Community Benefit Grants & Higher Education Bursaries

The Grant Fund 

Sheriffhales Community Energy (SCE) has funds available for community benefit and projects within the Sheriffhales Parish.

Applications for funding are invited from:

• Persons over the age of 18 entering higher education or taking up a recognised apprenticeship
• Persons experiencing energy poverty
• Individuals who can demonstrate they are undertaking a project with a community benefit
• Not-for-profit organisations
• Charities
• Asset locked organisations such as CIC’s and Community Benefit Societies for projects which meet the criteria set out below
• Parish organisations (PC or Church)

What We Support

SCE wishes to support individuals, groups and projects which benefit the residents of Sheriffhales Parish (‘the Parish’) and its community. This may include but not limited to:

• Persons 18 or over within the Parish entering higher education or embarking on a recognised apprenticeship
• Persons within the Parish experiencing energy poverty
• Providing a service to the Parish community
• Providing access to activities / events for the benefit of the Parish
• Enhancing quality of life of an individual/s within the Parish
• Improving the local environment
• Other projects as decided by the SCE Board from time to time

Examples of such projects include:

• Individuals who can demonstrate they are undertaking a project that derives a community benefit
• The wish to purchase something which will unequivocally help a disadvantaged person or group
• Support for a food bank/s where current levels of food donations and funds are such that the demand on the food bank cannot be met or
• other community-led food projects
• Projects which provide help to those suffering fuel poverty
• Projects which aim to help individuals in need within the community. e.g. hospital transport, unpaid carers etc
• Community-led low carbon infrastructure, renewable energy generation and energy efficiency initiatives
• Provide educational and other community activities which promote awareness of climate change, energy and environmental related issues and help develop positive community-led responses to the challenges we face
• Renewable energy and energy efficiency measures for local community buildings
• Community-led greening and re-wilding projects
• Community and youth-led activities to help develop a vision and plans for a net zero future
• Nature and environmental educational activities
• Projects that the SCE deem to derive a benefit to the Community

Application Guidance and Criteria

Applicants must:

• Be able to demonstrate that the grant will be of benefit to a resident/s of the Sheriffhales Parish and its’ community
• Organisations must be able to provide evidence that they are a not-for-profit organisation or have charitable status
• Demonstrate a need for financial support

Only one application per year will be considered from an individual, group or organisation.

Applications from Educational, Social or Health Services must be able to demonstrate that they are working in partnership with other funding agencies. Core funding will not be considered.

Applications for further grant funding in subsequent years, related to a prior application (i.e. the same project or purpose), will be required to demonstrate the community benefit of previous successful grant applications from SCE.

Successful applicants (except those for fuel poverty grants) give their permission to the use of their project’s details on the SCE website and all future SCE publicity.

Educational Bursary (Max £500.00)

The SCE has made available a total fund of £4000.00 per annum to provide persons, 18 or over within the community, a bursary to contribute towards the cost of entering higher education or embarking on a recognised apprenticeship. The individual grant amount awarded will depend  on the total number of applicants but will be set at a maximum of £500.00 per year. 

• Applications are invited from persons 18 and over entering higher education or taking up a recognised apprenticeship leading to a formal trade or professional qualification
• Applicants must live within the Parish of Sheriffhales
• Applications should be submitted using the ‘Higher Education Bursary’ application form by the 30 June each year
• The application should state detail of the course they hope to undertake and the institution they hope to attend. In the case of an apprenticeship, they should state the profession or trade they are perusing and who is providing the apprenticeship
• The SCE Board reserve the right to request further information from the applicant before making its decision
• Applicants will be notified of their success as soon as possible after the 30 June and the bursary will be paid directly into the applicant’s bank account in the September / October following the decision date and having received written confirmation from the institution or employer that the applicant has commenced the course or apprenticeship
• In the event an applicant would be dependent on the receipt of a further bursary in future years to complete their course of study / apprenticeship, this should be included on the initial grant application
• Applicants may make further applications for the bursary in subsequent years but must be aware that success is not guaranteed and that first time applicants will be given preference
• The SCE reserve the right to amend the amount of the bursary awarded as they see fit
• Where an applicant is successful in their application and they are in receipt of a bursary and the course of study / apprenticeship is ended by the applicant prior to completion, the SEC reserve the right to request the clawback of any grant

Fuel Poverty Grant

Applications from individuals or families suffering from fuel poverty will be invited as soon as the SCE have established a process by which the need can be established without compromising the applicant’s privacy.

Small Community Benefit Grant Applications (Up to £500.00)

• SCE will consider applications for small amounts of money up to £500 where the benefit to residents, groups or organisations in the Parish is clear
• Applicants should complete the ‘Small Grant’ application form stating why the funds are required and on what they will be spent
• Applications for ‘Small Fund Grants’ can be made at any time. The Board of the SCE will endeavour to take a decision within 14 days of the application. We will endeavour to notify the applicant of the outcome of their application within 7 days of the decision being made
• The SCE Board reserve the right to request further information from the applicant before making its decision
• In the case of applications from organisations, the SCE Board reserve the right to request full financial details of the organisation applying for the grant before making its decision
• If successful, the funds will be paid into the applicant’s bank account on submission of a receipt

Larger Community Benefit Grant Applications (Over £500.00)

Applications for funding for projects in excess of £500 will be subject to the application meeting the full requirements of the SCE.

Applicants should complete the ‘Large Grant’ application form and provide the following information:

• Explain why the funds are required and on what they will be spent
• Details of any professional advice sought
• Provide detailed costings as to how the amount requested has been determined
• Details of other sources of funding or match funding that the applicant has been able to obtain
• Demonstrate tangible benefit to the Parish community
• Demonstrate ‘value for money’
• The programme for the expenditure of the grant

Whilst applications for ‘Large Fund Grants’ can be submitted at any time, such applications will only be considered on a bi-annual basis at the February and August SCE Board meetings.  Subject to all necessary information being received;

• Applications submitted between 1 February and 31July will be considered at the August SCE Board

• Applications submitted between 1 August and 31 January will be considered at the February SCE Board

The SCE Board reserve the right to request further information, including seeking independent advice on the viability and costs of a project, before making its decision.

The SCE Board reserve the right to request full financial details of the organisation applying for the grant before making its decision.

The SCE Board reserves the right to provide partial grant, rather than the full amount requested.

In certain circumstances the Board of the SCE may, in the first instant, provide seed funding for a project in order that professional advice can be sought as to the cost and viability of a project.

If the applicant is successful, the SCE Board will decide how the grant is to be paid e.g.:

• Lump sum in advance
• In instalments
• Lump sum on completion
• On submission of receipts

Exclusions

Applications for funding will not be considered where:

• Projects which have started prior to application
• For the solely benefit of individuals, unless it can be demonstrated that:
  • The individual is unequivocally disadvantaged and in need of help; or
  • that the individuals project will be for the community benefit.

• Private or profit-making enterprises
• Any projects which could be considered to be part of statutory, council or government funding obligations
• Projects which discriminate against others
• Projects with are politically motivated
• Projects where the funding would re-directed to central or parent organisation
• Projects where the applicants have significant reserves
• The proposed grant is to be used as prize money