Community Fund Grant Application. Application Pack for Projects Seeking Infrastructure Grants

Transcription

1 Community Fund Grant Application Application Pack for Projects Seeking Infrastructure Grants Closing Date for Applications: 14 September

2 APPLICATION SUMMARY Overview White Rock Wind Farm Community Fund aims to share the benefits of White Rock Wind Farm by investing in the communities around the wind farm. The Funds are intended to provide financial support for community-based initiatives, projects and events that produce lasting community benefit and reflect local priorities. The Community Fund targets a range of community needs including health and social welfare, safety, environment, education and youth, sport and recreation, culture and heritage, arts and economic development. Who Can Apply Applications are open to any not for profit or incorporated community-based organisations. Project Duration Projects receiving grant funding for Infrastructure Projects are required to be completed within 2 years from signing the funding agreement. Assessment Criteria Applications will be assessed on their merits, based on their benefit to the community, perceived suitability, the background of the applicant, etc. Projects will also be weighted according to their proximity to White Rock Wind Farm with closer projects carrying more weight. Please submit plans and a detailed proposal, as outlined in Part C and D for the project. How to Apply Applicants should complete the application form and complete and sign the checklist. For all enquiries please phone Anna Watt on Post to: Attention: Glen Innes Severn Council WRWF Community Fund Application c/- Glen Innes Severn Council P.O Box 61 GLEN INNES NSW 2370 Deliver by hand to: Glen Innes Severn Council WRWF Community Fund Application 265 Grey Street GLEN INNES NSW to: council@gisc.nsw.gov.au Subject: WRWF Community Fund Application All applicants will be notified of their success, or otherwise, after the closing date. Funds will be issued by cheque to the contact details provided on the application form. Please Note: Applications received after 4:30pm on 14 September 2018 will not be accepted under any circumstances. 1

3 APPLICATION FORM FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS Before completing this form, please read the guidelines attached to this document. Please write legibly when completing this application form. A: ORGANISATIONAL DETAILS 1. Name 2. Postal Address 3. ABN: 4. Are you registered for GST? Yes No 5. What do you do? (brief description of who you are and what you do) B: WHO DO WE TALK TO REGARDING THIS APPLICATION? 1. Name of Contact for this Application 2. Position of Contact within the Organisation 3. Contact Details Work Phone Mobile Phone Address 2

4 C: PROPOSAL DETAILS The aim of Infrastructure Grants is to support larger projects which require a greater amount of organisation, time and money to complete. Projects of this scale have no upper funding limit as long as it falls within the annual amount of money available from the Community Fund. Projects cannot be allocated funds from succeeding years. Due to the scale of these projects, this application should be supported with detailed supplementary information to demonstrate the capabilities of the applicant in justifying and carrying out the project. It is expected this supplementary information would contain, but not be limited to: 1. Name of Project. 2. Summary of the Project. 3. Outcomes of the Project. 4. Referring to the Eligibility Criteria and General Principles in the Guidelines, please describe how your Project benefits the Community? 5. Does your Application require Development / Landowner Consent, and have you discussed your Project Plans with Council? If so please attach a copy of the Plans / Reference No. 6. How much funding are you seeking? 7. A Detailed Budget including all Income and Expense items, GST inclusive. 8. Do you have or need any match-funding, or equivalent, which is required to carry out the Project? 9. Provide recent verifiable, quotes for carrying out the Project. 10. Proposed Timeline for the Project (noting the work must be completed within 2 years). 11. How will the contribution from the WRWF Community Fund be acknowledged? 12. In what Zone is the Project located (see map in Guidelines)? A B C D E 13. Any additional information in support of your Grant application (letters of support, media releases, historical information, etc). Projects approved for funding but which require Development / Landowner Consent will not have funds released until such consents are in place. The committee may seek clarification or request further information about the Project in order to help make its decision. Failure to provide the information in a reasonable timeframe will result in the application being rejected. 3

5 CHECKLIST Have You Yes No Completed Parts A & B of the Application? Included a Detailed Proposal for the Project (Part C)? If you have ticked no to any of the above please explain why. I hereby confirm that Information contained in our application is correct and accurate at the time of submitting for approval. Signed: Name: Position in Organisation: Date: 4

6 Page Intentionally Left Blank 5

7 ACQUITTAL STATEMENT BY GRANT RECIPIENT The Acquittal and Feedback Forms are to be completed and returned only once the project has been completed. Organisation Project Amount Received Certified by an authorised officer of the grant recipient organisation. I confirm that: An amount equal to the total Grant paid ($ ) has been expended on the Project in accordance with our original application and the WRWF Community Fund Guidelines. AND A complete set of financial records, or equivalent, relevant to the project have been maintained and are attached to this acquittal together with photos of the completed project. I hereby certify that I have the authority to sign this Acquittal Form on behalf of the recipient organisation. Date: Signature: Name: Position: Please return the Acquittal and Feedback Forms to: Post: Glen Innes Severn Council, WRWF Community Fund Acquittal Form, PO Box 61, GLEN INNES NSW council@gisc.nsw.gov.au (Subject: WRWF Community Fund Acquittal Form). 6

8 FEEDBACK FORM Did you have any problems completing the project on time/budget? Were there any unforeseen complications with the project? Can you suggest any improvements to the process of applying for funds? Were the applications forms and requested information too complex? Any other comments or suggestions? Thank you for any feedback you can provide, it is very helpful! 7

9 Community Fund Guidelines August

10 Introduction The White Rock Wind Farm ( WRWF ) Community Fund ( the Fund ) has been established by White Rock Wind Farm Pty Ltd. WRWF is committed to building and maintaining positive relationships with the local community and aims to keep an open dialogue with local residents, stakeholders and the wider community throughout all stages of the wind farm lifecycle. The Fund is a key element of WRWF s broader Stakeholder and Community Engagement Plan (the Plan). The focus of the Plan is to successfully integrate the project into the local community and to work towards equitably sharing the project benefits. The annual allocation of funding is a voluntary contribution from WRWF and is based on $2,500 per commissioned wind turbine, per annum. An annual indexed increase of 2.5% is fixed for the lifespan of the Fund. These guidelines outline all details related to the role and function of the Fund. The guidelines have been developed in collaboration with the WRWF Community Consultative Committee (CCC). Aim of the fund The aim of the WRWF Community Fund is to financially support initiatives and projects that enrich and enhance the local community. Focus areas for the fund Funding applications will be considered from all sectors, including but not limited to community development, the arts, education and training (including scholarships through organisations), health and wellbeing, sport, economic development, environment and sustainability. Geographic area for the fund Applications will be considered for projects located within a 50 km radius of WRWF as shown on the map in Figure 1. Distance weighting will be applied to all projects according to the zone in which the project is located e.g. zero to 10km from the windfarm (Zone A), 10km to 20km (Zone B) etc. The applicant must list what zone the project will fall within. Preference will be given to those projects closest to WRWF. This weighting will be considered together with other selection criteria such as direct benefit to the community, demonstrated sound financial management, etc. Further details on selection criteria are outlined in section 8. 9

11 Figure 1 WRWF Distance Bands (0 50 km) and Zone Identifiers (A E) Funding amounts The Fund has three (3) grant categories: 1. Minor Grants are for applications seeking less than or equal to $5,000 (including GST) with no minimum limit. 2. Major Grants (not infrastructure) are for applications seeking more than $5,000 (including GST). 3. Infrastructure Grants are for applications seeking improvements to an existing asset or for the development of a new asset and have no funding amount limit. For all categories, the amount requested in Grant applications must be inclusive of GST. 10

12 The requested amount must be satisfactory to complete the proposed project. No additional funding will be provided once funding is awarded. Eligibility to apply for funding The following groups are eligible to apply for funding: Not-for-profit organisations, and Incorporated community based organisations. Projects where the core funding is the responsibility of government entities (including Federal, State and Local Government and their business entities) are not eligible to apply for funding. However, applicants of projects that have created partnerships with Local Government are eligible to apply. Additionally, applications seeking the following will not be eligible to apply: 1. Funding for ongoing operational costs (e.g. electricity), 2. Retrospective funding (e.g. costs incurred prior to award of funding), or 3. Components that have recurrent implications. Individuals are not eligible to apply for funding. Application process Grant applications across the three categories can be applied for on an annual basis. The annual application process will adhere to the following timeframes that align with each calendar year s Fund allocation: 16 August 2018 Applications open and advertised through local media, social media and websites. 14 September 2018 Applications close at 4.30 pm, review process begins. 26 October 2018 Notifications sent to successful and unsuccessful applicants. Funds distributed to successful applicants. Organisations are limited to one application per year where they are the principal applicant. Different applications forms will be used for each of the Fund categories. A short application form will be used for all Minor Grant applications, a standard application form will be used for all Major Grant applications and a request for detailed supplementary information application will be used for all Infrastructure Grant applications. The potential size and complexity of projects applying for an Infrastructure Grant means detailed information (quotes, building approvals etc.) will be required for the application to be considered. All applications must be received within the designated application period and late applications will not be accepted. The selection panel may request further details or supporting documentation in order for the application to be assessed. All applicants will be notified within six weeks of closure of the application period. Unsuccessful applicants can request feedback from the Committee. Unsuccessful applicants will remain eligible to apply for future rounds of funding. 11

13 Successful applicants, the approved project and grant allocated will be advertised annually through local media together with the total amount of applications received. Media on the progress and outcome of the projects may also occur. General principles for evaluating applications The following general principles underpin the evaluation of all applications and may require applicants to identify: Purpose of the project. Direct and indirect community benefits (including number of people benefitted). Diversity of community demographics benefited. Demonstrated viability of the project and the project proponent. Duration of the project. Current financial status of the project, e.g. other funding applications, prior and current funding partners and demonstrated need for financial assistance. Extent to which the project duplicates other programs/facilities in the area. Demonstrated collaboration between organisations to maximise benefits e.g. partnership with local government. Where the project is situated within the 50 km geographic area criteria. Reporting Acquittal of project funds (including financial and project outcomes) must be completed within 12 months of receipt of funding or as agreed upon when funding is awarded. Interim reporting may be required depending on complexity or scale of the project. This could include quarterly reporting or reports following particular project milestones. The timing and form of any required interim reporting will be determined in agreement with the applicant when funding is awarded. A final summary of the project must be provided to WRWF on completion of the project regardless of the Grant category awarded. Unspent funds must be returned to WRWF for reallocation in the next funding year. Acknowledgement of White Rock Wind Farm Successful applicants will be required to acknowledge the financial support provided by WRWF. The specific requirements for acknowledgment will be agreed upon when funding is awarded. These could include displaying logos in project material, acknowledgement in media releases, newsletters or placement of plaques, signage etc. with costs covered in the project budget. WRWF must approve the final wording and layout for any form of recognition to be used. 12

14 Governance of the Fund A committee governs the Fund and oversees the grant process and disbursement of funds. Committee members include members based on a skills and experience criteria, representation from local councils, and representation from WRWF. Membership on the Committee is voluntary. Community members who are able to demonstrate relevant skills and experience are eligible to apply when expressions of interest are called through the local media. Review of these guidelines These guidelines have been developed in collaboration with the WRWF Community Consultative Committee. It is intended that the guidelines be a living document that may be modified after regular reviews by WRWF and the committee to ensure that the Fund remains current and focused on equitably sharing of the project benefits. 13