Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council: Capital Grants Programme 2024-25

Overview

Overview

• The Capital Grants Fund is available to local sports and community organisations for support towards the development of new or the enhancement of existing facilities to meet unmet need.
• The Capital Grant Programme will only fund properly constituted not for profit community and voluntary sector organisations.
• Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council will consider grant aid of 80% of total evidenced capital costs up to a maximum total grant value of £120,000.

Who Can Apply?

Only groups which meet these criteria can apply to the Capital Grant Programme:

• Be based in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area or have their main activities based in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area.
• Be committed to Equal Opportunities in terms of organisational policies and the delivery of services to those being served or represented.
• Have a constitution / governing document that has been adopted at a public meeting showing clearly defined purposes that are for the public benefit in line with the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.
• Be non-party political and open to the full range of local opinion.
• Be able to demonstrate a fair and equitable ethos through established aims and objectives in accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998).
• Be able without prejudice to the obligations of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), to demonstrate regard to the desirability of promoting Good Relations between persons of different religious belief, political belief, political opinion or racial group.
• Have membership open to all those residing in the area that they seek to represent, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, religious or political belief.
• Be accountable to local people through an established constitution, open membership, committee elections, accounting procedures and Annual General Meetings. The Office Bearing positions of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer should be held as a minimum and there should be at least 4 other committee members. None of the Committee members should be related.
• Have appropriate and adequate insurance cover for all activities and all actions proceeding such as costs, claims, demands and liabilities whatsoever, arising from all or any of the group activities. To also ensure that any individuals or organisations worked with are properly insured.
• Ensure that all group activities abide by the law and that the necessary permissions are obtained for activities from the appropriate body/authority.
• Ensure that Child Protection Policy / Vulnerable Adults Policy and Procedures are in place and adhered to as and where appropriate.
• Have a bank/building society account and keep a proper record of group accounts.
• Be able to produce an annual statement of independently audited or certified accounts.
• Have arrangements in place for dispersing the group’s funds if they dissolve/ end.
• Be able to demonstrate that the group works closely with other organisations in the same area / neighbourhood to avoid duplication of activities.
• Agree to Causeway Coast and Glens Council's promotion, monitoring, evaluation, and training procedures as required.

Levels of grant award

A total capital grant pot of £600,000 per annum is available.

Council is committed to distributing grants fairly, efficiently and effectively. In order to ensure fair and equitable access, no single sporting code can have access to more than 20% of the overall funding pot in any given year.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council will consider grant aid of 80% of total evidenced capital costs up to a maximum total grant value of £120,000.

Organisations must match fund the remaining 20% from other sources or from their own resources. (In kind contributions will not be considered).

The level of grant awarded will depend on the following:

• The available budget.
• The number of applications.

See Guidance for full details of guiding principles for Council’s Grant Funding Policy.

Grant-aid will be allocated to the highest scoring applications. To be considered for funding applications must achieve the quality threshold score of 65%. The criteria to be used for assessment and award is outlined in section 3 of the Guidance.