Guidance

LRF Innovation Fund: prospectus

Updated 11 November 2022

This guidance was withdrawn on 25 August 2023

This has been withdrawn as it is no longer current. Please see the Local Resilience Forum Innovation Fund 2023 to 2024: prospectus.

Applies to England

Introduction

The 2021 Integrated Review included a commitment to consider strengthening the role and responsibilities of Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) in England. The Integrated Review identified the importance building domestic resilience, improving our ability to anticipate, prevent, prepare for and respond to risks. Our commitment to consider strengthening local resilience forums (LRFs) recognises how places need to be better able to adapt to uncertainty, proactively address risks and to withstand adversity. Resilient communities plan for things that might go wrong, can respond effectively, recover quickly and, as such, ensure their prosperity is assured by minimising negative impacts on growth and enabling places to level up.

No one is more aware of the impacts of emergencies on communities than the organisations that make up local resilience forums (LRFs), and the people who coordinate their activity. The Post-Implementation Review of the Civil Contingencies Act reaffirmed the government’s view that multi-agency cooperation remains crucial to our ability to plan for and respond to emergencies, with local responders able to plan flexibly based on the risks to their areas.

Each community across the country is unique, and each LRF works with its organisations in different ways. The government wants to see stronger LRFs, led by accountable local leaders with clear mandates to bring partners together to build strong communities. The country faces new challenges every day - challenges which require innovation and forward thinking, with effective working within and across boundaries. We need fresh ideas and a whole of society approach to bringing the best out of our local partnerships, to radically increase the resilience of our communities.

The government has committed to investing in places as they prevent, mitigate and recover from risks. Therefore, following a successful pilot in 2021, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced a further £1.35 million (£450,000 per annum) would be granted on a competitive basis to LRFs in England over the next 3 years, to facilitate implementation of the most innovative ideas aimed at increasing local resilience.

This prospectus sets out how LRFs can bid to support the delivery of innovative projects in 2022 to 2023. It also sets out the objectives of the fund, how the fund will be managed, monitored and evaluated.

Section 1: Overview of the LRF Innovation Fund

Aim of the LRF Innovation Fund

The LRF Innovation Fund is designed to allow LRFs in England to develop and test new and innovative ways of working which partners would not have been able to progress otherwise. Projects should promote effective working within and across boundaries to build resilient communities, and encourage a whole of society approach to resilience.

Innovative projects come with an element of risk which may not have made them viable without this funding. Sharing information, lessons and learning across LRFs – whether funded projects are successful or not – is a key component of the programme. We want to see projects which will help inspire others to embrace new and innovative activities.

LRF Innovation Fund 2022/2023 - theme

Following feedback from last year’s pilot scheme, the government has decided to welcome bids under a specific theme for each of the next 3 years. This will drive innovation within a certain area, concentrating proposals on specific elements so LRFs find it easier to work together on bids.

This year, LRFs are invited to bid for a proportion of £450,000. The theme of the LRF Innovation Fund 2022/2023 is data and digital technology. Successful bids will embrace future digital trends, and utilise data, technologies, and equipment to improve LRF’s ability to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from emergencies.

To help generate ideas the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has set 3 design challenges that LRFs may want to seek to address. Whilst bids are welcomed for projects on any aspect under the theme of data and digital technology, applicants are strongly encouraged to consider the design challenges when developing their submissions. This will help the department coordinate and promote joint bids as well as determine the strength of proposals.

Design challenge 1: utilise new approaches in data, technology and information to improve risk management

Local planners use a combination of national and local information to assess risk and plan mitigating activity accordingly.

Applicants may wish to consider how innovative approaches to data, technology and information can improve their ability to:

• identify future risks
• translate national risk to a local context to better assess likelihood and impact at the local level
• identify vulnerable groups
• reduce risk through new knowledge or techniques

The following National Resilience Standards provide further information about good practice for this design challenge:

• Resilience Standard 2: Local risk assessment.
• Resilience Standard 3: Communicating risks to the public.

Design challenge 2: promote a ‘whole of society’ approach to resilience using data, technology and information.

Individuals, businesses, and organisations all play a part in building resilience. Applicants may wish to consider how innovative approaches to data, technology and information can improve an LRF’s ability to promote a whole of society approach to resilience, empowering a community to:

• improve its ability to understand and prepare for risk and hazards
• work in collaboration with LRFs, its agencies, and other citizens during a response
• recover better and faster from incidents

The following National Resilience Standards provide further information about good practice for this design challenge:

• Resilience Standard 3: Communicating risks to the public
• Resilience Standard 5: Community resilience development

Design challenge 3: use of data, technology and information to improve interoperability and co-operation between agencies and partners.

Advancements in technology have created new and improved opportunities for collaboration between the Government and LRFs, amongst LRFs and constituent agencies.

Applicants may wish to consider how data, technology and information can be utilised to improve interoperability within the resilience sector.

The following National Resilience Standards provide further information about good practice for this design challenge:

• Resilience Standard 6: Interoperability.

Section 2: How the fund will operate

All 38 LRFs in England are eligible to apply for LRF Innovation Fund support, but with a defined sum of money, successful applications are likely to focus on projects that demonstrate creative innovations which address the design challenges outlined above.

Eligibility to apply for Innovation Funding

Emergency preparedness promotes effective collaboration and co-operation between LRFs, with partners free to design new and flexible approaches to work together as best suits their needs.

The 38 LRFs based in England are eligible to apply for a portion of the Innovation Fund. Whilst only LRFs in England are eligible to bid for LRF Innovation Fund, bids for projects which increase collaboration with and contribute to the work of regional resilience partnerships in Scotland, emergency preparedness groups in Northern Ireland and local resilience forums in Wales, are welcomed. 

We welcome bids from:

• single LRFs
• small consortiums of 3 to 5 LRFs which may be neighbours or more widely geographically distributed
• larger partnerships made up of circa 10 to 12 LRFs (an indicative range), which may reflect existing regional partnerships or a group of LRFs with some common risk or context (e.g. large urban areas, areas with major ports, areas with major industrial locations/CNI)

Case study 1 (collaborations)

Surrey LRF successfully applied for Pilot Innovation Funding (2021/2022) to deliver a Southeast Regional Information Hub (SERiH) Information Hub in the south-east. This project sought to promote and enhance information sharing at a regional level, allowing time and cost savings to be exploited by LRFs and cross border agencies. It will contribute to wider collaboration, situational awareness and information sharing that can supplement the decision-making process/JESIP principles.

This project is driving system change, moving from single LRF situational awareness to using a single common regional platform for information sharing between all LRFs and central government within London and the south-east.

Phase 1: Bid design and collaboration

DLUHC will help LRFs to explore potential projects they may want to consider by providing the opportunity to discuss ideas in information engagement sessions and through their dedicated Resilience Advisers.

LRFs considering bidding for a portion of the innovation funding are invited to complete an expression of interest survey by 11 November 2022.

The completion of the expressions of interest survey will help DLUHC to determine the number of bids that may be submitted, the type of projects proposed and whether LRFs are interested in collaborating with other LRFs. The LRF Innovation Fund team will identify likely collaborators proposing similar projects and facilitate potential partnerships for joint bids. Where LRFs chose to work collaboratively in applying for funding and project/s delivery, they are expected to develop a partnership agreement with clear governance and roles and responsibilities, setting out how funding will be locally managed through a lead partner.

The LRF Innovation Fund application form opens for completion and submission from 11 November 2022. The application form must be completed and submitted no later than 5:30pm, on Friday 20 January 2023 to be considered. This page will be updated on 11 November 2022 to include: the application form, guidance for completing the application form and scoring criteria.

Case study 2: Emergency Planning Apprenticeship Scheme – West Mercia LRF

West Mercia submitted a successful bid to support business continuity by creating a skilled succession pipeline to the planning, resilience, and recovery sector via an apprenticeship scheme.

The Emergency Planning, Resilience and Response -Trailblazer Group, (EPRR-TG) established in June 2021, brought together a range of employers with a role in EPRR with a view to developing an apprenticeship route for prospective students who wish to study through a blended approach of academia and practice.

This initiative is welcomed by both the public and private sectors whose remit includes planning, emergency and resilience as this sector is currently experiencing skills shortages. The apprenticeship standard was agreed in July 2022. Coventry University is the provider commissioned to deliver the 3-year, level 6 programme from academic year beginning September 2023.

Case study 3: Drone Capability – Lincolnshire LRF

Lincolnshire LRF successful submitted a bid to create ‘Drone Capability’. The objective of the project aligns and build on LRF capabilities to develop and explore the use of drone imagery in three phases of an emergency: preparation, response and recovery. The project will also be in use within environments where piloted aircrafts are present. The key focus of the project is to provide improved real time and, situational awareness of incidents to all levels of command, via remote transmission of imagery into Command Centres. This technology will enhance system change, promote joint working, cross-cutting capability, and data/intelligence gathering.

Phase 2: Assessment and delivery

This is a competitive bidding process; bids are more likely to be successful where responses strongly demonstrate the following elements: 

• articulates how the LRF and subsequently all LRFs, wider partners and communities can benefit from the initiative (particularly without the burden of enduring costs to them, such as subscriptions for membership)
• best addresses the design challenges detailed in the section above: LRF Innovation Fund 2022/2023 - theme
• demonstrates strong collaboration with other LRFs (or equivalent devolved administration partnerships) in delivering proposals
• and has an effective framework for capturing and sharing learning all LRFs

Applications for submission to the LRF Innovation Fund closes 5:30pm on 20 January 2023. The applications will be assessed and LRFs notified by email of the outcome on 22 February 2023. LRFs awarded funding are expected to commence delivery in March 2023.

Content of the LRF Innovation Fund application form

1. What do you want the Innovation Fund project to be known as?

2. Context, need and work to date around the project to be funded (Maximum of 500 words)

3. How will you use Innovation Funding to solve this problem? (Maximum of 500 words)

4. How much funding is being requested, and how will it be used? (Maximum of 500 words)

5. Timeline and plan for delivery. (Maximum of 300 words)

6. Capturing and sharing learning. (Maximum of 500 words)

Questions 7-24 relate to Senior Responsible Officers, Project Leads, and other LRFs supporting the bid(s).

Funding will be delivered through Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 to an LRF’s designated grant recipient (which would be the local authority of the lead partner). Where bids are submitted on behalf of more than one LRF, those collaborating must draw-up a partnership agreement, which could include how the funding will be administered.

The department recognises that innovative projects using data and technology in new ways can take some time to implement. The department does not expect all innovation grant funding to be spent by the end of the 2022/23 financial year. However, funds should be earmarked and spent on each project by the end of the 2023/24 financial year.

Phase 3: Monitoring and evaluation

Each project’s SRO should maintain oversight of the application and the performance of the project, with arrangements in place to give the LRF chair/s appropriate assurances that the project is being managed effectively.

At quarterly intervals, DLUHC will require an update on the project’s progress in line with other reporting arrangements for LRF funding. This will ensure additional support and guidance can be provided to help LRFs meet the outcomes they have selected to pursue. It will also help the department capture and share learning with other LRFs and partners. DLUHC Resilience Advisers will work alongside LRFs to ensure reporting arrangements are satisfied.

This ongoing relationship between successful LRFs and DLUHC should minimise the risk of underspend. The department does, however, retain the right to clawback any unspent funds that have not been earmarked for spend on the project at the end of the financial year 2023/24.

Phase 4: Knowledge sharing and fund evaluation

One key objective of the Innovation Fund is to capture information and learning so it can be shared with all LRFs (and with equivalent partnerships in devolved administrations). We will conduct at least four evaluation sessions with LRFs delivering Innovation Fund projects throughout the year. Once projects are complete, we will undertake a final evaluation, including interviews with those involved and the Department will make a report accessible.

Contacts

Each LRF should in the first instance approach their designated DLUHC Resilience Adviser with questions about the LRF Innovation Fund. Alternatively, you can email: InnovationFunding@levellingup.gov.uk

Section 3: LRF Innovation Fund: how to make an application

Introduction

The Local Resilience Forum (LRF) Innovation Fund is designed to allow LRFs in England to develop and test new and innovative ways of working which partners would not have been able to progress otherwise. Projects should promote effective working within and across LRF boundaries to build resilient communities and encourage a whole of society approach to resilience.

This year, LRFs are invited to bid for a proportion of £450,000 for projects relating to the theme of data and digital technology. Successful bids will embrace future digital trends, and utilise data, technologies, and equipment to improve LRF’s ability to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from emergencies.

To help generate ideas, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has set three design challenges that LRFs may want to seek to address. Whilst bids are welcomed for projects on any aspect under the theme of data and digital technology, applicants are strongly encouraged to consider the design challenges when developing their submissions.

This guidance is written to assist LRFs to draft and submit an application for Innovation Funding. It should be read alongside the application form and the fund prospectus. If you require further assistance in completing the application form, please email innovationfunding@levellingup.gov.uk.

Making a bid for funding

You can apply for Innovation Funding by filling out an application form, which is made up of four sections. LRFs were previously invited to complete an LRF Innovation Fund expression of interest survey. If you did not, and you would like to submit a bid for funding, please email innovationfunding@levellingup.gov.uk. DLUHC will discuss your potential bid with you, and let you know the contact details of anyone who is considering submitting a bid like yours. This will enable you to make early contact and potentially submit a joint application.

Because you will submit your bid through an online form, we recommend you write it in a word processing programme first, copying it onto the online form only when you are ready to submit.

Please keep to the word count for each of the sections, excess words will not be considered.

Section 1 – Your Innovation Fund Proposal

There are 6 questions in section 1. These cover the most important pieces of information you need to provide to inform the department about your bid. When filling these out, we recommend you refer to the innovation fund prospectus. Whilst DLUHC welcomes bids for projects on any aspect under the theme of data and digital technology, you are strongly encouraged to consider the design challenges within the prospectus when developing your submissions.

Question 1 asks you what you want your Innovation Fund project to be known as. Please avoid generic titles such as ‘data improvement project’ or ‘collaboration tool’. Successful projects will be shared across the resilience community – so a sharp and focussed name can help you build brand awareness and make your idea catch on.

Scoring guidance: This question is not scored.

Question 2 allows you to demonstrate why government funding is needed to help you address a specific problem. It gives you the opportunity to give us your evidence about why that problem needs an innovative solution. Your work to address the problem may already be underway – this question allows you to tell us what has been done to date, and how successful your progress has been.

This is also your opportunity to give us some context about the specific problem you’re trying to solve. If you’re submitting a bid alongside other LRFs, for instance, you may wish to expand on why this problem has brought several LRFs together. You may also wish to consider articulating why the absence of a solution is a barrier to LRF(s) achieving your aims, or the government’s wider aims to make the UK the most resilient nation.

Scoring guidance. This question is weighted comparatively highly. Government funding needs to be targeted so it makes the most difference. A clear definition of the problem you are trying to solve, alongside the context about what’s been done before, will allow us to focus funding on tackling the most acute problems in the most innovative way possible.

Question 3 allows you to demonstrate how your project will solve the problem you identify. You will once again wish to refer to the innovation fund prospectus and the design challenges within it. If applicable, when composing your reply to question 3, you may wish to specify which design challenge has inspired you – noting, for example, that your project will utilise new approaches in data, technology and information to:

• improve risk management
• promote a whole of society approach to resilience, or
• will improve interoperability and co-operation between agencies and partners.

Scoring guidance: This question has the highest weighting. It allows us to consider how your innovative proposal will make a real impact on the problem you identified in question 2 and add the most value. Higher scores will be granted if there is a clear demonstration of that impact, with defined objectives, outputs and outcomes delivered directly by the LRF community (as opposed, for example, a third party supplying a subscription to a service). As set out in the innovation fund prospectus, an answer which details how the project will address one of the design challenges is also more likely to score higher.

Question 4 asks you about how much funding you require. There is a total of £450,000. To make the most impact, only 5 to 8 projects (estimated number) can be successful. Even then, it is unlikely that innovation funding can fund the entirety of a project. This question allows you to demonstrate how you plan to use this funding, and your proposed timeline for doing so. It allows you to give details about how much you think the overall project will cost to deliver, the wider funding and activity that will support delivery, and how you will demonstrate value for money. The department recognises that innovative projects using data and technology in new ways can take some time to implement. The prospectus states that innovation funding should be earmarked and spent on each project by the end of the 2023/24 financial year – this question is your opportunity to tell us if this is feasible.

Scoring guidance: This question is weighted so we can measure whether the amount requested can realistically and cost effectively deliver the project outcomes. You will score higher if you can demonstrate spend is clear, feasible and sustainable. In addition, a higher score will be awarded if you give details about match funding or additional financial contributions to the overall project cost, as well as a plan which gives details on when expect to spend your funding.

Question 5 asks about your intended project plan. Use this opportunity to detail your intended milestones and deliverables. As set out in the innovation fund prospectus, DLUHC will request an update on successful projects’ progress every quarter. Use bullet points to detail what you intend your project to deliver, and when.

Scoring guidance: This question is weighted according to the viability of the milestones you set out. Answers which will score higher will demonstrate your project adheres to SMART principles (i.e. your project delivers specific outcomes, is measurable, achievable, realistic and has timed stages).

Question 6 explores one of the key objectives of the innovation fund – how the outcomes of innovative projects, and the experiences of those who have managed and help deliver them, can be shared with LRFs to inspire further learning or activity. This question therefore allows you to demonstrate how you intend to capture the lessons you intend to learn throughout your project’s lifecycle and share it with other organisations.

Scoring guidance: A higher score will be earned if the answer can demonstrate how learning and benefits are shared amongst all 38 LRFs in England, without incurring a financial cost (for example, not via a subscription-based model, platform or tool that would share learning). The question is designed to measure the effectiveness and inclusiveness of sharing with other LRFs. Successful answers will identify the method, benefits, timeliness, and extent of how learning can be shared.

Section 2 – Number of LRFs supporting your bid

This section gives us the information we need to understand whether you are submitting this bid on behalf of your own LRF, or whether you are submitting it as a joint bid with others who will share the cost and responsibility.

Question 7 allows us to quickly filter bids by the number of LRFs who are supporting each one. Most people will only select one answer. However, if you are submitting a bid on behalf of all of the LRFs in your region, you can additionally select this option to let us know.

Scoring guidance: This question is not scored. However, Ministers may refer to your answer to question 7 as a way of understanding how LRFs have collaborated on bids.

Question 8 is a way of confirming you have adequate arrangements in place to manage the project, if you are submitting a bid on behalf of more than one LRF. Funding will be delivered through Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 to an LRF’s or collaborative partnership’s designated grant recipient (which will be a local authority). There will only be one lead grant recipient for each project, whether a single LRF or collaborative project. The lead grant recipient will manage funding flows within project partnerships. Where bids are submitted on behalf of more than one LRF, those collaborating must draw-up a partnership agreement, which could include how the funding will be administered.

Scoring guidance: This question is not scored.

Section 3 – Sponsoring and Supporting LRFs

These questions will give us the details about who to talk to about your bid (the ‘Project Lead’), and who will be responsible for assuring progress and value for money against the deliverables you have outlined (the ‘senior responsible officer’). None of the questions in section 3 are scored.

Questions 9-11 asks for the details of the sponsoring LRF and the senior responsible officer if you are completing the form on behalf of just one LRF.

Questions 12-14 asks for the details of the project lead if you are completing the form on behalf of just one LRF.

Questions 15-17 asks for the details of the sponsoring LRF and the senior responsible officer if you are completing the form on behalf of multiple LRFs.

Questions 18-20 asks for the details of the project lead if you are completing the form on behalf of multiple LRFs (this might be someone different from the project SRO).

Question 21 asks you to list all of the other LRFs who are sponsoring this bid.

Question 22 asks you to confirm that the Chairs of the LRFs you have listed have agreed to sponsor this bid and have agreed the terms of the related partnership agreement.

Question 23 this is where you can give more information if you were unable to confirm question 22 (the agreement of all chairs name in the bid that they agree to sponsor the bid).

Section 4 – Authorisation to submit

Question 24 acts as the official authorisation to submit a bid on behalf of the aforementioned LRFs. It asks for confirmation that the senior responsible officer has reviewed the answers to questions 1 to 23 and is happy for them to be submitted to DLUHC as a formal bid for innovation funding.

2021/2022 Pilot Innovation Funded Projects

The following is a list of projects that were funded under the 2021/2022 pilot scheme. Applicants may wish to consult successful LRFs for guidance and advice.

West Mercia Project: Emergency Planning Apprenticeship Scheme.	Designed to support business continuity by creating a skilled succession pipeline to the planning, resilience, and recovery sector via an apprenticeship scheme. The Emergency Planning and Resilience and Response -Trailblazer Group, (EPRR-TG) established in June 2021, brings together a range of employers with a role in EPRR with a view to developing an Apprenticeship route for prospective students who wish to study through a blended approach of academia and practice, to level 6. The first cohorts will commence learning with Coventry University in September 2023.
Surrey LRF Project: SE Regional Hub (SERiH)	Established a Regional Information Hub in the Southeast to support local and national situational awareness and information sharing. The Project facilitates information sharing between regional partners and government enabling the understanding and reaction to risks and incidents locally, regionally, and nationally.
Greater Manchester LRF	Project: Advanced Disaster Digital Platform Designed to create a digital platform which would engage science and technology in strengthening multi-agency collaboration in disaster risk digital tools.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight LRF Project: Community Risk Communication Plan	Designed a communication plan which would encourage the mutual understanding of response organisations and communities needs during emergencies. As part of warning and informing, the project has captured how various community groups wish to be engaged during an emergency.
Lincolnshire LRF Project 1: Drone Capacity	To increase Lincolnshire’s LRF’s real time situational awareness and response capabilities by introducing drone capability. Enhanced system change, joint working, cross-cutting capability, and data/intelligence gathering.
Lincolnshire LRF Project 2: LRF Engagement and Promotion Drive	Created a national cross media campaign to publicise and promote LRFs and their activities across government, the public and businesses to encourage societal recognition and engagement with the work of LRFs.
Lincolnshire LRF Project 3: Evacuation Registration Platform (Resilience Direct RD)	Designed an electronic registration system to replace the paper-based evacuation and shelter registration. Improved the LRFs ability to register evacuated and locate members of the public at rest centre locations through secure transfer of personal data.
Lincolnshire LRF Project 4: Risk Mapping Solution	Created a mapping and analysis spatial awareness platform using spatial mapping technology and analysis, to better understand local risks and hazards and support situational awareness.