Neath Port Talbot Council seeks UK Community Renewal Fund bids

THE UK government is providing an additional £220m funding through the UK Community Renewal Fund to help local areas prepare for the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2022.

This Fund aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches and will invest in skills, community and place, local business, and supporting people into employment.

Neath Port Talbot Council is now seeking bids from organisations wishing to deliver activity as part of the UK Community Renewal Fund. Projects must deliver activity that is in line with the UK Community Renewal Fund Prospectus and align with at least one of the following investment priorities:

Investment in skills; investment for local business; investment in communities and place; and supporting people into employment

The UK Government anticipates supporting a range of projects by theme and size, but applicants are encouraged to maximise impact and deliverability through larger projects (£500,000+) where this is possible.

As 90% of the funding available through the UK Community Renewal Fund is revenue funding and only available in 2021/22, projects should be predominantly, or exclusively revenue-based. Projects that focus predominantly on the construction or major refurbishment of buildings, the purchase of land or the purchase of large pieces of equipment, will not be supported.

Interested applicants are asked to read the UK Community Renewal Fund Prospectus and the UK Community Fund Technical Note for Project Applicants and Deliverers before starting work on a bid.  They can be found on the UK Government website.

The Prospectus provides detailed information on the objectives of the Fund, the types of projects it intends to support and how it operates, including the process and selection criteria that will be used to assess bids.

Successful UK Community Renewal Fund bids will be for 2021/22 only and activity must end in March 2022.

Bids must be submitted using the UK Community Renewal Fund Application Form and returned to us via e-mail at CRFNPT@NPT.GOV.UK . Bids submitted in any other format will not be accepted.
Bids must be submitted by noon on 14th May 2021.

The UK Community Renewal Fund is a competitive process and Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council and the UK Government will not enter into discussions with bidders.

As the lead authority in Neath Port Talbot, the council will assess all bids submitted. Bids will be assessed against:

The gateway criteria set out in the UK Community Renewal Fund Prospectus – bids that fail to meet these criteria are ineligible support and will be rejected;

The extent to which they meet the objectives of the UK Community Renewal Fund; and

The extent to which bids would support the delivery of local growth and employment support priorities.

Following assessment, the council will submit those eligible bids which most strongly meet the UK Community Renewal Fund and local priorities to the UK Government for consideration, up to a maximum of £3m per place.

The UK Government will assess all bids submitted by lead authorities against the criteria set out in the UK Community Renewal Fund Prospectus.

The UK Government will announce the outcome of the assessment process from late July 2021 onwards.

The council will enter into a funding agreement with successful bidders.