Purpose

In March 2026, the Cabinet Member for Resources, Councillor Elliot made a Single Member Decision (E3693) to approve the allocation of the CRF Crisis Fund for the period between 2026–2029 and delegated authority to officers to allocate the funding.
As part of this decision, funding has been allocated to a small grants programme, Community Co-ordination Grant, to invest in activities that connect and enhance the local support landscape to build financial resilience.
The grant application process was open for four weeks, from 15th June 2026 to 10th July 2026. Applicants were able to apply for either one-off funding or funding for the duration of the programme (2026 to 2029). The opportunity was promoted through the Council’s website, local networks, third sector organisations, and the Council’s Funding Finder.
A total of 19 applications were received. The total value of funding requested exceeded the budget available. All applications were assessed by an officer panel and scored against the eligibility criteria.

Decision

Funding has been awarded to applications that achieved a score of 50% or above and clearly demonstrated their contribution to building financial resilience and strengthening local support provision.

A total of 16 applications have been approved for funding. 3 applications were unsuccessful as they scored below the minimum threshold of 50%.

Alternative options considered

Option 1: Do Nothing - This option was rejected as the funding had already been approved through Single Member Decision E3693 and was required to be distributed in line with the agreed decision.

Option 2: Operating an annual grant programme - This option was considered but not pursued, as limiting awards to single-year would have reduced applicants’ ability to plan and deliver longer-term activities and outcomes.

Option 3: Allocate funding without an open application process - This option was rejected as it would not have provided a fair, transparent, and competitive approach to allocating public funds and would not have ensured equitable access to the funding opportunity.