Publication - FOI/EIR release

Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Empowering Communities Fund application process: FOI release

Published: 15 November 2018
Topic: Communities and third sector, Public sector

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

FOI reference: FOI/18/02550
Date received: 13 September 2018
Date responded: 13 November 2018

Information requested

1. Freedom of information request in relation to the Empowering communities fund and community regeneration fund.

2. Specifically the history of the funds and the history of the applicants that have been awarded the funds to date.

3. A copy of the current application form along with and criteria that needs to be met.

4. Has the application form and criteria been changing since the funding has been made available and if so the exhaustive details and history of these changes.

5. What exemptions are in place that prevents any community oriented groups from applying for these funding resources.

6. Please advise on all of the requested policy and procedural data.

Response

Following our letter to you on 26 September requesting clarification regarding point 1 above in relation to ‘community regeneration fund’, and our telephone conversation of 11 October, during which we discussed the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF). As agreed I provided information from the Scottish Government website regarding the RCGF and requested confirmation that this fund was of relevance to your inquiry and that you wished me to proceed in obtaining the full details of the RCGF as set out in your request of 13 September.

During our telephone conversation I confirmed that we were progressing the information request in relation to the Empowering Communities Fund. I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested in the format you asked for.

Empowering Communities Fund

The Empowering Communities Fund is an overarching programme which comprises of 6 specific funding programmes. A list of the funding programmes is provided in the table below with a general description of their purpose. The table includes an index of the attachments for each fund as requested in your FoI.

Table 1. Empowering Communities Fund – Funding programmes supported

Name of Fund

Description

Documents Attached addressing points 2 to 6 of your request

People and Communities Fund (PCF)

Enables community anchor organisations to deliver community-led projects and services that promote inclusion and tackle poverty. Examples include financial capability, targeted outreach, volunteering and peer mentoring opportunities, employability skills development, and health and well-being initiatives.

1 (PCF)

2 (PCF)

3 (PCF)

4 (PCF)

5 (PCF)

6 (PCF)

7 (PCF)

8 (PCF)

9 (PCF)

2015-16 Application for Funding

2015-16 Guidance for Applicants

2015-16 Application Form Help Notes

2015-16 Pre-Eligibility Checklist

2015-16 FAQ

2016-17 Application for Continuation Funding

2017-18 Application for Continuation Funding

2018-19 Application for Continuation Funding

2015-19 Funding Allocations

Aspiring Communities Fund (ACF)

A European Social Fund programme supporting community-led activity that tackles poverty in deprived and fragile communities. The Fund will help enable community bodies and third sector organisations to develop and deliver long-term local solutions that address local priorities and needs, increase active inclusion and build on the assets of local communities to reduce poverty and to enable inclusive growth.

10 (ACF)

11 (ACF)

12 (ACF)

13 (ACF)

14 (ACF)

15 (ACF)

16 (ACF)

17 (ACF)

18 (ACF)

ACF Round 1 Application Form

ACF Round 1 Application Form Guidance and Help Notes

ACF Round 1 FAQ

ACF Round 1 Pre-application Eligibility

ACF Round 2 H&I Application Form

ACF Round 2 Application Form Guidance and Help Notes

ACF Round 2 H&I FAQ

ACF Round 2 H&I Pre-application Eligibility

ACF Funding Allocations

Strengthening Communities Programme (SCP)

Supports a mix of continuing and new proposals enabling communities that will be able to realise significant economic, social and environmental opportunities. It will also deliver a pipeline of organisations with their capacity enhanced and ready to advance on to more ambitious initiatives.

19 (SCP)

20 (SCP)

Eligibility Checklist

Funding Allocations

Community Choices Fund

Continues to help increase the pace and scale of participatory budgeting (PB) in Scotland.

21 (CCF)

22 (CCF)

23 (CCF)

24 (CCF)

25 (CCF)

26 (CCF)

27 (CCF)

28 (CCF)

29 (CCF)

30 (CCF)

31 (CCF)

32 (CCF)

33 (CCF)

34 (CCF)

35 (CCF)

36 (CCF)

2016-17 Application Form Community Organisations

2016-17 Guidance Community Organisations

2016-17 Application Form Public Authorities

2016-17 Guidance Public Authorities

2016-17 Information for Applicants

2016-17 FAQ

2017-18 Application Form Community Organisations

2017-18 Guidance Community Organisations

2017-18 Application Form Public Authorities

2017-18 Guidance Public Authorities

2017-18 Information for Applicants

2018-19 Application Form

2018-19 Application Checklist

2018-19 Information and Guidance

2018-19 FAQ

Funding Allocations

Making Places Initiative (formerly Charrettes programme)

Supports on-going work related to the Planning Review and the proposals for empowering communities to increase their influence in spatial and community planning, particularly the proposals to allow the development of local place plans as part of the statutory local development plans. The fund has potential to help address inequalities and to support the delivery of high quality housing.

37 (MPI)

38 (MPI)

39 (MPI)

40 (MPI)

41 (MPI)

42 (MPI)

43 (MPI)

2015-16 Charettes Invitation Proposals Application Form

2016-17 Charettes Prospectus Application Form

2017-18 Making Places Proposal Application Form

2018-19 Making Places Prospectus Application Form

2018-19 Making Places Information for Application

2018-19 Making Places Place Standard Conversations Application Form

Funding Allocations

Access to Elected Office Fund

Supports disabled people who are standing for election.

44 (AEOF)

Access to Elected Office Fund Information

In addition to the funds noted above the Empowering Communities Fund also provides funding to organisations which work across Scotland at a National level to support delivery of policy priorities. Table 2 below provides a list of the organisations and a general description. Further information on each of the organisations is provided in attachment document ‘45 (ECF) – Empowering Communities Fund Supported Organisations’ enclosed.

Table 2. Empowering Communities Fund – Organisations supported
Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT)	Supports the work of CRT in our ex-coalfield communities by enabling grassroots activity that tackles issues associated with poverty in these areas.
Community Ownership Support Service (COSS)	Supports community groups who want to take advantage of the new powers on asset transfer in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.
Wheatley Group – Strategic Partnership	Building on an earlier iteration of this initiative whereby the Wheatley Group match funded Scottish Government investment to deliver seven projects in the most hard to reach and vulnerable communities across central Scotland. Projects spanned across ten local authority areas, responded to community priorities and delivered positive and sustainable local outcomes.
WEvolution	Develops and supports enterprising self-reliant groups to help people to work together to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.
SURF Alliance for Action Programme	SURF's Alliance for Action programme strengthens community resilience and promotes practical regeneration outcomes in a diverse set of case study communities. The programme is currently being delivered in Govan, East Kirkcaldy and Rothesay, Dundee, Dunoon and West Dumfries The programme will also enhance wider policy and resource considerations for supporting community regeneration.
Inspiring Scotland - Link Up	Contribution to overall funding package to support Inspiring Scotland to increase opportunities for people in communities to come together, get to know different people, and participate and help each other.
Skills and Learning Exchange	Provides community groups with access to funds to visit and learn from their peers.
Scottish Men's Sheds Association	Provides support for the Scottish Men's Sheds Association to allow them to promote and grow the men's sheds movement in Scotland.
Support for Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC)	Enables SCDC to offer an expanded service to assist communities and local organisations to develop increased capacity, and to enable greater flexibility to work across different policies and programmes to capture lessons and good practice about what works in supporting community led action.

Regeneration Capital Grant Fund

The Scottish Government’s Regeneration Strategy, launched in December 2011, detailed new funding models for regeneration including the creation of a Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF). The proposed Regeneration Capital Grant Fund would include £12.5m of local government funding along with the Scottish Government regeneration programme budget, to form a £25m ‘pot’.

Scottish Government worked with counterparts COSLA during 2012 to establish the scope of the Fund. Scottish Ministers and COSLA Leaders approved the proposal for a Regeneration Capital Grant Fund from 2014/15 in early 2013 with the fund formally launched in April 2013.

Table 3: Regeneration Capital Grant Fund
Description	Documents Attached
	Document ref number	Document Name
RCGF is delivered in partnership with COSLA. The fund aims to support regeneration projects which have the potential to demonstrate wider impact as well as delivering strong physical, social and economic outcomes; and potentially leverage other funding and investment. The fund is open to all 32 Scottish local authorities individually or whether they exercise their functions through Urban Regeneration Companies (URCs) or other Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). Five rounds of funding have been completed with 119 projects recommended for funding. The deadline for second stage applications for the 6th call closes on 19 November 2018.	46 (RCGF) 47 (RCGF) 48 (RCGF) 49 (RCGF) 50 (RCGF) 51 (RCGF) 52 (RCGF) 53 (RCGF) 54 (RCGF) 55 (RCGF) 56 (RCGF) 57 (RCGF) 58 (RCGF) 59 (RCGF) 60 (RCGF) 61 (RCGF) 62 (RCGF) 63 (RCGF) 64 (RCGF) 65 (RCGF) 66 (RCGF) 67 (RCGF) 68 (RCGF) 69 (RCGF) 70 (RCGF) 71 (RCGF) 72 (RCGF) 73 (RCGF) 74 (RCGF) 75 (RCGF) Website link Website link	First Stage Application form Round 1 RCGF Q&A Round 1 Round 1 First Stage submission Guidance First Stage Application form Round 2 RCGF Q&A Round 2 Round 2 First Stage submission Guidance First Stage Application form Round 3 RCGF Q&A Round 3 Round 3 First Stage submission Guidance First Stage Application form Round 4 RCGF Q&A Round 4 Round 4 First Stage submission Guidance First Stage Application form Round 5 RCGF Q&A Round 5 Round 5 First Stage submission Guidance First Stage Application form Round 6 RCGF Q&A Round 6 Round 6 First Stage submission Guidance Application Form Round 1 Stage 2 Sept ‘13 Guidance on Completion Round 1 Stage 2 Application Form Round 2 Stage 2 June ‘14 Guidance on Completion Round 2 Stage 2 Application Form Round 3 Stage 2 Sept ‘15 Guidance on Completion Round 3 Stage 2 Application Form Round 4 Stage 2 Sept ‘16 Guidance on Completion Round 4 Stage 2 Application Form Round 5 Stage 2 Oct ‘17 Guidance on Completion Round 5 Stage 2 Application Form Round 6 Stage 2 Oct ’18 Guidance on Completion Round 6 Stage 2 RCGF projects supported from 2014 to 2018 a list of the 24 projects awarded RCGF funding in 2018/2019.

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