Community Grants 5 Electronic Application Form

IMPORTANT - Please Read!

.    This form cannot be saved throughout completion, therefore you must answer every question fully in one session before submission. It is strongly advised that you download the template paper version to enable you to cut and paste the written narrative answers onto the electronic form.  

.   All mandatory fields are indicated by * and will be highlighted in yellow. You will not be able to submit the form without completing these questions.

·    Please refer to the Community Grants Application Guidance Information when completing your application.

.    Further supplementary documentation will be required if your application achieves the scoring threshold and an offer in principle is proposed.

1. Organisation details

Please complete all of your organisation details in the boxes below

Annual Turnover

Please give details of your organisation’s 3 main funders and the approximate annual value (e.g. Lottery, Local Authority, include previous ESF Community Grants awarded).

Main Funders

2. Bank details

Name of account signatories (2 required)

3. Due Diligence

Please complete all questions and ensure appropriate person validates the information submitted.

Regulation 23 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 sets out a number of criteria for the rejection of organisations.

These are; any organisation must be excluded, if they or any of its directors or any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control of the organisation has been convicted of any of the following:

·     Conspiracy that relates to participation in a criminal organisation;

·     Corruption;

·     Bribery;

·     Fraud where the fraud affects the financial interests of the European Communities and falls within the meaning of any of the following:

-    the offence of cheating or defrauding Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs or its predecessor organisations;

-    the offence of conspiracy to defraud;

-    fraud or theft under the Theft Act 1968 and the Theft Act 1978;

-    fraudulent trading under the Companies Act 1985;

-    an offence in connection with taxation in the European Community; or

-    destroying, defacing or concealing documents or procuring the execution of a valuable security within the meaning of section 20 of   the Theft Act 1968

·      Money laundering;

·      Any other offence within the meaning of Article 45(1) of the Public SectorDirective (noting that the only offence referred to in Article 45(1) of the Public Sector Directive which does not appear to be covered in the list above is participation in a criminal organisation, rather than conspiracy which relates to participation in a criminal organisation as mentioned above)

·     If relevant, is not properly licensed to provide services in the State in    which the bidder is established;

Is not registered on the appropriate trade register in the Member State in which he is established (a UK or Irish bidder would be deemed to be registered on the professional or trade register if it is established in the UK and is certified

1. Do any of the above criteria apply to your organisation or any of your directors or any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control of the bidding entity? 

2. Has your organisation or directors/trustees being associated with insolvency, voluntary administration, compulsory winding up, receivership, composition with creditors, company voluntary arrangements or subject to equivalent proceedings?

3. Are any of the individual directors of your organisation or any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control of the bidding entity in a state of un-discharged bankruptcy or composition with creditors or subject to such proceedings?

3a. Do you have any previous activities/funding that has resulted in repayment of monies to the funding body?

3b. Have you failed to repay any monies due to the funding body? 

3c. Are there any ongoing investigations relating to suspicion or fraud or irregularity under any existing contract with the funding body? 

4. General Block Exemption Rule (GBER) prohibits knowingly granting of aid to groups (undertakings) in difficulty, this also applies if the applicant is a daughter company of the group. Has an original group set up this organisation to benefit from future grants awarded to bypass any prohibitions?

5. Has the organisation, its individual directors and any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control of the bidding entity ever failed to fulfil their obligations related to the payment of social security contributions?

6. Has the organisation, its individual directors and any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control of the bidding entity been reprimanded or convicted of serious misrepresentation in supplying information required by English Law?

7. Do you agree, at your cost, to obtain appropriate DBS checks for all your employees and tutors involved in delivering Education and Vocational Training services to vulnerable adults if applicable?

8. Has your organisation had a contract from a public body terminated or withdrawn over the last 3 years*?

Declaration

I certify that the information supplied is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I understand that I must update Humber Learning Consortium/Your Consortium Ltd with any changes to the information I have provided. I accept that any false information could result in withdrawal of any funding for this activity.

4. Eligibility

Please read the following statements and check the box to confirm your organisation is eligible. You must be able to check ALL the boxes below to confirm eligibility

5. Main activities

Outline the main activities of your organisation and who benefits from them? (max 250 words – question for information only)

6. Track record

Score 10 (max 500 Words)

•  Provide evidence to demonstrate successful delivery and management of similar relevant activity, evidence should include contract performance outcomes and lessons learned. (If you have received an ESF Community Grant in previous rounds, you must include details of this project as part of your answer and provide detail of meeting contract compliance.)

• Responses should include evidence of remote/online learning platformsand successful beneficiary engagement and outcomes, e.g. progression into work or further education, targets and success rates.

•  Provide evidence to demonstrate delivery of activity met the needs of your target priority groups.

If you are a new organsiation and/or have no similar relevant delivery track record, please explain how you intend to deliver your project with evidence to support your response, e.g. this could include your staff skills and previous experience, activity plans and processes you have developed to identify the need for the project.

7. Priority groups

You must tick at least one of the target groups for the project. If you have additional target groups, tick other and give the details. (Details of each box ticked to be described in section 8). 

Under each selection you have chosen please state the proposed number of participants for each priority group selected. Participants may fall in more than one priority group.

8. Evidence of need

Score -10 (max 500 words)

• Describe why the project/activities are needed?

•  Clearly describe the specific barriers including digital ability/capability which may prevent the priority group (s) you have ticked (in question 7) from engaging in activities and moving into further education/learning and/or employment.

• Explain how the project/activities will tackle these barriers and detail how these will help move participants into further education/learning and/or employment.

Provide details of local statistics, anecdotal evidence, participant feedback, waiting lists or skills shortages to demonstrate the need for the project in your target area.

9. Recruitment and Eligibility

Score – 10 (max 500 words)

• Clearly describe how you will promote and market your activities to participants utilising online virtual platfoms i.e. social media

• Explain your recruitment processes ie time spent marketing and planning. (Publicity must include correct use of ESF logo)

• How will you ensure the right participants are recruited in line with the eligibility criteria for the ESF Community Grants 5 programme (unemployed/inactive, 18+, legal residency)?

How will you assess that your provision fits the needs of the individual and that the programme is right for them?

10. Project summary

Score 30 (max 1000 words) 

This is your opportunity to explain your project, you should include information about what your project aims to achieve. You should include how it will support participants and the main activities that will take place. Please provide a detailed plan of your proposed project, including the length of overall activity, number of sessions, guided contact/support hours, the method of delivery and how you will support progression targets into employment/further education. 

• How the program is structured? Length x guided learning/contact hours
• What are the aims of the provison on offer?
• Type of activity to be accessed, delivery and teaching methods (including typical length of participation/contact time) 
• How will the project deliver blended learning?
• What difference or change will your project bring about to the participant? 
• What additional support is provided to enable participants to achieve proposed aims?
• How will the project encourage retention of participants to achieve your contracted outputs and results?
• How will you work in partnership with employers and other learning providers to enable the project to achieve its contracted progression outcomes?

10a Project Contingency

Under the current circumstances due to the Covid – 19 situation, please describe contingency plans to enable the delivery of your Community Grants project to continue if restrictions are implemented.

• Working from home strategies
• Remote working resources
• Online learning resources
• Financial capacity - Adjustment of budgets to accommodate changes required
• Adaptation of learning/office environment to ensure the safety of all

11. Progression

Minimum into employemnt 17%, further education/learning 16%

• Please indicate how many of your participants may progress into employment. 
• Please indicate how many of your participants may progress into further education/learning.

12. Project Management

Score 10 (max 500 words) systems and resources utilised to achieve your project goals

Describe how you will manage the perfomance of the project and achieve your contracted targets.

•  Explain what systems your organisation has in place to ensure high quality learning activities are delivered i.e. staff/tutor experience and/or qualifications, Continual Professional Development (CPD)

•  Describe your assessment processes for improving/developing your organisation

•  Describe how you will manage your project administrative processes to ensure correct and error free learner/projectevidence is submitted to HLC/YCL to meet the ESF requirements.

13. Detailed budget breakdown

Provide an itemised breakdown of your budget, giving as much detail as possible.

(Please ensure total values are checked before submission)

Employees (staff budget) – staff who are currently on the payroll and are employed by your organisation

Freelance Costs – including external tutors, project delivery, administration etc.

Other Costs – Venue hire, accreditation, marketing, stationery and participant expenses, agreed apportionment of office/running costs

Capital purchases NB: The total amount must not exceed £1,000 and 2 relevant quotes must be collected for each capital item applied for (refurbished/second hand items are ineligible)

14. Financial Monitoring

Score 10 (max 400 words)

·   Please provide details of how your organisation will ensure that all monies received from the grant will be evidenced during the lifetime of your project.

·   Describe the financial processes and controls your organisation has or will put in place to track spend effectively.

Consideration must be made to the types of expenditure as specified in the budget breakdown above. (including petty cash and proof of cleared payments identified on your bank statements within the contract period)

15. Health & Safety, Safeguarding and Prevent

Score 5 (max 300 words)

·   Give details of where the activity will take place

·   Describe the resources, skills (including relevant staff qualifications) and experience in relation to the above factors

·   Describe any risks within your project and how you will manage these including Covid-19 government recommendations.

·   What measures you will put in place to minimise the impact of any risks

16. Equality & Diversity and Sustainable Development

Score 5 (max 300 words)

·   How will you ensure E&D and SD are considered in all aspects of your project?

·   Describe the resources, skills and experience staff have in relation to the above factors

·   What systems do you have in place to measure the impact on participants

17. GDPR

How will you ensure that all GDPR requirements are considered during the entirety of your project? Attention should focus on the capturing and processing of learner paperwork alongside financial information

 (NB: CG5 Processor Agreement to be circulated for completion if your application is successful)

18. Insurances

Tick to confirm that you hold the following insurances (if required) and state the value of cover

19. Declaration

Please read the below declaration and sign your agreement in the space below. The form must be printed and signed by two people, including someone from your Board/Management Committee

·  I confirm that the information in this form is correct. If an ESF Community Grant is awarded, it will only be used for the purpose given and according to any conditions specified.

·  I agree to provide all additional documentation required.

·  I understand that we will be liable to repay any grant monies received if it is found that any information supplied is incorrect or if any grant monies that may be awarded are not used as indicated in this application.

·  I agree to Humber Learning Consortium (HLC)/Better Connect Limited (BCL) undertaking a credit check as part of the application process.

·  I understand that if a grant is awarded, the details of that grant may be subject to further contractual negotiation.

If successful, we agree to complete a General Data Protection Requirement (GDPR) Processor agreement, Health and Safety declaration as part of the grant award process and to attend the mandatory Contract Compliance Workshops.

Signature (person submitting the form)

20. Checklist

If your application achieves the scoring threshold and an offer in principle is proposed, the following confirmed documentation will be required to be submitted. Your application cannot be considered unless you can confirm the following: