Teviot and Liddesdale Neighbourhood Support Fund Pot B guidance notes

Please read these guidance notes carefully before completing the application form.

Teviot and Liddesdale Neighbourhood Support Fund Pot B

The Teviot and Liddesdale Neighbourhood Support Fund provides financial support to voluntary and community groups that are active within their communities and assists communities or interest groups with the development of community-based projects. The Neighbourhood Support Fund operates in line with the principles of best practice and our Code of Practice for Following the Public Pound. Each Area Partnership has its own Neighbourhood Support Fund and may have a different assessment process. The amounts provided are subject to periodic review by ourselves. 

The Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership agreed to divide the fund equally between two pots – Pot A and Pot B. Each pot has an allocation of £21,232.50 available for community projects.

What is Pot B?

Pot B is open to voluntary and community groups in Teviot and Liddesdale who would like to deliver community activity within the area.

• The maximum amount which can be applied for is £5k.  
• There is no limit on the number of times an organisation can apply to the fund in the financial year. 
• There is no Fast Track process for the Pot B fund.
• As of 1 April 2024, salary costs are now considered an eligible item of expenditure as part of the Pot B fund.  (Please see “What can funding be used for?” section for further information).

Proposed projects must make a real difference within the community. The impact it makes needs to be measurable in terms of both number of community members benefiting and the scale of that benefit.

Below are examples of the outcomes that successful past projects have achieved:

• Communities have more access to better quality local services or activities (including arts, music, heritage, wellness or sports activities).
• Communities have more access to a better-quality environment (including the built environment).
• Communities have more pride in their community.
• Communities have more access to better quality advice and information.
• Building community capacity and fostering the sustainability of local initiatives.
• Increasing community involvement in local regeneration and development.
• Supporting the acquisition, development and use of community assets.
• Supporting skill development and not-for-profit initiatives that will help lead to job creation and a diverse local economy.
• Fostering social networks and increasing community engagement with local organisations, activities, and initiatives.
• Overcoming the barriers that can prevent disadvantaged or excluded members of the community from enjoying a high quality of life, particularly young people and older people.

Who can apply?

You can apply for funding if:

• You are a voluntary, community group or charity that is based in Teviot & Liddesdale, or you are a non-Borders based voluntary or community group who can demonstrate direct benefits for identified groups in Teviot and Liddesdale.
• You are fully constituted or have organisation rules with a minimum of three members (or that of an umbrella organisation).
• You have a bank or building society account in the group's name.
• You have independently approved annual accounts which are less than 15 months old (New groups must be able to provide a 12 month estimate of income and expenditure).
• You are committed to equality for all and equality of opportunity.

If your group does not have a constitution or set of rules, you are still eligible to apply to the Neighbourhood Support Fund, however, you will need a constituted group to confirm in writing that they are happy to hold any grant funding on your behalf. The constituted group will be required to submit their constitution or set of rules, annual accounts, and bank statement.

If your project is a ‘Borders-wide’ project (i.e. it will be delivered in Teviot and Liddesdale and one or more localities in the Scottish Borders), you must demonstrate the benefits that the project will bring to the Teviot and Liddesdale area.  If you are applying to other localities, the Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership may only award funding on the condition that your applications to those localities are successful. Proportional funding may be available to successful applicants.

Applications are welcome from groups working in partnership, but one group must be identified as the lead applicant.

Any group applying more than once should have fully evaluated their first project before submitting another application. There is no limit on the number of times an organisation can apply to Pot B in the same fiscal year. If you have previously received funding from us, an evaluation form must be submitted before an application can be made to the Neighbourhood Support Fund.

Who cannot apply?

• Individuals.
• Groups that wish to pass the funding on to individuals.
• Organisations involved in party political activities.
• Companies who aim to make a profit for distribution to individuals/shareholders.
• Statutory bodies.

Funding limits

• Up to £5k for all organisations.
• There is no limit on the number of times an organisation can apply to the fund in the financial year.

What can funding be used for?

Funding can be used for a variety of purposes including:

• Purchase of equipment.
• Small capital works.
• Hire and running costs.
• Maintenance costs.
• Capacity building projects.
• Salary costs*.

Community Funding Fair Work Practices

We are committed to encouraging the adoption of Fair Work Practices. When relevant, organisations applying for community funding should adopt fair working practices, specifically:

• Appropriate channels for staff members to have an effective voice
• Investment in workforce development
• No inappropriate use of zero hours contracts
• Action to tackle the gender pay gap and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace
• Providing fair pay for workers
• Offering flexible and family-friendly working practices for all workers
• Opposing the use of fire and rehire practices

* If your application includes salary costs, the hourly rate must meet the National Living Wage of £11.44 for people aged 21 and over (Minimum Wage is £8.60 for people aged 18 – 20). Ideally, organisations would match the real Living Wage, currently set at £12.00 by the Living Wage Foundation (April 2024), but this is voluntary at the moment.

You must provide a full breakdown of how the salary cost has been calculated. Sub-contractor and professional costs remain eligible when they are required for successful project delivery.

What cannot be funded?

Funding cannot pay for:

• Ordering or spending which has taken place prior to application approval.
• Alterations and improvements to licensed serving areas.
• Trips abroad.
• Maintenance of private roadways.
• Planning applications.
• Hospitality (food and drink).
• Work normally undertaken by statutory bodies.

What is expected from a project application?

• If the project is less than £1.5k, a well-thought-out plan is expected.
• If the project is more than £1.5k, a robust and well-considered business case which addresses a special or particular need is expected.
• The project needs to be deliverable.
• Sufficient community engagement should have taken place, highlighting the community support for the project.
• Outcomes should be clearly defined, including significant community benefit.
• Capital projects need to show that they are sustainable.
• Statements of support for your project should be provided, if possible.
• You should indicate how many volunteers may be involved in your project.
• You should indicate benefits to the environment, if applicable.

We have made a commitment towards becoming more sustainable and reducing emissions over a number of years. When submitting an application, we would like you to consider going plastic free where possible within your project. If you would like more information on going plastic free you can find lots of useful information on the links below.

• Zero Waste Scotland - Sustainable Choices  
• Zero Waste Scotland - Ditching Disposables
• Zero Waste Scotland - Reducing Food Waste

Project planning

• Speak to people your project is aimed at - gather community views and responses
• Speak to groups/organisations/services connected to your project theme to see if they can enhance your project or work with you
• Consider what resources/people/venues etc. are needed to make your project work
• If your project involves a building, lease of land or a public space, permissions/ agreement from the relevant body must be gained before making an application.
• If your project involves any form of construction, you need to have heritable ownership of the land or building or hold a lease that cannot be brought to an end by the landlord for at least five years.

What questions will I be asked in the application?

You will be asked to evidence how your project will benefit the Teviot and Liddesdale locality via the following questions:

• How will the project be delivered?
• How has your community helped develop the idea?
• What difference is your project going to make to the community?
• How will you measure the success of your project in the community?

Please ensure you have prepared your answers before applying via the online form.

What supporting documents do I need to submit?

You will not be able to complete the online application form without submitting all supporting documentation. If you are a constituted group, you will need to provide the following:

• Constitution (signed and dated by group members/trustees).
• Bank statement (dated within the last three months).
• Annual accounts (independently examined and no older than 15 months).
• Equal Opportunities Policy/Equalities Statement.
• One quote/estimate for each item of expenditure under £1k.
• Three quotes/estimates for each item of expenditure over £1k.
• Written permission from landowner/landlord, if applicable.
• Planning permission, if applicable.

Note: Constitutions, bank statements and annual accounts must all be in the same name as the name of the applying group.

If you are an unconstituted group, you will need to contact a constituted group to support your application and provide the relevant supporting documentation detailed in the list above.

How will applications be assessed?

Assessment

All funding applications follow a two-stage process. Firstly, they will be scrutinised by our officers who will ensure they meet the requirements listed under “Who can apply?” above. Qualifying applications will be sent to the Pot B assessment panel. The panel will then make a funding recommendation to the Area Partnership who will make a final decision.  Any questions that the applicant has regarding the panel’s recommendation can be raised with us.  Non-qualifying applicants will be notified accordingly.

Funding applications will be assessed by the assessment panel using the following criteria:

• How do you know that there is a need/demand for your project/activity?
• Project benefits to be gained - how well your project meets the objectives of the fund.
• How your project will benefit the community and how it meets the fund’s criteria.
• How the community is involved and what support there is for your project.
• How you will measure how well your project meets your proposed outcomes/impact.
• If you have received a grant or funding from SBC before and if you completed the grant evaluation form.
• How your group is set up and managed.
• Your finances and the financial need for funding (see note below).
• Your group’s commitment to promoting equality for all and equality of opportunity.

Applicants should demonstrate that they have checked other sources of funding before applying to the Neighbourhood Support Fund and, where possible, applicants should have secured some level of match funding. Applicants should note that they may be asked to apply to other funding sources when appropriate.

Note: If your group has more unrestricted funds than the value of the application, you should explain what you are planning to do with this money. If you have not set aside this money for anything specific, funding is unlikely to be awarded.

Canvassing of members of the Teviot and Liddesdale Neighbourhood Support Fund Assessment Panel is not permitted under any circumstances.

Decisions

Recommendations on funding will be made by the assessment panel for Pot B. A scoring matrix will be used to determine the quality of the proposed project and how well it will benefit the local community. Completed scoring matrixes will be made available by the assessment panels for transparency. The recommendations on funding applications will be presented to the Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership for a final decision.

If your project is not recommended for approval, officers may be able to offer you some guidance on other sources of funding. 

What happens if I receive funding?

If you have been successful, you will receive an award letter specifying the terms and conditions. You must sign and return a full copy to us within three weeks. Funding will not be paid until we have received a signed award letter. Following receipt of the signed award letter and acceptance of the terms and conditions, grants will be paid either directly into your bank or building society account.

If you are successful, it can take up to one month for us to process your payment.

Projects receiving funding must commence within 12 months (unless otherwise agreed) from the date of acceptance of the funding and are expected to complete an evaluation form as per the offer letter within three months of completion of the project.

If you are awarded a grant and have an underspend of more than £250 at the end of your project, the unspent funds must be returned to the Neighbourhood Support Fund.

What is the timescale for funding?

You must send in your completed application with supporting documents at least five weeks prior to the Area Partnership meeting at which you wish to have your application considered.

There will be four funding rounds throughout the 2024/25 fiscal year. For the fourth funding round, Pot A and Pot B will merge to create one large pot, amalgamating any remaining funds to ensure they are not lost if they cannot be carried over into the next fiscal year. Organisations from any Teviot and Liddesdale Community Council ward will be eligible to apply at that stage.

Support

For assistance in completing the online form and all other queries, please contact our Grants Administrator:

• Email: communitygrants@scotborders.gov.uk
• Phone: 0300 100 1800

Support is also available from Borders Community Action, the Third Sector Interface for the Scottish Borders:

• Email: info@borderscommunityaction.org.uk
• Website

If you are unable to access forms online or submit papers by email and would like assistance in completing this form or have any other queries, please contact our Communities and Partnerships Team on 0300 100 1800.