voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
Apply for a grant
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Warm Welcome: Community Places Winter Funding 23/24
This Fund for local third sector organisations was announced on 05 October 2023. Fife Council has made available funding to provide small grants to community organisations to deliver warm spaces and activities over the winter period 2023/24. This is one of a number of direct responses by Fife Council to the current cost-of-living crisis.
This is a Fife Council grant, managed by Fife Council. FVA is supporting the application process for this grant.
This page contains all of the latest information about the local funding position, how organisations can apply and how to access support. Further down you will see a list of questions and answers to help organisations understand the Fund and how to apply. Significant support is available from FVA to help organisations to apply to the Fund. Support is available from Fife Council on managing, monitoring and reporting on any grant award. This page sets out the key criteria for eligible organisations and projects.
The application process went live on Monday 09 October 2023, closing on 23 October 2023.
Please remember, we are available to provide support with your project idea and application.
Applications can be started from: 09/10/2023
Application deadline: 23/10/2023
Applicants can apply for a maximum of £4,999, although applications for larger sums may be considered. There is no minimum.Guidance Document
We have produced a guidance document to help organisations to consider an application to this Fund. It also includes guidance on how to answer the questions in the application form. We strongly recommend that you read this guidance document before submitting an application.
To download the guidance document (a PDF file) click on the link on the right-hand side where it says Read More...Start an Application
You should read the information about this grant before starting an application on behalf of your organisation - there are further details on this page, see below. Please pay particular attention to information about eligibility and what can and cannot be funded to avoid spending time on a grant application that cannot be considered.
Please only start a new application once you are satisfied that you and your proposal are eligible.
Start a new applicationResume or Review an Application
If you have already started a grant application, or submitted one, you can open it by clicking on the link you received by e-mail when you started the application. If you cannot find the link, please supply your e-mail address and - if it is the e-mail address associated with a grant application - you will receive a new e-mail with the link. If you have any other problems, please contact us.
To be reminded of the link to your grant application, please provide your e-mail address and click Submit:Grant Details
This list is designed to help organisations to determine whether or not their project/funding proposal will be eligible for a grant:
• your organisation must be a constituted third sector organisation operating in Fife;
• the bank account must be in the organisation's name;
• there are no size restrictions for organisations - most of the funding will be prioritised for smaller organisations, but organisations of any size can apply;
• there is no minimum amount that you can apply for;
• applications up to £4,999 are being invited however larger sums may be considered if funds allow;
• partnership bids are welcome, but they must be led by, and most of the activity undertaken by, a third sector organisation;
• the grant is for grassroots projects working at a locality level - things that benefit at-risk/priority groups in local communities in Fife;
• activity must specifically target at-risk/priority groups and tell us which one(s) (see the beneficiary list below);
• we cannot fund budget gaps - this must fund additional activity or enhance existing activity;
• grant awards are designed for revenue activity, but we will consider applications for capital costs (small equipment or minor improvements).Beneficiaries
The Fund is for working people of any age in local communities. We will ask you in your application about the types of groups of people you will specifically be looking to support, asking you to choose at least one group from a list that we will provide.
Fund Outcomes
All funded activity must contribute to one of the following 4 local fund outcomes:
1. People in Fife will have increased access to services which will tackle poverty and the current cost-of-living crisis;
2. People in Fife will be able to access facilities, where they will be able to have social interaction with the local community;
3. People in Fife will have increased access to facilities where they will be able to engage with meaningful activities;
4. People in Fife will have access to meaningful volunteering opportunities that will encourage integration in their local communities.Items that CAN and CANNOT be funded
What CAN be funded:
· Food costs: to help meet the costs of purchasing essential food supplies for distribution to service users.
· Equipment costs: to replace inefficient/ageing equipment, to purchase new storage/display equipment.
· Activity costs: to cover activities which may improve mental health and social isolation.
· Travel costs: to help bring housebound people into the warm spaces who would not otherwise have attended due to physical or mental health issues.
· Running costs: to help with general running costs, e.g. costs associated with buildings/venues, fuel costs for food collection and distribution.
· Volunteer costs: to enhance volunteer training and development opportunities.
What CANNOT be funded:
· Individuals.
· Gaps in budget as a result of a savings decision made by Fife Council or other Community Planning Partner.
· Projects where financial gain goes to individuals.
· Projects that don’t meet at least one of our local outcomes.
· Projects which duplicate others in the same community at the same day/time.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When can organisations start applying to the Fund?
The online application system will go live on Monday 09 October 2023. Applications can be submitted online, at any time between 09 October and 23 October 2023. This is a tight window for applications, but the application process is easy to use and support is available from FVA and Fife Council.
Who can apply to the Fund?
It is for third sector organisations who can evidence a contribution to the fund outcomes. Most of the funding will be prioritised for grassroots organisations. If your group does not yet have a constitution then please get in touch with us to discuss where you are in your formation journey, and we can advise on your readiness to apply as well as the support we can provide.
Is this funding one-off monies?
Yes, this is one-off funding made available by Fife Council to support community activity over the winter period 2023/24. A similar grant was operated last year, but there is no guarantee that it will be made available in 2024/25.
We did/did not get a Warm Spaces grant in 2022/23 - can we apply for 2023/24?
This fund was known as the Warm Spaces fund in 2022/23. Eligible organisations can apply regardless of whether they applied last year. If you were awarded a Warm Spaces grant last year, there is no guarantee that you will also be awarded a grant this year - it depends on need, other services available locally and available funds. All applications will be scored fairly in deciding how to award grants.
Can we get help to apply?
Yes - FVA can help organisations with their project idea and to apply. Fife Council support is available to manage the grant and submit the required monitoring information. FVA staff cannot give feedback on how successful an application might be and they are not involved in the assessment ro decision making processes, but they have extensive experience of supporting many hundreds of grant applications.
Where can I get the form to complete?
There isn't a form - grant applications will be done on this website. You do not have to complete it in one sitting or on the same device, you can get other people to fill out parts of it for you, if you want to.
Can I get a copy of the application that I submit?
Yes - every time you submit something on our grant application system you will receive a receipt and full copy of what you submitted by e-mail, automatically.
How much can we apply for?
Applicants can apply for a maximum of £4,999, although applications for larger sums may be considered. There is no minimum.
Can new organisations without a bank account apply?
No. They can partner with another third sector organisation who will be the grant recipient and held accountable for the grant. Contact us if this is a concern for you.
Must the money be spent by the end of March 2024?
Yes, this funding is specifically for the winter period 2023/24.
Can we apply for capital costs?
Yes, for small items of equipment or improvements to premises up to the maximum value of the grant.
Our SCIO status isn't confirmed yet, can we still apply?
Please contact us - we want to allocate all of this money and fund good community activity, so we will do what we can to support you to apply. By working with us, we can assess risk and still support applications from organisations who are working towards registration but haven't yet achieved it.
Can colleagues work on the application form with me?
Yes, the online application system allows you to save your answers as you go, close out and resume where you left off. You don't need to complete it in order either. You can share your unique website link with anybody you choose.
Can an organisation submit more than one application?
Yes, within reason. You can submit more than one if the projects are different. If, for example, it's the same project but in different areas, it's one project for a larger amount. We are focussed on the quality of the activity and the impact on the at-risk groups.
When will we get a decision on our grant application?
The decision making process, paying the grant and monitoring the grant will all be undertaken by Fife Council. They will aim to take a decision as quickly as they reasonably can. Once you submit your application, the grant tracking system will not be able to provide any updates since the process is being managed by Fife Council.
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Need help?
We're here to help organisations to apply to grants where we manage the application process. We want to help you to access the funds. The funder will support organisations to manage their grant and report on the difference it has made.
If you're in the process of applying (or thinking about applying) then we're here to help answer questions and can help you with the completion of your funding application. Call us on 0800 389 6046 during business hours or e-mail the appropriate team directly using [email protected]