Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member for Efficiency and Improvement, seeking approval for the details of the new grant awards process including a timetable for applications and decisions, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 12/13 8221)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member forEfficiency and Improvement and having received representations from a voluntary sector organisation and a Member of the Council, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To approve the process for the outcome-based Commissioned Grants Programme, including the key changes as set out in paragraph 6.

(ii)  To approve the list of outcomes grants are to be awarded against as set out in paragraphs 7-15.

(iii)  To approve that where appropriate, the council award longer term (2 or 3 year) grants from the grants to voluntary organisations budget from 2013/14, as set out in paragraphs 16-18.  These grants would take the form of 2 or 3 year funding agreements that would be subject to annual review in line with budget approvals.

(iv)  To approve in principle that a proportion of the grants to voluntary organisations budget is used for one-off, one year grants awarded against the same criteria and outcomes as the longer term grants, as set out in paragraph 19-20.

(v)  To propose a budget of £4,977,756 over three years (2013/14 to 2015/16) for grants to voluntary organisations, as set out in paragraph 21, subject to approval by Full Council at the annual Budget Setting meeting in February of each year.  Of this £1,777,345 would be the proposed budget in 2013/14. 

(vi)  To propose a tapered reduction of 6.8% each year for 2014/15 and 2015/16 as set out in paragraph 22, subject to approval by Full Council at the relevant annual Budget Setting meeting in February of each year.

(vii)  To approve that formal notice is given to existing grant recipients highlighting that any applications for grant funding for 2013/14 and beyond will be considered without reference to previous grants and their current funding relationship with the council will end on 31 March 2013, as set out in paragraphs 24-29.

(viii)  To agree amendments to the standard grant criteria as set out in paragraph 30.

(ix)  To discontinue the previous tapered reduction plan for Shopmobility to bring them in line with the new process, as set out in paragraph 31.

(x)  To note that the Dedicated Schools Grant contribution in the grants to voluntary organisations budget will be re-allocated to schools in April 2013 following the changes brought in by central government and therefore this funding will no longer be available, as set out in paragraph 32.

(xi)  To approve in principle the pooling of the council’s Community Chest budget with the NHS Health and Wellbeing grants budget and to explore alternative options for administration of the scheme, subject to consultation with community groups and the Trade Unions, as set out in paragraphs 33-39.

(xii)  To delegate authority to the Director of Environment and Economy, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Efficiency and Improvement, to implement changes to the Community Chest scheme following the consultation with community groups and the Trade Unions

(xiii)  To delegate authority to the Director of Environment and Economy, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Efficiency and Improvement, to do anything necessary to give effect to the recommendations contained in this report.