APPLICATION PACK FOR THE
ALLOCATION OF SMALL GRANTS TO
COMMUNITY / VOLUNTARY SECTOR
PARTNERS1
Grant Reference No: 10/15/PWB
October 2015
1
1.0 Introduction
The Southern Health and Social Care Trust (the Trust) values the critical role
that community and voluntary (Not for profit) sector partners play in the
delivery of health and social care services across the Southern Trust area.
The Southern Trust has set aside £100,000 within this financial year 2015/16
to support an open call process for small grant funding to community and
voluntary sector groups1. The focus of the programme will be on older people,
people with a disability and/or carers2.
Proposals must be in line with Southern Trust’s Strategic Direction i.e.
enabling people to remain independent at home for as long as possible and/or
developing local social support and/or innovative ideas for prevention and low
level support;
The programme objectives are as follows:
 Maximising independence and choice;
 Improve health and well-being through social interaction;
 Reducing social isolation;
 Making the best use of resources.
2.0 Scope of Agreement
The Southern Health and Social Care Trust (the Trust) seeks applications via
an open call process from community and voluntary sector) groups1.
The Trust will consider applications from groups working to support:
 Older People
 People with a disability
 Carers2
within the geographical localities of Armagh/Dungannon, Newry/Mourne and
Craigavon/Banbridge.
Community/Voluntary ‘ ‘Not for Profit) Groups should be interpreted as: ‘organisations which are
neither state nor the private sector. It includes voluntary and community organisations (both registered
charities and other organisations such as associations, self-help groups and community groups), social
enterprises, mutuals and co-operatives. Third sector organisations are independent of government; are
‘value-driven’ – that is, they pursue social, environmental or cultural objectives rather than primarily
aiming to make a profit; reinvest any surpluses in the pursuit of their objectives
1
These organisations can take a number of forms, such as charitable voluntary and community
organisations, social enterprises, etc’
2
a carer is someone who regularly provides or intends to provide a substantial amount of care for a
friend/relative who is in need of help because they are ill, frail, or have a disability
2
Funding will be provided towards the following categories:
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Room hire (Maximum £500)
Meals / refreshments/Activities/Equipment (Maximum £580)
Insurance Cover (Maximum £250)
Telephone, Postage and Stationery (Maximum £50)
Application is open to Community/Voluntary groups1 with an annual income of
less than £15,000 (recurrent and non-recurrent) and reserves under £5,000
who currently are not in receipt of income from the Southern Trust via a
formal contractual arrangement.
The total maximum grant available per successful proposals is £1,380 (note
the maximum amounts against each itemised category, as noted above) and
the funding must be spent before 31st March 2016.
Only one proposal can be submitted per organisation.
Funding is one off and non-recurrent and the Trust is not in a position to
guarantee any future funding commitment to successful applicants.
Successful applicants will be responsible for making all arrangements
necessary for the effective delivery of the proposal and must commit to
completion of a post project evaluation.
Please note that from 1st April 2014 Health and Social Care regionally have
committed to the NI Government programme of work to promote effective
working relationships with the Third Sector. The Trust will record funding to
the Community and Voluntary Organisations, Social Enterprises, Charities and
non-profit making organisations through populating the Government Funders
Database
3.0 Service Provision – Essential Requirements
3.1 Applicant groups must be a community/voluntary group1 working to
support older people, people with a disability and/or carers 2 within
the geographical localities of: Armagh/Dungannon, Newry/Mourne
and Craigavon/Banbridge.
(For clarification, an organisation which is part of a larger
organisation must be constituted in their own right (or noted on the
main group’s constitution as a sub group in their own right) and
have responsibility for their own financial affairs i.e. must have an
individual bank account).
3.2
3.3
3.4
Proposals must be in line with the Southern Trust’s strategic
direction and programme objectives outlined above (1.0 –
Introduction)
Applicants must not currently be in receipt of income from the
Southern Trust through a formal contractual arrangement.
Applicant groups must have an annual income (Recurrent & NonRecurrent) of less than £15,000, and reserves under £5,000
3
3.5
3.6
3.7
All staff (Permanent/Temporary and Volunteers) proposed by the
applicant in the delivery of any project and who are engaged in
regulated activity (Ref: Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006)
within the project must have completed Enhanced Criminal History
checks via Access NI. Under no circumstances should an employee
/volunteer be engaged prior to the necessary checks being
received.
Projects/initiatives must be completed by 31st March 2016.
The applicant must have in place, prior to allocation of funding, the
necessary levels of indemnity i.e. not less than £5,000,000 for
Employer’s Liability & £5,000,000 Public Liability. Note: applicants will need
to check with their insurance broker if the Employers Liability Insurance covers
volunteers, students who work for you unpaid; people who are not employed, but
taking part in a youth or adult training programme or a school student on a work
experience programme, where/if applicable.
3.8
The applicant agrees to comply with the terms and conditions set out
in the attached Grant Funding Agreement.
3.9 Agreement to complete an End of Project report which must be
furnished by the 31st of May 2016.
3.10 Confirm an End of Project Report was submitted for 2014/15 SHSCT
small grants funding programme if applicable
4.0 Evaluation Methodology & Marking Scheme
All applications will be considered against a range of criteria – reference
‘Applicant Submission Template’ (Annex 1) for further detail:
General Profile Section 1 (Applicant Submission Template)
The application process will ask you to answer some general questions about
your organisation/group in the General Profile Section 1 (Annex 1). The
purpose of the General questions is to collate a brief group/organisation
profile and general information only. The information provided in the section
will not be scored however failure to complete this section fully may result
in your application being rejected.
Selection and Award Criteria Questions (Sections 2 and 3)
Section 2 - “Selection Criteria” Q1 – 7 will be scored Pass / Fail (Yes / No)
Applicant may be asked to submit evidence of these criteria on award as
noted. Please note that if the Applicant fails to pass any of the criteria in
Section 1 their submission will not be considered further.
Section 3 – “Award Criteria” - Quality Q1 – 4 will have a total weighted score of
100%, each question achieving equal weighting i.e. 25%.
Please note that if the Provider fails to gain a weighted score of 60% or
above in Section 3 their submission will not be considered further.
4
Applications will be evaluated against the responses provided, based on its
relevance to the criterion noted in the Applicant Submission Template (Annex
1); it is therefore important that you answer all questions fully, ensuring that
you provide sufficient detail and relevant examples to substantiate your
answers where appropriate. Criteria have been weighted as indicated. An
overall consensus score will be agreed by the adjudication panel for each
application.
The word limit for each question should NOT exceed the stated amount of
words (250 per Question). Words beyond that stated, including any
attachment/supporting documentation, WILL NOT be considered in evaluating
this submission.
The response to each question MUST be stand alone and must not rely on
references to responses to other questions or attachments, and must be
concise and relevant.
Scoring
Quality/Capacity & Sustainability
Award Criteria questions 1-4 (Section 3) will be marked and scored as per
Table A below. These marks will then be converted into the percentage
weighted score attributed to that question as detailed in the Applicant
Submission Template.
Any bidder who fails to achieve a pass mark of 60% will be excluded from the
process. Only bidders who have achieved a pass mark of 60% or more in the
quality section will be eligible for funding. Bidders will be ranked in descending
order based on their quality scores. Funding will be allocated to bidders based
on this ranking.
Where there are a number of organisations who have achieved the same
score and funding is nearing depletion, the remaining bidders will be ranked in
order of highest score in Q1 until the funding is depleted. If there remains a
number of organisations who achieve the same score in Q1 and are jointly
ranked, the process will continue to Q2, Q3 and Q4 until the funding is
depleted.
Converting marks into percentage scores
The mark achieved by the Bidder (i.e. 0-5) will be divided by the total mark
achievable i.e. 5 for that question. This will then be multiplied by the weighted
score attributed to that question and calculated to two decimal places.
Table A
Mark
0
1
Award Explanation/Description
The required information has not been submitted or failed to
address to address the question.
An unacceptable response with serious reservations. High
risk that the proposed approach will not be successful.
5
2
4
5
A response with reservations. Medium risk that the
proposed approach will not be successful.
Good response that meets the requirements in all material
respects.
Excellent response that comprehensively meets the
requirements. Response demonstrates that the service
provider will provide outstanding services if awarded.
For clarification purposes please note – there is no mark 3 in the above table.
NB. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the accuracy of the figures
inserted in the bid.
The Southern Health and Social Care Trust is not bound to accept any bid or
to allocate the full funding available to it.
5.0 Guidance on Submission of Applications
To ensure your application is considered you must submit your bid by 4.00 pm
on 16th November 2015 to the email address below.
Applications received after the closing time and date WILL NOT be
considered for evaluation.

Applications must be submitted
small.grants@southerntrust.hscni.net
electronically
via
email
to:
General Compliance Notes
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You should retain copies of your completed application
Ensure your application is signed and dated
You must also complete and sign the declaration, scan and submit with
your application
Applications submitted by facsimile machine or in hard copy via post
WILL NOT be considered
Applications must be submitted in the English Language
The SHSCT shall not be responsible for any payment in connection
with any expenses which may be incurred by the Applicant in the
preparation and submission of their application
The SHSCT will not enter into detailed discussions on the requirements
of this process with individual applicants
Applicants may raise queries up to 5 calendar days (by 11th November
2015) before the application Submission Deadline
All queries from applicants seeking clarification should be made via
email to the following address:
victoria.johnstone@southerntrust.hscni.net (Please note this is
different to the application / bid submission email address)
The SHSCT shall not be responsible for contacting the applicant
through any route other than by responding to the individual from
whom the clarification request was sent. It is the applicant’s
responsibility to monitor such correspondence
6
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Applicants should seek to clarify any points of doubt or difficulty relating
to the documentation before submitting their bid
Fax, telephone or oral enquiries WILL NOT be considered
Copies of questions received and relevant answers will, at the
discretion of the SHSCT be distributed to the mailing list without
identifying the source of any request. Queries will be answered in
batches rather than one at a time. The SHSCT will endeavour to
answer all questions as quickly as possible, but cannot guarantee a
minimum response time.
Canvassing
Any applicant who directly or indirectly canvasses any official of the Trust or
member of the evaluation panel concerning the award of grant funding or who
directly or indirectly obtains or attempts to obtain information from such
official/evaluation panel member concerning the proposed or any other
application will be disqualified. This should not, however deter any applicant
seeking clarification in relation to the application.
7
Annex 1 – Applicant Submission Template
Grant Reference No: 10/15/PWB
8
General Profile Section – Section 1
1. Name of Group:
2. Contact Person:
3. Contact Address:
4. Postal Code:
5. Telephone No:
6. Fax No:
7. Email Address:
8. Please tell us about your group and the services you
provide? Please give us some brief information on your group (including the
type of activities on offer); tell us how long you have been established and
how many members you currently have, when and where you meet and how
often this happens, if there are any other groups in your area who offer a
similar service, if you have carried out any consultations in your community
which show the need for your service? (Please keep this response concise,
no word count applied)
9
10
9. Have you applied for funding from any other source for
your group? If yes, please give further information. Please tell
us about any other funding for your group which you have received within the
last 12 months. Please also tell us if you have any current applications
pending, who these are to and the amount you have applied for.
.
10. How much funding are you applying for from the
Southern Health & Social Care Trust?
Category*
Room hire
Meals / refreshments /
activities/equipment
Insurance cover
Telephone, postage &
stationery
Total
Maximum amount
available
£500
£580
Amount applied for
£250
£50
£1,380
*Note funding is not transferrable within categories i.e. where room hire
is not required the maximum amount available for this category cannot
be used as an additional amount against any other category.
Please note that the Trust is unable to provide assistance for any other costs,
and unable to fund the following –





Transport for one-off outings
Annual events – e.g. summer outings / parties
Projects which are the responsibility of another funder
Major capital or core funding costs
Religious or political activities
11

Activities which involve or promote any form of gambling and the
consumption of alcohol
11. Please provide name, address and telephone numbers of: Name
Address
Tel No.
Chairperson
Secretary
Treasurer
12. Which of these categories best describes the focus of
your group? (Please tick box)
 Older People
 Disability
 Carers
13. In which locality does you group operate?
 Armagh & Dungannon  Craigavon & Banbridge  Newry & Mourne
14. Do you have volunteers in your group? Yes

No

If yes, please state how many _______
15. Do you have a Volunteer Policy?
12
 Yes
 No
FINANCIAL INFORMATION: (Submitted in Confidence)
14. Name of Bank:
15. Address of Bank:
16. Account Name:
17. Account No:
18. Bank Sort Code:
13
Selection Criterion Questions – Section 2
1. Bona fide Community/Voluntary Group1 - Please confirm that your
organisation is bona fide group1 working to support older people, people with a
disability and/or carers2 within the geographical localities of: Armagh/Dungannon,
Newry/Mourne and Craigavon/Banbridge and that you are able to provide a copy of
your valid, signed and dated constitution or equivalent governing document, if
requested. (For clarification, an organisation which is part of a larger organisation
must be constituted in their own right (or noted on the main group’s constitution as
a sub group in their own right) and have responsibility for their own financial affairs
i.e. must have an individual bank account).
Yes (Pass)
No (Fail)
2. Compliance with Grant Agreement – Please confirm that your organisation
will comply with the Terms and Conditions set out in the Grant Agreement attached in
this application pack (Appendix 2)
Yes (Pass)
No (Fail)
3. Staff (Permanent/Temporary and Volunteers) – Please confirm that all
staff involved in the delivery of any regulated activity, which in any way is supported via
this programme of grant funding, will have completed Enhanced Criminal History
checks via Access NI.
Under no circumstances should an employee/volunteer be engaged prior to the
necessary checks being received.
Yes (Pass)
No (Fail)
4. Employers and Public Liability indemnity level – Please confirm that
your organisation will be able to provide the levels of indemnity expected i.e.
£5,000,000 Employers Liability and £5,000,000 Public Liability in respect of any one
claim (You must confirm with your Insurance Broker that you can obtain, should
you be successful in your bid, the required cover prior to committing a Yes to
this response. Evidence that you hold this level will be expected by the
successful Provider – reference ‘Completion of Confirmation of Providers
Insurance – attached Appendix 1) Note: applicants will need to check with their insurance
broker if the Employers Liability Insurance covers volunteers, students who work for you unpaid; people who
are not employed, but taking part in a youth or adult training programme or a school student on a work
experience programme, where/if applicable.
Yes (Pass)
No (Fail)
5. Not in receipt of an income through a formal contractual
arrangement – Please confirm that your organisation is not currently in receipt of
income from the Southern Trust through a formal contractual arrangement
Yes (Pass)
No (Fail)
14
6. Your group has an annual income of less than £15,000, and
reserves under £5,000 – The Trust reserves the right to validate this with
you on award.
Yes (Pass)
No (Fail)
7. Grant Post Project Evaluation – Please confirm that your organisation will
complete and return the end of project evaluation attached in this application pack
(Appendix 3) by 31 May 2016.
Yes (Pass)
No (Fail)
8. Project Completion Date – Please confirm that your organisation will have
completed the project by 31st March 2016.
Yes (Pass)
No (Fail)
9. End of Project Report Completion Date – Please Confirm an End of
Project Report was submitted for 2014/15 SHSCT small grants funding programme if
applicable ( If your group did not receive a small grant for 14/15 or any previous year )
Yes (Pass)
Not applicable (Pass)
15
No (Fail)
Award Criterion Questions – Section 3
Non-recurrent funding will be awarded on your responses to this section
provided you have passed all the Selection criteria questions. Please note that
there is a word limit of 250 for each question and 25% weighting aligned to
each question. Your application will be scored based on the information
provided.
QUALITY = 100% weighting (Each question is worth equal weighting –
25%)
Q1. Describe how the application for funding you are making meets the
Trust’s strategic direction and the objectives of the programme outlined
in Paragraph 1 ‘Introduction’ (p.2) and what the key benefits will be for
people attending your group?
For example, it may allow them to meet socially with others, participate in
activities and provide opportunities to promote health and wellbeing. Does it
help to promote positive mental health and emotional wellbeing? Are some of
your members socially isolated, etc?
Word limit of 250 (please provide word count)
16
2. How do you measure and evaluate your service? Please give us some
information on how you monitor and evaluate your work. Do you keep an
up-to-date attendance register? Do you ask members for feedback on
activities? Are your members involved in planning any activities? Does
your Committee hold regular planning events?
Word limit of 250 (please provide word count)
17
3. Does your group actively seek to build capacity, knowledge and
skills of members in relation to health and wellbeing? Do you
encourage members to take part in activities which they may have not
tried before? Do you sometimes bring guest speakers to talk to your
group? Do you think there is training that your members, Committee or
volunteers could benefit from?
Word limit of 250 (please provide word count)
18
4. Please detail how you believe the funding you are applying for will
support you to sustain your service within your community after the
funding you have secured has been exhausted.
Would this funding enable you to apply or attract further funding opportunities
and if so, how? Support your organisation to build partnerships and links with
other community groups and organisations in the local area and wider area?
Build capacity within your organisation to ensure appropriate governance
arrangements are in place? Etc.
Word limit of 250 (please provide word count)
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Declaration
I declare that:

All the information given is correct

The estimated costs have been approved by the Organisation’s
Management Committee against fraudulent or corrupt actions.

The funding will be used for the purposes which are specified in this
document.

No changes will be made to any of the proposals without the approval of the
Trust.

If information given is inaccurate or incomplete the funding will be returned
to the Trust.
Signed on behalf Organisation Name:
of:
By (both)
Chairperson/ Chief Executive
Director/ Secretary
NAME (Print)
SIGNATURE
DATE
Please return completed applications to small.grants@southerntrust.hscni.net
no later than Monday 16th November 2015 at 4pm.
20
Please note that the following
documents are for information
only at this stage.
They are not required to be
completed unless your
application is successful
21
Appendix 1
CONFIRMATION OF PROVIDERS INSURANCES
This form must be completed by your Insurers, or Insurance Brokers,
and returned as soon as possible if your application is successful.
PROVIDER DETAILS
Name of Voluntary
Organisation
Address
Description of
Occupation/Business
(as stated on policy)
1. Employers Liability
Insurer details
Name of Insurance Company :
Policy No:
Renewal Date:
Limit of Indemnity
£
any one incident and unlimited in
policy period
Are Volunteers
Yes / No
included under the
policy
Restrictive
Endorsements/
Warranties
applicable.
We confirm that the
Employers Liability
Yes / No
certificates will be
kept for a period of
40 years in line with
legislation.
2. Public/Products Liability
Insurer details:
Name of Insurance
Company:
Policy No:
Renewal Date:
Limit of Indemnity
£
Excess Layer (if
Insurer:
applicable)
Excess Limit: £
Renewal date
Policy No:
Restrictive
Endorsements/
Warranties Applicable
22
any one incident
We confirm that
evidence of Public
Liability insurance will
be kept for at least 21
years.
Yes / No
Signed: ______________________________________
____________________________
Date:
On behalf of:
___________________________________________________________________
__
In the event of any of the above policies being cancelled, not renewed, or restricted
in any way, we will notify the Purchaser immediately
The above must be signed by a Recognised Insurance Company/Insurance
Broker and stamped with a company stamp.
Please return to your designated Trust Officer:
23
FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
Appendix 2
GRANT AGREEMENT (NON-RECURRENT FUNDING)Grant Reference No: 10/15/PWB
Name of Organisation: _______________
Title of Project: ____________________
I hereby acknowledge the Southern Health & Social Care Trust’s intention to
fund the above organisation the sum of - £ _______ for the project/service
activity as outlined in the Applicants Submission Template (attached).
This agreement shall be subject to:
(a)
THE GRANT – being used for the project and purpose as defined in
the application (should the agreement be terminated e.g. where
identified projects funded fail to materialise, you shall refund the
Trust unspent funds).
(b)
THE TIME – all projects should be completed by the 31st March 2016.
(c)
CHANGES – must be notified to the Trust in writing initially and agreed
with the designated Trust Officer.
(d)
CONFIDENTIALITY – no details of this agreement shall be disclosed
to any third party without the consent of the other party.
(e)
ACCOUNTS – accounting records must be maintained. A statement of
income and expenditure must be submitted at the end of the Project.

(f)
You should retain a copy of all receipts for payments made
against this grant.
LIABILITIES – the Trust accepts no responsibility, financial or
otherwise, for expenditure or liabilities arising out of the work of your
organisation.
24
MONITORING/EVALUATION – you are responsible for maintaining
this agreement and implementing specific monitoring and evaluation
procedures as agreed with the Trust.
(g)
Provider:
details
Insert Lead Contact for organisation and address
Telephone number: 028
Fax:
028
E-Mail:
Purchaser:
Usually Trust AD or Director details to be inserted
Telephone number: 028 {Add}
Fax:
028 {Add}
E-Mail
{Add}
Designated Officer Insert Details of Trust Professional Head of
Service
Telephone number: 028 {Add}
Fax:
028 {Add}
E-Mail
{Add}
LEGISLATION/GUIDELINES & POLICIES –The Provider complies with
(h)
and ensures all employees, where applicable, comply with the relevant
legislation, guidelines, policies and associated best practice and in particular
(but not exclusively) the following: 



Common Law Duty of Confidentiality and other DHSSPS guidance; Code of
Practice on Protecting the Confidentiality of Service User Information and ‘Good
Records Good Management’, Nov 11
 The Children Order
 Equality and Human Rights Legislation
 Health and Safety Legislation
 Data Protection Act 1998
 Freedom of Information Act 2000
 Fire Prevention and Precautions Legislation
 Professional Guidelines and Policies
 Our Duty to Care
 Disability Discrimination (Amendment NI) Regulations 2004
 Disability Discrimination NI Order 2006
 Safer Services Report
Guidelines for the Prevention, Detection and Investigation of Abuse of Vulnerable
Adults
Employment Act 2002.
Bribery Act 2010 (Effective from July 2011)
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Signed for/on behalf of the Southern Health & Social Care Trust
________________________________________________________
Print Name: ______________________________________________
Position in Organisation: ____________________________________
Date: ____________________________
Signed for/on behalf of the Partner Organisation:
Group/Organisation: _______________________________________
Signature: ________________________________________________
Print Name: _______________________________________________
Position in Organisation: _____________________________________
Date: _____________________________
26
FOR INFORMATION ONLY
Appendix 3
GRANT - POST PROJECT EVALUATION –
Grant Reference No: 10/15/PWB
This form must be completed at the end of your project and
submitted to the designated Trust Officer by the 31 May 2016
Name of Group/Organisation:
Address:
Tel No:
Fax No:
Contact person:
Charitable status:
Charity No: (if applicable )
GFD Registration No: ________________________________________
Date grant received:
1. What were the aims and objectives of the funded project
(as outlined in your small grants/ grant application)?
2. Briefly describe the areas of work which the small grants
/grant assisted, drawing attention to any particular
achievements.
3. To what extent do you feel the project has/has not achieved
27
its objectives based on the collection of user’s views on
services provided by your organisation?
4. Briefly describe the difficulties and setbacks (if any) you
have incurred in carrying out the work to which the grant
contributed.
5. Expenditure breakdown – please give details here of each
specific item or activity on which the money form the grant
has been spent
Item or activity
Date – give the date
when the item was paid
for or the dates on
which the activity took
place
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Cost – give the cost
attach receipts/invoices
/
6. What have been the benefits achieved in your community
in relation to their health and wellbeing as a result of this
funding?
7. Did the process of securing grant from the Trust enable
you to successfully apply for additional funds?
give details:
Please
8. Are there any concerns or issues, which you think the
project is currently facing? Please give details:
9. If yes, are there any measures currently being taken to
address these concerns or issues? Please give details:
10. If you have any training, development or support needs
which you feel are currently unmet , please give details
below:
29
11. Have you any comments/ suggestions to make about the
Southern Health & Social Care Trust procedures in relation
to grant funding?
12. Additional comments (if any)
Signed:
Print name:
Position in organisation:
Date:
Thank you for completing this form.
Please return this form to your designated Trust Officer:
30