Local Communities Fund: Capital

The Capital Fund is currently closed for new applications

The Capital Programme is designed to contribute to improvements of facilities or purchase assets that support community access and improve health and well-being. Eligible organisations can apply for one-off Capital grants up to a maximum of £20,000 per organisation in any funding year.

Applications for Capital funding should have in place at least 50% match funding and should show how the proposed project:

  • Helps to address local priorities e.g. improving access to new or existing services such as sports and leisure, protecting the environment, reducing loneliness, improving physical and mental health
  • Improves local places and spaces that are important to communities
  • Brings people together and involves them in the design and implementation
  • Helps to address climate and environmental change and/or minimises any negative impact on the environment.

Examples of how the Capital funding could be used include:

  • Improvements to facilities that support community access and/or to improve health and well-being
  • Improvements to sporting facilities which help to improve wellbeing and access for all.
  • New outdoor play equipment (including accessible outdoor equipment) to provide an exciting and safe play area for local children and families, offering opportunities for physical activity and community interaction in an open, public space.
  • Green / horticultural improvements to open spaces such as the development of an ‘all year round’ community garden for the benefit of all members of the community.
  • Memorial and heritage improvements, such as the construction of a permanent and accessible paved foundation for a memorial dedicated to RAF aircrew who were killed in flying incidents during WWII.
  • Signs and information or interpretation boards that improve the community and/or visitor experience such as brown tourist signs to direct visitors to Nottinghamshire attractions, signposts and information boards that include points of interest within a park, gateway signs upon entering a village.

Further information about the Capital Grants criteria is available in the Guidance for Applicants.

Brown Tourist Signs / Information Boards / Gateway Signs / Interactive Signs
If you wish to apply for funding towards brown tourist signs / information boards / gateway signs / interactive signs, please read the ‘General Guidance and Example Costs for Signs’ document.

Capital Grants

The Autumn 2023 launch of the LCF Capital Programme consists of a Capital Grants scheme. Please note that:

  • The opening date for the Autumn application window was Monday 2 October 2023.
  • The closing date for the Autumn application window was Friday 24 November 2023.
  • The maximum award will be £20,000 per project in any financial year.
  • Successful organisations will be offered a 12-month funding agreement.

The Council anticipates launching another Capital Grants scheme in Spring 2024, subject to budget availability.

Funded Projects

Find out more about projects funded through the Capital Fund.

To improve our grant process, we have introduced a new online system. This new system brings lots of benefits for applicants, such as saving applications part-way through, downloading applications and uploading supporting information.

Register and apply at https://grants.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/

You only need to register once, even if you apply for multiple projects across more than one fund.

In line with the principle of involving County Councillors (Elected Members) in their communities, all applications for capital funding must provide a supporting statement from an elected Nottinghamshire County Councillor for the District in which the proposed project will be delivered. Further information is provided in the Guidance for Applicants.

Terms and Conditions

If your application is successful, the organisation must be willing and able to comply with the Capital Fund's terms and conditions which include:

  • publicising the project in line with the County Council's acknowledging funding and publicity guidelines
  • providing monitoring information as requested (see below for examples)
  • repaying to the County Council any grant money not spent and/or where the organisation / project does not comply with the terms and conditions of the funding.

Monitoring of Projects

Monitoring helps to demonstrate that the grant has been spent as agreed by Elected Members.

Organisations in receipt of Capital funding must inform the Communities Team when their project is complete. They will then be sent a link to answer a brief monitoring survey and upload the following to their grant account:

  • Invoices and/or receipts to confirm the total cost of the project and how the funding has been spent. Organisations must also confirm whether they are able to claim back any VAT.
  • A photo (or video clip) of the Capital asset ‘in-situ’.

Organisations in receipt of funding may be asked to provide additional information, e.g. updates on how the project is progressing, or to assist with reporting, audit or other requirements.

The County Council may also arrange to visit the funded project where appropriate and if it is permitted and safe to do so.

Nottinghamshire County Council must be acknowledged as a funder as part of all publicity about the funded project, including any written or spoken public presentations.

Organisations may use the logos below to help promote the financial support of NCC:

Please follow the brand guidelines outlined in the acknowledging funding and publicity guidelines.

If you require larger or higher quality files, please contact our Communications Team at marketing.team@nottscc.gov.uk

Privacy Statement

All applicants need to confirm that they have read and agree with the Council's Privacy Statement.

Decision-making

All applications will be reviewed by the County Council against the funding criteria. The County Council will carry out relevant checks on the information provided as appropriate.

Elected Members make the decisions regarding funding awards. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application as soon as possible after completion of the decision-making process. This could be approximately 12 weeks after the closing date.

Fraud Response

The Council takes a zero tolerance stance towards fraud and corruption and will investigate and take the necessary action in cases of suspected fraud in line with the Council's Fraud Response Plan.

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