Newcastle City Council – Grant Aid
support to Voluntary and Community
Sector
Bryan Beverley
Communities Support Team Manager
Newcastle City Council
Introduction
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Context
Approach
Current situation
Challenges
Opportunities
Context
• Financial context – significant changes in
Government funding of Local Government
• Use of commissioning process and grant aid
• Long history support to VCS in Newcastle
(Newcastle Fund) and strong partnership
• Grants process at a spatial level that makes
sense (one size doesn’t fit all)
• Funding to grants programmes either
maintained or increased
Principles
Principles of review
• Grant giving is a partnership
arrangement
• Focused upon policy/outcome based
• Based upon a dialogue with the VCS
• Grants Process needs to be open,
transparent & consistent
• Use of less complicated, consistent
and smarter approach
Approach
• Range of grant programmes
• Strategic and local working together
• Strategic grant aid to use structured and
consistent bid assessment process
• Across sector funding
• Recognise role of VCS in wider service
delivery and how can NCC provide more
effective support
• Inclusive, open and fair
Grant Aid Programmes
• Newcastle Fund – the Council’s strategic
grants programme £900 – 200k
• Ward Committee Grant Aid £150 – 10k
• Newcastle Neighbours (cohesion) Project
£100 - £300
• Ward Capital Fund
• Community Building Fund
• Arts Development Fund
• Make your Mark (Area specific)
Grants process at a spatial/process level that
makes sense (strategic) – The Newcastle
Fund
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Annual programme
Corporate process
Multi-year applications
Multiple applications from same VCS organisation
Structured bid assessment process
Cross Sector Panel
Approximately 23% success rate 15x over subscribed
Sophisticated feedback process
Revenue only
Grants process at a spatial/process level
that makes sense (Neighbourhoods) –
Ward Grant Aid
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Delivered via 26 ward committees’
Local focus
Applicants in room (as are the public)
Revenue or capital
Not bid assessed
Approximately 96% success rate (increased
for 2012/13)
Vision for Grant Aid
• Despite current financial challenge, we
want grant aid in Newcastle to:
• Be greater than the sum of its parts
• Focus on outcomes for residents –
especially most vulnerable
• Be used alongside other funds
• Be a simple, consistent and transparent
process for all
Challenges
• Pressure on funds – the global
situation
• The changing world
• Timescales
• Move towards commissioning
• Resilience of sector
• Innovation V need
Opportunities
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Collaborative working
More joint up thinking
Economies of scale
A rethink – history rarely catalyst for
change!
• Resource braiding
• Changing role for local government
Questions?
Questions/comments/views?
Contact details
bryan.beverley@newcastle.gov.uk
Telephone 0191 2773593