CRITERIA AND GUIDANCE NOTES

Carmarthenshire County Council has established the following criteria on an interim basis in order to aid the administration of the Welsh Church Fund under Section 19 of the Welsh Church Act 1914.

1. ELIGIBLE TO APPLY

Applications are invited from:-

• Churches & Chapels
• Organisations
• Individuals.

Organisations must be either Carmarthenshire based, or if of a national and regional character must be able to demonstrate that the money requested would be used for a specific Carmarthenshire based project.

Organisations must either:

• be registered as a charity
• hold certificates of charitable status
• or have funds which are exempt from income tax.

Applications for grant support from individuals towards a specific activity will be considered provided the applicant is resident in the County.

No grant will be made if assistance for a particular application is available from any other Committee of the County Council, or any other funding source e.g. Lottery.

No application can be considered from of any previous successful applicant in respect to building construction, contents, improvements or repair projects until a three-year period has elapsed from the award date.

2. ELIGIBLE EXPENDITURE / GRANT RATE

Applicants can apply for grant support for the following purposes:

• Advancement of Education
• Libraries, museums, art galleries etc.
• Relief of poverty
• Advancement of religion
• Other purposes beneficial to the community.

 
The degree of support to be offered will be at the absolute discretion of the County Council.

Generally the following eligible expenditure and grant rates apply:

(a) Churches/Chapels (Grant rate of 20-25%)

Applicants can apply for capital costs (including repairs and renewals) and may be awarded the following grant rates:

PROJECT COST

Up to £1,000
£1,001 to £2,500
£2,501 to £5,000
£5,001 to £10,000
£10,001 and over   

GRANT RATE

Up to £250
£251 to £500
£501 to £1,000
£1,001 to £2,000
Up to a maximum of £3,000 

(b) Village Halls

Applicants can apply for capital costs (including repairs and renewals) and the grant rate for Village Hall Schemes is 12.5%, up to a maximum of £3,000 in respect of all building construction, contents, improvements or repair projects.

(c) Organisations

Organisations can apply for revenue and capital projects. However the grant rate in respect of all building construction, contents, improvements or repair projects will be 10% on total project costs, to a maximum of £3,000

(d) Individuals

Applications will be considered from individuals for aid towards a specific activity (grant aid is generally not awarded to individuals who reside outside the County).

Grants to apprentices are available for the purchase of tools.

The normal level of support to individuals will be between £50 - £150.

(e) Other

No grant will be awarded for schemes over £30,000 unless it can be shown that there are adequate funds for the completion of the scheme.

Enhanced financial assistance of up £10,000 may be made, if the overall cost less any financial contributions from parent bodies, the utilisation of capital receipts and other reserve funds is in excess of £100,000.

The Chairman of the Finance and Property sub-committee is authorised to award a grant of £100 for each person taking part in Operation Raleigh from the General fund.

3. IMPLEMENTATION & RETROSPECTION

Applications for building and improvement works will be considered only for work to be carried out or work that has been carried out within six months from the date of application.

In all other cases grants will not be awarded to projects that have commenced prior to the Council receiving an application form.

4. INELIGIBLE EXPENDITURE

No grant will be awarded towards work that is subject of an insurance claim.

No grant will be made to an applicant where there is a statutory responsibility of another Committee of the Council to support such activities, whether they do so or not i.e. awards to students, parent teachers association, etc.

No grant will be made to organisations/individuals that have licensed premises or whose proposals include the construction of licensed bar facilities.

Having regard to the limited finance available for the fund, no grant support will be made to the following:

• Councils who are able to precept in their own right.
• Choirs.
• Twinning Associations.
• National Government funded bodies and Appeals in connection with the purpose for which such bodies are established.

5. APPLICATION PROCESS

Please complete the attached application form fully.

Return the completed application form together with three contractor’s estimates, as this will be required before an application can be considered.

All applications received by Carmarthenshire County Council will be registered and acknowledged and checked initially for eligibility.

If an award is made, confirmation of the anticipated start date of any construction work will need to be submitted. If work has started before an award has been made, then the commencement date of works and the current status of the project will need to be declared before the payment of the grant is made.

Applicants will be required to submit a copy of the final account on the completion of the work.

6. GENERAL CONDITIONS

Carmarthenshire County Council reserves the right to request additional information at its discretion.

Carmarthenshire County Council reserves the right to vary the conditions of the scheme at any time.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s decision will be final and is entitled to refuse any application without disclosing its reasons or purpose in doing so.

Carmarthenshire County Council reserves the right to publicise any grant support.

Carmarthenshire County Council reserves the right to withdraw or reclaim grant monies whereby the above conditions are not met.

7. GRANT OFFERS

Carmarthenshire County Council in making a grant offer will require successful applicants to enter into a formal agreement setting out terms and conditions for the claiming of grant monies.

All applicants who are successful in their grant bid will need to confirm in writing that they are prepared to accept the terms and conditions of the grant aid offer.

8. GRANT PAYMENTS

The County Council on awarding a grant will only make a payment after the completion of the following:-

1. the project as stipulated in the application has occurred.
2. that suitable evidence is presented as proof of eligible expenditure.

Suitable evidence will include visits by Carmarthenshire County Council staff; production of paid invoices/income receipts, attendance figures etc. In making a claim for a grant payment the applicant will be required to present a ‘Statement of Account’.

Only in exceptional circumstances may payment be awarded in advance of the physical works being completing and in some cases before commencement of physical works.

9. GRANT REPAYMENT

Grant recipients must undertake to notify the County Council of any change in circumstances in regard to the grant award.

10. TO MAKE A FORMAL APPLICATION PLEASE RETURN THE COMPLETED FORM TO:

Business & Community Grants
Regeneration Department
Directorate of Economic Developmnent
Carmarthenshire County Council
Parc Amanwy
New Road
Ammanford
Carmarthenshire
SA18 3ED

Tel: 01269 590218
Fax: 01269 590290
Contact: Sally Doughton

**** No E-mail or faxed versions can be accepted ****
**** Signed hard copies only ****

11. EXAMPLES OF RELEVANT OUTPUTS:

New permanent jobs created (fte)
New part-time jobs created
Jobs safeguarded
Construction jobs (nos.)
Users of service / facilities
Nos. of people trained
Nos. of New Deal clients trained
Nos. of people trained who obtain qualifications
Nos. of people trained who obtain jobs
Private sector investment levered
New Business start-ups
Businesses expanded
Businesses advised
Floorspace of business / commercial units built or improved
Buildings improved for economic, social, recreational, environmental purposes (nos.)
Land improved for recreational, social, environmental purposes
Nos. of events held
Nos. of users of service
Studies completed
Others (please specify)