Green Infrastructure
- Community Engagement
- Volunteering Opportunities
- Festivals, Events, Local Arts, Cultural and Heritage Activities
2. Level of grant
Through this grant support will be available to deliver capital and revenue projects. This is the second round for applications as part of the overall £1,000,000grant funding that has been made available.
The grant threshold is £10,000 - £100,000 and the intervention rate for this grant is 80%; match funding can be ‘in kind’, cash or a combination of both.
3. Eligible Organisations
The fund is available to new or existing organisations who are located in or planning to locate within Pembrokeshire and are:
- Constituted Voluntary and Community Groups
- Registered Charities
- Not for profit organisations
- Social Enterprises
- Local branches of national third sector organisations can apply using the parent body’s Constitution but must have their own local bank account.
- Town and Community Councils can apply for community projects that are additional to normal statutory responsibilities which will benefit the community.
4. Ineligible Organisations
- Private individuals
- Private businesses
- Project activity delivered solely for the benefit of people outside Pembrokeshire
- National organisations – unless the service is delivered through a local branch in Pembrokeshire with their own bank account.
5. Eligible project activity
The following provides examples of eligible projects. This is not an exhaustive list.
- Funding for new, or improvements to existing, community and neighbourhood infrastructure including local green spaces
- Creation of and improvements to local green spaces, community gardens, watercourses and embankments, along with incorporating natural features and biodiversity improvements
- Support for local arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities and organisations
- Funding for impactful volunteering and/or social action projects
- Investment in capacity building and infrastructure support for local community groups.
- Investment in community engagement schemes to support community involvement.
- Community led projects and support for social enterprises designed to create more vibrant and sustainable communities.
- Cultural capacity programme including activities that support the wellbeing of local communities
- Projects that tackle poverty within communities.
6. Eligible projects costs
Capital expenditure - this means the purchase, construction, or enhancement of an asset. This would include:
- land and buildings.
- plant and machinery; and
- fixtures, fittings, tools, and equipment
- Professional services - feasibility studies, project development, architect and quantity surveyor fees
- Salaries related to the creation of new and additional jobs
- Overhead costs – (flat rate of 15% of eligible direct staff costs)
- Training and Development
- Equipment
- Marketing costs
- Items purchased with credit cards are eligible. Applicants will need to provide a copy of the credit card statement as part of the claims process.
Where an organisation is not VAT registered, these costs will be eligible as part of the grant. Where VAT is recoverable this will be deemed ineligible.
7. Ineligible project costs
- Any project that has already started cannot be considered.
- Work where materials or design are not appropriate within the guidelines of the fund.
- Expenditure incurred prior to the Pembrokeshire Sustainable Communities Offer Letter cannot be considered; this also includes where contracts have been signed or orders placed.
- On-going expenditure running costs, maintenance costs and funds for existing activity where funding has already been secured.
- Ongoing/repeat costs for existing services that have received funding from other channels.
- Existing Insurance.
- Routine repairs and maintenance costs/equipment.
- Day to day i.e., organisations existing costs.
- Religious activities (although funding proposals from religious organisations are welcome).
- Mandatory training costs.
- Items purchased through lease purchase, hire purchase, extended credit agreements/finance leases will not be considered for grant funding.
- Grant may not be offered or paid if the organisation or applicant is in arrears with any payment to any of the participating local authorities operating the scheme.
8. Programme Outputs and Outcomes:
Each project must identify which of the following outputs and outcomes will be achieved as a result of the funding. Definitions can be found in Annex A.
Outputs
- Amount of public realm created or improved
- Amount of land made wheelchair accessible/step free
- Number of organisations receiving support
- Number of neighbourhood improvements undertaken
- Number of facilities supported/created
- Number of local events or activities supported
- Amount of green or blue space created or improved
- Number of trees planted
- Number of events/participatory programmes
- Number of potential entrepreneurs assisted to be business ready
- Number of volunteering opportunities supported
- Number of projects supported
- Number of people reached
Outcomes
- Jobs created / safeguarded
- Increased footfall
- Increased visitor numbers
- Increased users of facilities/amenities
- Increased number of facilities supported/created
- Improved engagement numbers
- Number of community-led arts, cultural, heritage and creative programmes as a result of support
- Number of volunteering opportunities created
- Number of local events or activities supported
- Number of new or improved community facilities as a result of support
- Improved perceived/experienced accessibility
- Improved perception of facilities/amenities
9. Application Process
Applicants will be invited to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) from 13.11.23. The closing date for Expressions of Interest is 27.11.23. These EOI’s will be reviewed and full applications invited, closing date for the full application if invited to submit is 12.01.24 . We will monitor the levels of EOI’s received and full applications invited to be made.
A small team of designated officers will support organisations to develop projects and provide guidance to ensure a clear business case is established from the onset.
All submissions must be made via the SPF online application portal. Further information is available by emailing communitiesSPF@pembrokeshire.gov.uk. Electronic signatures will be accepted.
10. Assessment Process
Applications will be assessed and prioritised in line with the following criteria:
- Ability to meet one or more of the key themes of the fund
- Can demonstrate a clearly identified and articulated need
- Will deliver against a wide range of outputs and outcomes
- Can deliver within the timeframe (all projects must be completed by the end of November 2024 at the latest
- Value for money
Assessment scoring can be found in Annex B.
All applications will be considered by a Funding Panel. Recommendations will be taken through Pembrokeshire County Council’s agreed decision-making processes for final decision.
11. Procurement
Purchasing goods, services or works
When procuring works, goods and services, applicants are expected to conduct the process in a manner which ensures openness, value for money and fairness and must follow the procurement procedures as they are outlined in this section.
Procurement Thresholds
The precise procedures to be followed will depend upon the size of the order or contract to be let. Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) operates a graduated set of procedures which recognises the need to lighten administrative requirements for contracts involving smaller amounts. All applicants must adhere to the rules included at Annex C.
Public sector bodies that are covered by the EC Procurement Directives are required to follow their own organisational procurement rules and procedures.
Failure to fully comply with the procurement thresholds will render the costs ineligible for assistance under this fund.
12. Subsidy Control
All bids must also consider how they will deliver in line with subsidy control as per UK Government guidance (opens in a new tab) .
Where applicants do not adequately demonstrate that the proposed project is compliant under the UK Subsidy Control Regime it may be considered ineligible, and your application could be rejected.
Further guidance can be seen in Annex D.
13. General Conditions
Capital Projects - the grant will be recovered should the organisation cease to trade, relocate or the property sold on within 6 years of award.
For properties constructed or improved as part of a grant scheme administered by PCC, the Authority may seek to register an interest in the grant-aided property with the Land Registry by either a Restriction or a Legal Charge. This process will alert the authority to any change in the ownership of the property and of any potential consequence on the terms and conditions on which the grant was awarded. The grant recipient will be responsible for pursuing the removal of any Restriction or Legal Charge and any costs associated with the process, at the end of the period.
It is strongly recommended that goods purchased in relation to the grant are purchased using a business bank account.
If the eligible works expenditure is lower than anticipated in the grant offer, the grant will be reduced on a pro rata basis.
Payments of grant award will be retrospective and will be on submission of evidence of expenditure and projects outcomes in the form of original paid Invoices and relevant Bank Statement evidencing project expenditure.
The applicant must accept the terms and conditions of the grant by completing the Notification of Approval and Terms & Conditions within 30 days from receipt. All expenditure associated to the grant must be completed in line with the start and finishing dates on the Offer Letter.
Monitoring of the organisation and funding outputs will take place after 12 months following final payment of the grant and evidence of the outputs will be required. Failure to achieve the committed outputs could result in the claw back of grant funds.
Should the project not proceed within the period stipulated in the offer of grant, the offer of grant will automatically lapse. An extension of the grant offer period can be made, provided that a request is made in writing. Any variation to the Terms & Conditions set out in the Offer Letter must be requested and agreed.
Cash purchases will not be considered for grant payment.
Officers of the authority may undertake site visits prior to any payment of grant funds.
14. Value Added Tax (VAT)
For capital costs it is likely that VAT will need to be paid on capital expenditure. HM Revenue and Customs must be consulted and evidence of the advice received from them must be provided www.hmrc.gov.uk or 0300 200 3700.
Where VAT can be reclaimed the total project costs should reflect the net VAT figure, where VAT cannot be reclaimed then figures should include VAT.
For revenue costs calculations of revenue costs in funding applications should include VAT except in the case of Town and Community Councils and other organisations eligible to claim back VAT.
15. Publicity
Successful applicants must demonstrate support from Pembrokeshire County Council and the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, this includes any publicity including press releases in relation to the funded project.
Plaques will be provided for capital projects to enable applicants to show recognition of the support provided.
For further information please visit the Government website SPF Branding and Publicity (opens in a new tab)
16. Claw back of grant funds
Funding shall be withheld and/or, insofar as payment has been made, the grant recipient shall repay funding either in whole or in part, including if:
a) there has been an overpayment of funding
b) during its economic life, the project undergoes substantial change defined as being used for purposes other than those specified in the application or having a change of owner without notifying Pembrokeshire County Council.
The economic life is the period up to 6 years from date of the final payment of grant and repayment of funding will be required as follows:
Date of disposal of asset(s) and Amount to be repaid
- Within 1 year - Funding to be repaid in full
- Within 4 years - 40% of funding to be repaid
- Within 6 years - 10% of funding to be repaid
- After 6 years - No funding to be repaid
The above are minimum repayment requirements. The grant must be repaid in full on demand if:
- the applicant is found to have made any misrepresentation in connection with the application
- the applicant has breached the provision of condition above
- the assets and property (if applicable) are not fully re-instated within 12 months of any occurrence giving rise to loss of or damage to the property
Please Contact:
Community Regeneration
County Hall,
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
SA61 1TP
Email: communitiesSPF@pembrokeshire.gov.uk