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Voluntary Sector Initiative Fund

Local Grants 2019 - 2020

Application pack for VSIF Local Grants

2019 - 2020

Deadline for Applications: 30th September 2019 before midday

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Brent Council Voluntary Sector Initiative FundLocal Grants – 2019-2020

Guidance

What is the Voluntary Sector Initiative Fund?The Voluntary Sector Initiative Fund provides funding for the voluntary and community sector in Brent for projects aligned to the Brent Borough Plan priorities.The maximum grant payable is £25,000 over a year.

What kind of projects are the Council looking to fund?We are seeking to fund a range of projects that benefit either the whole borough or one or more of the following priority areas:

Chalkhill Church End and Roundwood Harlesden South Kilburn St Raphael’s Stonebridge

The project must also meet at least one of the Borough Plan 2019 - 2023 priorities each of which includes a number of high-level desired outcomes. These are:

Every opportunity to succeed

Improvement in Key Stage results for Black Caribbean Boys Improvement in Key Stage results for looked-after children and care leavers High-level skills achievement Increase in average wage

A future built for everyone, an economy fit for all

New Local Plan, setting out Brent vision, priorities and areas for future development in the borough

Increase in inward investment achieved via the council Increase in housing supply Reduction in the number of households in temporary accommodation Keep traffic moving and our roads and pavements in good repair

A cleaner more considerate Brent

Improving air quality and keeping our environment clean and pleasant with clean streets and well cared for parks and green spaces

Reduction in illegally-dumped rubbish

A borough where we can all feel safe, secure, happy and healthy

Reduction in anti-social behaviour, the risk of harm and re-offending

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Reduction in violent crime, including gang and knife crime Support our most vulnerable adults, enabling them to choose and control the services

they receive, to remain independent and lead active lives Improve the health of Brent residents Make Brent a place where culture is celebrated and vibrant

Strong foundations

Enable more residents to get online Making every pound count Building services around residents and their needs Increase in resident satisfaction Increase in resident involvement

Applicants must show that the proposed project is needed by local residents, that it aligns with statutory provision and that it does not duplicate a service already being delivered in Brent. There is expected to be strong competition for these funds and the assessment process looks for those bids which best meet the criteria.

Application Process

To apply, please complete the following steps:

1) Complete the application and return together with all supporting documents by email to [email protected].

Please note, the deadline for applications is midday on 30 th September 2019. Late applications will not be considered.

Applications will be assessed on the basis of information provided in this pack. It is important that you include all the information required in this application pack otherwise your application will not be considered.

For support in completing your application please contact CVS Brent at [email protected].

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Grant Amount

Organisations can apply for funding of between £1,000 and £25,000 for 2019-2020 for a project. The maximum amount of funding available per project is £25,000.

Grant Payment

The grant will be paid in quarterly instalments, subject to performance as reviewed by quarterly monitoring.

Eligibility

This funding is available to organisations which:

Are non-profit making, are a charity or a social enterprise based in Brent; Have been in operation for at least 12 months at the time of application; Will deliver the project in 2019-20; Run projects which benefit Brent residents and support the aims of Brent’s Borough

Plan ; Have a good organisational structure and an effective management committee

(minimum 5 people); Have effective financial management (a financial assessment of accounts is made

looking at levels of reserves and working capital); Involve users in management and development of projects; Have a constitution and a bank account with a minimum of two signatories.

Assessment Criteria

To be successful a project must:

1. Focus on the whole borough or a priority neighbourhood within the borough;2. Be delivered before the end of the grant period 2019-2020;3. Create opportunities for different communities and generations to come together;4. Involve opportunities for local participation and volunteering;5. Support Brent’s Borough Plan priorities, align with statutory service provision in the

borough and not duplicate a service already being delivered in Brent.

The applicant organisation must:1. Comply with the Council’s standard terms and Standard Conditions of Grant Aid.2. Have other sources of revenue funding and a good track record of delivery. (The

council will not support an organisation where they are that organisation’s largest single revenue funder);

3. Provide completed progress reports and documentation on a quarterly basis to enable monitoring of services;

4. Evidence commitment to equality and diversity in staffing, management and project delivery;

5. Have Safeguarding Policies and DBS checks in place (where relevant to the project);6. Cooperate with site visits from Council officers to meet staff, users and members of

your management committee;

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7. Pay all staff funded through the grant the London Living Wage or higher.

Alongside meeting the criteria, applications will be assessed in line with the following additional considerations: Strong alignment of the project with Borough Plan priorities and associated statutory

service provision; The range of bids received for VSIF funding; Track record of the organisation in terms of partnerships, networking and liaising with

statutory and voluntary bodies within the borough, including Brent Council; Local, regional and national partnerships in which the organisation is involved; Other sources of funding that will contribute to the project; Whether the organisation has previously received VISF funding (priority given to new

applicants).

The VSIF will not support:

Projects for private gain, or that result in profit; Projects previously funded by a VSIF grant; Projects offering advice and guidance; Projects (or continuation of projects) previously funded through Brent Council grants; Projects supporting a specific religious or political purpose, or one specific individual; Activities that can be considered offensive; Activities that are not open to all (without a qualified reason); Funding requests for projects that have already been completed or are partially

completed; Construction or acquisition of buildings; Equipment costs (e.g. computers, furniture) unless specifically related to the delivery of

the project; Staffing costs outside of the project applied for; Trips / outings unless they are part of a larger project and have clear outcomes; Debts / expenses that have already been incurred; Statutory organisations and businesses are not eligible to apply.

The Council reserves the right to ensure that the grant contributes to a varied and balanced programme of activity across the borough.

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Can an organisation make multiple applications?

No. An organisation can only submit one application for funding from this 2019-20 VSIF Grant.

Can multiple organisations make a joint application?

Yes. A lead organisation must be nominated and the application should be submitted by this lead organisation, bidding to deliver a project in partnership. If the application is successful, the lead organisation will be held accountable for the project. The application must clearly explain how the partnership will operate. Further information about the groups involved should be included in the additional section for any other information at the end of the form.

What should we make sure we include in the application?

Explain the current relationship of your organisation with the people you intend to help and how you will target these people as part of the project;

Explain the need that your project will address and include evidence of this need. This might be research from secondary sources (e.g. demographic data) and/or primary research (e.g. the views of current service users);

Explain the ultimate change the project hopes to achieve (outcomes); Provide clear details of how the funding will be used, explaining what outputs (activities

or products) you will deliver and how you will deliver them (e.g. dates, frequency, location and delivery partners);

Provide clear details of how you will publicise and promote the project; Provide clear details of any matched funding; Set out clear project governance, including performance and financial management

arrangements; Show how you will ensure quality remains high during the course of the project; Include all documentation requested in Section 7 (please note that if even if you have

previously submitted documents requested in this pack to the Council, these need to be resubmitted as part of your application).

Application Timeline

Council Officers will assess applications against the criteria. We expect the results of these decisions to be known by the end of November 2019.

Will we be able to get feedback if our application is not successful?

If your application is unsuccessful, you can request feedback by contacting [email protected] .

Essential Information

Before you start filling in the application form make sure that your project fully meets the criteria of the grant and that you have read the Standard Conditions of Grant Aid carefully as all funded organisations have to adhere to these terms and conditions.

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Some questions have a word limit, indicating the level of detail we expect in your response. You may be able to answer these questions in fewer words than the maximum. Any words over the maximum will not be taken into consideration.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation

If your application is successful, evaluation requirements will be confirmed in the formal offer letter. These will vary depending on the nature of your project. Evaluation will be against outputs and outcomes of the project as listed in your application. Evidence of expenditure, including a detailed breakdown of costs is required prior to an instalment being paid. A minimum of two monitoring reports (half-way and at the end of the project) will need to be submitted, unless otherwise agreed.

Equality and Diversity

We want to make sure that the projects we support are in line with our Public Sector Equality Duty, as stated in the Equality Act 2010. This means that the council have a responsibility to consider how their decisions affect people with protected characteristics. These characteristics are: age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation.

Please provide details in your application of the impact that your project will have for local people within one or more protected characteristic. This should include both the positive impact and any potential negative impact. Where the impact could be negative please state how you will mitigate this.

Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

To receive funding, for those projects working with or coming into contact with children and/or vulnerable adults all appropriate DBS checks must be carried out and a comprehensive safeguarding policy in place. The policy/policies will need to be uploaded as part of your application and you will need to give assurance that DBS checks have been carried out.

Please note: If your project is funded, your safeguarding policy and the information you provide here will be included in your funding agreement, and by signing your funding agreement you will be committing to ensuring that these arrangements are carried out and robust.

Financial Information

Please note that part of the assessment for applications is financial. The Council will look at the accounts submitted from your organisation as part of the assessment process and consider levels of working capital and the balance of reserves in making funding decisions. If you have secured significant funding since your accounts were signed off (which changes your level of working capital reserves) please provide evidence of this secured funding.

Please give details of organisations from whom you are seeking funding for this project. Priority will be given to organisations that have secured additional sources of funding for

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their project. Where applicable, please also include details of any fundraising activities you intend to undertake to cover an element of project cost.

It is important that you give a detailed breakdown of how you will use the grant, completing the table as fully and accurately as possible. You can apply for between £1,000 and £25,000 for one year. This is revenue funding, not capital funding.

Please note this funding is intended to allow delivery of a specific project, not as a contribution towards core funding for your organisation. However, the grant can be used as a contribution towards extending an existing project as long as it falls within the selected theme of the application round.

Accurate financial records with specified levels of detail will be required as part of project monitoring. The Council may withhold funding payments if it is not felt that the financial management of the project is sufficient. Also, in relation to fraud:

• In cases where the council suffers a financial loss, we will always seek recovery;

• Where an organisation is involved in the fraud, the council will also make referrals to the relevant governing body, e.g. Charities Commission, Registrar of Companies;

• The council will also consider criminal prosecution. The factors that will affect our decision to prosecute will be based on the evidential and the public interest test. This will include cases of attempted fraud, e.g. applications for renovation grants where the financial estimates are deliberately misstated.

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Application Form

SECTION 1: ABOUT YOUR ORGANISATION

1.1 Organisation contact detailsThe name of your organisation (as it appears on your Constitution/Memorandum and Articles of Association):

Correspondence address (including postcode):

Is this your:

a) Main office for your organisation? Yes/No

b) Registered office? Yes/Noc) Address of the main contact? Yes/No

Phone: Email: Website:

1.2 Application contact personApplication contact (the contact person should either be a member of the management committee or a senior employee of the organisation. They must have the authority to complete the application on behalf of the organisation)Name: Position: Phone: Email:

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1.3 What is the legal status of your organisation?

Registered charity

Charity Registration number:

Company limited by guarantee

Company Registration number:

An unregistered organisation

Part of a regional/national organisation

1.4 What date was your organisation established?

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Month: Year:

1.5 What are the three main aims of your organisation? (Max 200 words)

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2

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1.6 Please describe the current main activities of your organisation (Max 300 words)

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1.7 Please provides details of your board of trustees

Total number of board members:

Names and Positions:

Please highlight the names of any of your management committee who are:

a) Brent Councilors

b) Brent Council Officers:

1.8 Has your organisation or any directors or partner or any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control any unspent convictions?

Yes/No

If ‘Yes’ please provide details in the space below.

Should your funding request relate to the provision of services for young children, or vulnerable persons, you are required to:

i) confirm that any person connected to and or involved in the proposed project, does not have any unspent criminal convictions, cautions or warnings; and

ii) provide evidence of your safeguarding policies and procedures.iii) Subject to your response to …. (i) above further information and a signed

assurance declaration may be required”.

1.9 Which organisations (including statutory bodies) do you work in partnership with and in what ways?

Name of Organisation Ways in which you work in partnership with this organisation?

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1.10 References: Please provide the contact details of an individual from two organisations who either fund your organisation or are able to verify the quality of your work. NOTE: Councillors are not able to provide references for your organisation.

Referee 1 Referee 2

Name of Organisation:

Name of Contact Person:

Address:

Phone Number:

Email:

Your connection with this organisation:

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SECTION 2: GENERAL

2.1 What theme does your project relate to? (Please tick the theme/s your project relates to)Every opportunity to succeed

Improvement in Key Stage results for looked-after children and care leavers

Improvement in Key Stage results for Black Caribbean Boys

High-level skills achievement

Increase in average wage

A future built for everyone, an economy fit for all

Increase in inward investment achieved via the council

Increase in housing supply

Reduction in the number of households in temporary accommodation

Keep traffic moving and our roads and pavements in good repair

A cleaner, more considerate Brent

Improvement in air quality

Reduction in illegally-dumped rubbish

A borough where we can all feel safe, secure, happy and healthy

Reduction in anti-social behaviour, the risk of harm and re-offending

Reduction in violent crime, including gang and knife crime

Support our most vulnerable adults, enabling them to choose and control the services they receive, to remain independent and lead active lives

Improve the health of Brent residents

Make Brent a place where culture is celebrated and vibrant

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Strong Foundations

Enable more residents to get online

Making every pound count

Building services around residents and their needs

Increase in resident satisfaction

Increase in resident involvement

2.2 Where in Brent will your project take place?

2.3 What is the total amount of grant funding are you applying for from the Voluntary Sector Initiative Fund?

£

2.4 a) Is your organisation currently receiving or has received in the past year funding/ grants from Brent Council?

Yes/No

b) If yes, please give full details here:

c) If yes, please specify what percentage of your organisation’s overall turnover this represents.

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SECTION 3: ABOUT YOUR PROJECT

3.1 Please provide a brief outline of your project proposal, summarising the main aims of the project, how the project will work or what activities the project would include. (Max. 500 words)

3.2 Please explain how the aim of your project responds to one or more of the priorities of the Borough Plan 2019- 2023. (Max. 500 words)

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3.3. Please outline the need that your project is responding to. What evidence do you have to demonstrate this need? (Max 500 words)

3.4 Will other organisations work with you to deliver this project (including statutory bodies)? If so, please state their name and the role they will have in the project.

Organisation: Role they will have in project:

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3.5 Detailed project plan (please use one row per action – you can add more rows if required)

Example:

What actions/outputs will the project undertake in order to achieve its aim?

How will these actions be delivered?

What is the intended outcome of this action?

How will you show the outcome is being achieved?

How many residents will benefit from this action?

EXAMPLEWeekly homework club sessions for children aged 7-15

EXAMPLEdates, frequency, location, who will deliver it etc.

EXAMPLEImprovement in literacy skills

EXAMPLE:Evidence: Improved grades at school in arts subjects

EXAMPLE:20

EXAMPLE: How this will be collected? By asking participants for feedback on grades received at start and end of programme.

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Project Plan - Year 1






1. Evidence?

How will this be collected?

2. Evidence?


3. Evidence?


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4. Evidence?


3.6 What group/s of local people will benefit from this activity/equipment and how will they be involved in developing and/or delivering the project?

3.7 Please outline how your project will impact members of the community with a protected characteristic, as defined in the Equality Act 2010. Please specify any positive impact of your project for any group with a protected characteristic and how you will mitigate any potential negative impact.

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3.8 a) Does your project involve working with children under 18 years and/or vulnerable persons?

Yes/ No

If ‘no’ please continue to 3.8.b) If ‘yes’, please answer the following questions regarding DBS and Safeguarding arrangements for your organisation and this project.

Should your funding request relate to the provision of services for young children, or vulnerable persons, you are required to:

iv) confirm that any person connected to and or involved in the proposed project, does not have any unspent criminal convictions, cautions or warnings; and

v) provide evidence of your safeguarding policies and procedures.vi) Subject to your response to …. (i) above further information and a signed

assurance declaration may be required”.

vii) Any other comments regarding your DBS and Safeguarding arrangements?

3.9 How will you track the benefits of your project for your service users? (Max 200 words)

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3.10 How will you successfully publicise and promote your project? (Max 400 words)

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SECTION 4: FINANCIAL INFORMATION

4.1 Summary of total project costs

Year Funding from Brent Council £ Funding from other sources£ Total funding£

4.2 Other Sources of funding Have you applied to other organisations for funding for this project? Yes/No

Do you intend to undertake other fundraising activity to contribute to the costs of this project?

Yes/No

If yes, please give details below:

Funder/Fundraising activity

Amount Confirmed (Y/N) Dependent on match funding through Voluntary Sector Initiative Fund? (Y/N)

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Please continue on an additional sheet if required.

4.4 How will your project ensure value for money?

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4.3 Breakdown of project costs:(additional rows can be inserted if needed)

Expenditure items Council Funding Other Sources (please specify)

Sub-total:

Total:

SECTION 5: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

5.1 Please provide any additional information in support of your application in the box below. (Max 500 words)

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SECTION 6: DECLARATION

Applications must be sent by e-mail (we do not accept applications by post). Therefore, please complete the declaration by either a) inserting electronic signature, or b) printing, signing and scanning the declaration and including it as an additional document with your application.

Name of the Organisation:

On behalf of the organisation, we the undersigned confirm that the information contained in the application is correct and complete to the best of our knowledge and acknowledge that if the Council agrees to make a grant, this will be used exclusively for the purposes described.

To be signed by two members of the organisation, including the Chair.

Print name: Signed:

Position in the organisation: Date:

Print name: Signed:

Position in the organisation: Date:

If you include a scanned version of a signed hard copy, ensure you keep a copy of the original document.

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Documents to submit for all Grants

Document Why

Constitution / Memorandum & Article of Association/Trust Deed

Evidence organisation is constituted and organisational aims and objectives

Where your constitution requires it a copy of your most recent Annual Report

Evidence of recent achievements and organisational position

Where your constitution requires it a copy of minutes of your last AGM meeting

Evidence of active governance

The names and addresses of your management committee members

Evidence of active, traceable board

A recent bank statement

If your organisation’s annual income is £10,000 and above – a copy of your annual accounts for the last year

If your organisation’s annual income is less than £10,000 a statement of income and expenditure signed by your management committee and an independent examiner

A signed copy of the cash flow forecast, projected balance sheet and business plan if a new organisation (12-18 months) and applying for up to £5,000.

Evidence of financial management and picture of financial position.

The council will look at accounts - and that there is an understanding of the need for a diverse funding base, working capital and unrestricted reserves.

A copy of your Equal Opportunities Policy Evidence of commitment to equalities

A copy of your Health and Safety Policy Evidence of commitment to and procedure for adhering to Health and Safety legal requirements

Evidence of relevant insurance

Employer’s liability, indemnity insurance

Public liability (third party) indemnity insurance

If applicable:

Property and Equipment Insurance against fire, theft, loss, damage

Professional indemnity if required

Evidence of adherence to legal requirements when working with the public

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Evidence of vehicle insurance if vehicles are owned

A copy of your Childrens Safeguarding policy (if relevant to the project)

Evidence of commitment to and procedure for adhering to relevant legal requirements when working directly with children and young people under 18 years of age

A copy of your Adults Safeguarding policy (if relevant to the project)

Evidence of commitment to and procedure for adhering to relevant legal requirements when working directly with vulnerable adults.

Copies of any other policies and procedures to the extent relevant to the project

Evidence of policies and procedures in place

Assurance of DBS clearances (if relevant to this project)

To ensure safeguarding and compliance with legal requirements and associated guidance on working directly with children and vulnerable adults

Risk Assessments for your activity To ensure that risk management processes are in place

Disclosure of any unspent convictions To ensure safeguarding and compliance with legal requirements and associated guidance

Quotes for any equipment you are seeking funding for

This helps to verify the cost of equipment and ensure value for money.

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