1. Investing in Communities How to complete your Application form
This presentation is not meant to provide all the answers but should be a useful guide to filling in a full Investing in Communities application form.
05/12/2018
Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

2. Introduction In this session we will: clarify the application process
explain the two criteria and the five judgement points
look at the questions which can be difficult to complete
provide some examples of clear answers
We hope to clarify the application process, explain the two criteria and five judgement points your application will be assessed against and then go on to look at some of the key questions on the form.
We will also provide some examples of answers.
05/12/2018
Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

3. What you need to complete the form
Make sure you have the following documents in front of you when you’re completing your form, as well as your feedback letter.
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Explaining the Difference (outcomes guidance)
Investing in Communities Help Notes
Investing in Communities Guidance Notes
Area of Investment booklet
Other guidance documents available:
To complete your form the following documents are essential reference points:
Investing in communities help notes
Investing in communities guidance notes
Area of investment booklet
Explaining the difference
These are all important documents, along with the feedback letter you received following your outline proposal. The grants officer will look to see how you have addressed any feedback we have given you, so make sure you go through it point by point once you have completed the form, ensuring all feedback issues have been addressed.
Land and Buildings Guidance
Business Plan Guidance
Full Cost Recovery spreadsheet
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

4. Application Process Desk, telephone or visit assessment.
Decision within 5 – 6 months
Desk, telephone or visit assessment.
Return your form by individual deadline
Grading on each of the two criteria –
Excellent, good, satisfactory, weak or unsatisfactory.
You have 10 days to send us any missing information.
Scotland Committee make final decision.
Grants Officer assesses application.
Gradings below the threshold reviewed by committee.
Grants Officer may request further info.*
*During the assessment process we will usually give you at least 7 days to provide a response to any queries.
The above shows the timeline from returning your completed application to us to receiving a decision.
If your application has any missing information, you’ll have 10 days to get this to us following our request. Your application will be assessed by a Grants Officer, who will carry out a telephone or visit assessment as well as the paper-based assessment on your form.
You are graded on each of the two criteria we will explain shortly.
As you can see, unsatisfactory gradings are reviewed by a committee before being rejected, so it is not just the decision of the Grants Officer.
The Scotland Committee then make the final decision on the applications presented to them.
We may not give full amount requested – you will need to think about whether you can run at a reduced cost.
Note: If the main contact it going to be away during assessment, you need to ensure there is someone else who can answer our questions available for us to contact .
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

5. Assessment process two main criteria five main judgement points
how is your application assessed?
two main criteria
five main judgement points
grants officer grades your application:
Excellent
Good
Satisfactory
Weak
Unsatisfactory
We have two main criteria and five judgement points against which we assess your application. You can be graded excellent, good, satisfactory, weak and unsatisfactory.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

6. Criteria criterion one criterion two
Your project outcomes meet an identified need and help to achieve the changes we want to make through the area of investment relevant to your project.
criterion two
Your organisation can deliver the project well and achieve the proposed project outcomes.
Criterion one: Outcomes – these must be graded as good or higher to go to the Scotland Committee.
As we are an outcomes funder this is very important. The whole assessment hinges on the outcomes meeting a clearly identified need and contributing to the changes we want to make through the area of investment relevant to your project.
Criterion two: Capacity to deliver – this must be graded satisfactory or higher to go to the Scotland Committee.
Your organisation must also be capable of delivering the changes you want to make – we will assess the experience, capacity and skills of your organisation.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

7. There is a need for the project and it has been clearly identified
Judgement Points
What we use to assess your application
criterion one
one
two
three
There is a need for the project and it has been clearly identified
The intended project outcomes will address the need of the target beneficiaries
The identified need is relevant to the area of investment aims and the intended project outcomes will help achieve the intended area of investment outcomes
The five judgement points don’t necessarily relate to specific questions – the Grants Officer can base their assessment of each point on your answers to a number of questions on the application form.
Point one: There is a clearly identified need for the project.
Point two: Outcomes will address the needs of the beneficiaries.
Point three: Project outcomes contribute to meeting area of investment outcomes.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

8. Judgement Points criterion two four five
What we use to assess your application
criterion two
four
five
The project is likely to achieve the proposed outcomes
The project is likely to be delivered well
Points four and five relate to criterion two.
Point four: project is likely to achieve outcomes.
Point five: project is likely to be delivered well.
These points both relate to the ability of your organisation to deliver the project.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

9. Project Summary (q6) describe the overall aim
Provide a revised, updated & concise summary
describe the overall aim
what activity will take place?
who will benefit from your project?
what will funding be spent on?
what is the duration of the project?
We recommend you update your project summary from the one provided at outline proposal stage. Things may have changed or you may have a better idea about some of the activities you will carry out.
Try and keep it related to the project we will be funding – we don’t need a full history of the organisation, so keep any historical information relevant to the current project.
Explain the logic of the project – what is the problem you are trying to solve and exactly what will what you do achieve this?
Don’t use unnecessarily elaborate or vague language – just be very specific and clear about the practicalities of what you are going to do, outlining each of the points on the slide above.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

10. Example 1: Looking to the Future – Project Summary
Project Summary (q6)
Project Summary Exercise
Two examples of project summaries follow – one is poor and the other is better, but still has room for improvement. Try reading them and deciding what is wrong with each.
Example 1: Looking to the Future – Project Summary
 ‘Looking to the Future’ is an innovative project using fresh, new methods to deliver a much-needed service to the people of Glasgow. Using a range of activities we will bring about meaningful, coherent change for our beneficiaries who may be experiencing any number of social problems. The project will be delivered by our staff in a local setting and the project will be approachable and inclusive. We will help vulnerable people make key transitions in their lives and assist them in developing their skills to achieve their goals. We will support vulnerable people and help them meet the challenges of 21st Century Life. Researched using interdisciplinary methodology the pilot study showed us that our beneficiary group is underserved and undervalued by mainstream society. We will fill this gap by providing a new and exciting service available to all.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

11. Example 2: New Chances Project Summary
Fieldhead School’s New Chances project will raise the self-esteem of both parents and children and provide them with the skills to make positive choices in life. Funded through Supporting 21st Century Life and drawing on experience gained from a pilot project, this project will deliver a range of complimentary activities that will ensure families have opportunities to play, learn and work together. The school will take the innovative step of providing activities for parents and their children that go beyond the statutory educational obligations encouraging positive family interactions.
The activities will include pool tournaments; beauty and health sessions; cooking for all the family; DIY, arts and craft classes and IT sessions. The sessions will encourage intergenerational contact between children, parents and grandparents by providing a space for these groups to spend time together. The project will also run a ‘Dad's group’ to help single fathers - often on the periphery of their child's life - to bond and interact with their child in a social setting.
Running concurrently with the activities will be a positive parenting programme for parents - including lone parents, step families, fathers and grandparents - which will develop the participants’ parenting skills and help them meet the challenges of parenting and bringing up children within the modern family setup.
Funded for five years the project will work with 395 beneficiaries and 6 organisations in Glasgow.
Conclusion of exercise: Example 1 is clearly very poor, with vague language and lack of specific information. Example 2 is better but could be expanded and improved with more information on things like the need for the project and the beneficiaries.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

12. Project Beneficiaries (q8)
The people and organisations you expect to benefit from your project
direct beneficiaries
indirect beneficiaries
tell us about the type of beneficiaries
show how you’ve calculated numbers
be specific about who your beneficiaries are
Statutory agencies you are working with are not usually beneficiaries
Tell us how you calculated the number of people you will work with; for example, if the project is a development of previous work then tell us how many people attended the last project and if this is likely to continue at the same level, increase or decrease.
If the project is entirely new then tell us how you came to your figures -was it through consultation with beneficiaries and partners?
Also be as specific as you can about who you are working with: for example, are they young people who are carers or older people moving into retirement?
We wouldn’t class statutory agencies you work with as beneficiaries.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

13. Project Need (q10) What we’re looking for The need might be:
What is the need for your project?
What we’re looking for
what is the defined need – what are the problems/ issues you want to address?
how will your project address this need?
The need might be:
Something that already exists that you want to improve (e.g. an area or service)
Something that is missing but is needed (e.g. a drop in service for older people)
Defining the need for your project is very important; as we saw earlier, this is one of the points your project will be assessed against.
Link back to the need discussed in your project summary and provide us with more detail about what the need for your project is.
Think about the problem you are trying to fix and how your proposed project will achieve this.
Is your project an improvement on a service that already exists, or are you filling a gap that is not being met elsewhere?
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

14. Identifying Need (q11) Examples of good evidence of need include:
How have you identified the need?
Examples of good evidence of need include:
good quality recent inclusive consultation internally (with participants, staff board members etc) and externally (with stakeholders, partners, wider community etc)
recent relevant research undertaken in-house or using results from research already undertaken by other organisations
beneficiary engagement in the development of the project
using the experience & knowledge of people in your group (e.g. highlighting a case study)
relevant, recent statistics (e.g. census, SIMD figures)
demonstrating a good fit with relevant local, regional or national strategies
showing how your project adds to existing services or fills a gap in services
This question is very important – we need to see strong evidence of the need for any project before we can fund it.
Good quality consultation with beneficiaries, stakeholders and internal staff is likely to strengthen this section.
We might ask to see copies of evidence such any research or consultation you have carried out.
You may want to include this as an appendix with your form but make sure all the relevant information is included in the form itself and not just in accompanying documents. Don’t just reference research but pick out and expand upon key points and findings.
Can you show that your beneficiaries have been engaged in developing the project themselves?
Research and statistical evidence should be recent - ideally within the last two years.
Have you considered national and regional strategies?
It also has to be relevant to project – for example, statistics about the issue you are addressing that are not relevant to the area you are working in are not likely to be helpful.
Are you adding to existing services or have you identified a gap?
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

15. Area of Investment Changes (q13)
How will your proposed project outcomes help achieve the changes we are looking for?
Use Area of Investment booklet for guidance and demonstrate fit with outcomes, key areas and focus.
Think about what the area of investment is about and how your project fits with priorities.
i.e. through Life Transitions we are looking to fund projects which help people to cope with challenging times in their lives.
This question is also important as, depending on the demand in certain areas of investment, the strength of the fit with the key areas may be crucial.
For example, there is currently a high volume of Life Transitions projects, so priority will be given to those who best meet the overall aims of Life Transitions.
Don’t just repeat our outcomes in this question but show us how your project links in with them.
Use the guidance booklet as this document lays out the outcomes and priorities for your investment area.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

16. Area of Investment Changes (q13)
Life Transitions (LT) Example
LT Outcome - People have more confidence and skills to cope with and make changes in their lives
LT Key Area – Employment and learning transitions
LT Focus – Young people who are getting a job for the first time (especially people who are sometimes less likely to get a job)
Young people from BME communities find the transition from education to employment difficult due to perceptional, racial and economic barriers. Our project outcomes fit well with the above Life Transitions outcome, key area and focus because we will provide mentoring partnerships for young people which focus on improving their confidence and developing their employability skills in order to help them make a positive change in their lives and a smooth transition to the labour market.
Here is an example of how to answer this question. Think of it as a paragraph combining three elements – an outcome, a key area and a focus.
Expand on WHO you are working with (is it a priority for the investment area?) e.g. unemployed, people with mental health problems (Life Transitions), lone parents (Supporting 21st Century Life).
HOW you will help them (by addressing their particular need) e.g. Counselling, befriending etc.
HOW these changes fit with investment area outcomes. The need must be relevant to the area of investment. Use your investment area guidance booklet to help you answer this section.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

17. Project Delivery Method (q14)
Tell us how you think your project is the best way to meet the need and bring about your proposed outcomes.
Project Delivery Method (q14)
What we’re looking for
breakdown of service delivery – how will you physically deliver the service to your beneficiaries
your skills and experience
does your organisation reflect the diversity of the community it works in
how project will engage target beneficiaries
how beneficiaries are involved in development and management of project
what other services exist in the area – show how your project is the best way to deliver this service or is adding value to or working in partnership with existing services
Is the method realistic, achievable and appropriate to the needs of target beneficiaries?
Have you considered alternative methods – is your approach the best way to deliver the service?
Tell us how you have selected your project delivery method and how you know it is the best method for achieving your goals.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

18. Learning (q18) What we’re looking for
ongoing self-evaluation – show how you will build on success and revise in problem areas
if project is a development of a previous project, demonstrate how you have learnt from the past and what is different or better this time round – be sure to evidence this
If project is a development on previous project then you have to provide evidence of learning from this.
Tell us how many people previously used the service and how you learned from any problems that arose.
Self evaluation is important but independent evaluation also has benefit. You can apply for independent evaluations.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

19. Project Costs (q19 - q21) – some examples
Capital Costs includes any costs which relate to the capital spend on the project, and any capital costs which are necessary to deliver the project. Remember to tell us whether VAT is recoverable.
vehicles
Professional
and
legal fees
capital
building
works
engineering
works
Plant and
equipment
costs
We can fund capital and revenue costs under Investing in Communities.
We will look at the costs and assess if they are realistic and logical.
We cannot fund recoverable VAT so remember to take this off the amount requested column.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

20. Project Costs (q19 - q21) – some examples
volunteers’
expenses
travel
Salaries
Direct
salaries only
Revenue Costs include the ongoing revenue costs directly relating to this project only. Remember to include inflation.
NI and
Pensions
contributions
training
revenue
insurance
Direct
insurance only
rent
Direct
rent only
marketing
monitoring
and
evaluation
Remember to include all costs (inflation, evaluation etc) and always double check your calculations for accuracy.
Is it value for money? This is an important point to consider – does your budget reflect the best possible value for money?
Use current rate of inflation to calculate increases in costs.
Tell us how you worked out costs – give your calculations.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

21. Project Costs (q19 - q21) – some examples
Overheads relate to the general costs that partly support the project but also support your other work. We will make a contribution towards your overheads but you must explain how you worked this out. Helpful guidance on how to calculate this figure is provided on our website.
H.R.
lighting
I.T.
overheads
audit
fees
heating
rent
We can also make a contribution to your overheads. If your project represents 25% of the overall running costs of the organisation, we will contribute 25% to your overheads.
We cannot fund a % of overheads without knowing how they are calculated e.g. If you are claiming costs for payroll staff, how many days/ hours does this person work on payroll for this project?
Again, all costs should be realistic and logical and you need to explain how you have worked them out.
Look at our Full Cost Recovery Factsheet on our website and use the spreadsheet to work out costs.
Remember – budget for ALL costs!
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

22. Employer’s contribution - we will check these percentages
Project Funding (q21)
Tell us whether funding is secured, and, if not, enter the date of the decision
Check totals – income from other sources should match total in Column C of Question19
Include any in-kind contributions from other sources
You may be asked to provide evidence of other funding
Staff Posts (q22)
Complete only for posts which you are asking us to fund.
Total Hours worked by this person
Salary for total hours worked
£ National Insurance contribution
Hours worked on this project
No. hours you want us to fund
% Pension contribution
Hours per week
If you are asking for 100% funding tell us if/why you have not sought funding elsewhere. Also give dates/estimates for any pending applications to other fundign bodies relating to the project.
You need to tell us about match funding requests even if they are unsuccessful.
Again, check these figures add up.
Salary per annum
Employer’s contribution - we will check these percentages
Hours per week
Hours per week
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

23. Skills and Knowledge (q26)
Budget Management (q25)
What we’re looking for
who will manage the budget?
what skills does that person have to manage the budget?
what kind of financial management procedures will be used?
Skills and Knowledge (q26)
What we’re looking for
plans for training and staff development
how organisation will evolve to meet demands of project
We need to know who will manage the budget and the skills and experience they will bring to the organisation.
Also, we want to know your plans for staff development and how you will evolve to meet the demands of the project.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

24. Project Sustainability (q27)
Tell us what will happen after our funding ends.
What we’re looking for
what happens to project when funding ends?
what happens to beneficiaries?
what happens to staff and capital equipment?
who are you going to approach for funding?
are you going to generate an income?
Project can be time-limited, but you must show a clear
exit-strategy - think about development of project after
funding ends.
Will project continue - no
- yes, at the same level?
- yes, at a reduced level?
- yes, at an increased level?
Look at the sustainability factsheet we have made available on our website.
In this question we want to see your plans for an exit strategy if the project will not continue after our funding ends. What will happen to the beneficiaries who use the service? Will they go elsewhere or will the need for the service no longer be evident?
What will happen to employees and any capital equipment?
We know you won’t have all the answers at this stage – however it is beneficial to have a plan because it show us you have considered the future of the project well in advance.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

25. Equal Opportunities (q28)
What we’re looking for
How your organisation and your project meet our equality principles
How you ensure your organisation and its services are accessible to everyone
How you value different people’s cultures
How you think about people’s barriers and needs
How you plan to put people at the centre of your project
How your project will make Scotland a more equal place to help reduce disadvantage and exclusion
See Area of Investment booklet and page 10 of guidance notes.
We may ask to see copies of some of your policies and procedures i.e. equal opportunities, child protection.
Use our guidance booklet Equality Matters and think about the barriers to accessing your service that some people may experience. Show us that you plan to put people at the centre of what you do and how you will reduce disadvantage and exclusion.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

26. Sustainable Development (q29)
What we’re looking for
How your project reduces negative impacts and increases positive impacts on:
the environment
the local economy
the local community
See Area of Investment booklet and page 10 of guidance notes.
Also see the document ‘Sustainable Development: Web resource’ available in the Publications section of the website.
We have a document in the Publications section of our website to help you think about the sustainability of your project, in terms of the local and national community and environment.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

27. What to send with your application
Your most recent signed annual accounts or income and expenditure projection (not required for public bodies).
Your most recent bank or building society statement – not a photocopy (public bodies can send an original statement or letter confirming the details of their bank account).
Your completed bank form (not required for public bodies).
Your most recent signed governing document, if this has changed since you sent it to us with your Outline Proposal form.
Your Business Plan, if we have asked for one.
If you are applying for a capital grant, the relevant capital checklist, signed by an appropriate person. 1 2 3 4 5
If we have requested a business plan, you should send one in. We do not always require one but if we feel your project would benefit from a business plan we may request one. Help in drawing up a business plan can be found on our fact sheet.
Please do not send appendices instead of completing the questions – only send these to support your answers. Answers such as ‘refer to appendix 1’ will not help you in the assessment process. 6
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

28. Points to remember Keep your answers simple, clear and specific1
Keep your answers simple, clear and specific
Act on any feedback we have given particularly in the OPF letter
Remember to budget for everything i.e. inflation, auditors,
evaluation costs
Don’t rush – plan carefully. It might take longer than you think to set up your project
Proofread your form or ask someone else to read it; talk through what you’ve written. Don’t forget the checklist at Section D 2 3 4 5
Investing in Communities is a highly competitive programme.
There will be some really good projects that we just can’t fund, but it’s vital that you make your application the best that it can be and we hope the preceding presentation helps with this.
We’re here to help. Call our Enquiries Line if you have any questions.
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Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form

29. Final Questions
If you have any queries call us on or
Thanks for reading
05/12/2018
Investing in Communities – How to complete your application form