Policy paper

UK Community Renewal Fund: frequently asked questions

Updated 11 May 2021

This policy paper was withdrawn on 15 January 2024

The UK Community Renewal Fund Programme was closed in December 2023 following the publication of the UK Community Renewal Fund evaluation report.

1. UK-Wide

1.1 Is there a mandatory requirement for match funding or could the bid cover the full cost of the project? Can the UK Community Renewal Fund be used to match-fund other government funding?

The UK government encourages applicants and Lead Authorities to maximise the leverage of other funding. This has a number of benefits including enhanced alignment with other provision and efficient delivery which increases value for money. Value for money is a selection consideration and will take the overall funding package for each project, including any match funding where appropriate, into account.

This can include match from other government sources, where this is permitted by any rules governing the other funding.

We recognise that not all projects or applicants will be able to secure match funding. In particular, match funding is not expected for employment support projects.

The UK Community Renewal Fund itself can be used as match against other government funding streams, where this is permitted by any rules governing the other funding.

The UK Community Renewal Fund itself can be used as match against EU funding streams, where this is permitted by any rules governing the other funding.

1.2 What are the different types of capacity funding available through the UK Community Renewal Fund?

We want to support places to develop their capabilities to maximise the benefits of local investment. That is why we are providing two portions of capacity funding through the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Bid assessment and coordination capacity funding will be provided to Lead Authorities of the 100 priority places in Great Britain from 1 April 2021. This totals up to £20,000 per priority place. It will be paid to Lead Authorities in the summer and will be paid regardless of whether bids are successful.

We are also providing up to £14 million capacity funding to support preparation ahead of the introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Details on eligibility for this capacity funding, and the UK Shared Prosperity Funding itself, will be released later this year. We will also set out details on how this capacity funding will be distributed at this time.

1.3 Will the approach to delivery / distribution of funding be the same under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund? Does having a successful UK Community Renewal Fund bid improve chances of having a successful UK Shared Prosperity Fund bid?

The November 2020 Spending Review set out the main strategic elements of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in the Heads of Terms and we will publish further details in a UK-wide Investment Framework later in 2021.

The UK Community Renewal Fund will help inform the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through funding of one-year pilots, but the funds are distinct in regard to design, eligibility, and duration.

1.4 Can projects be a mix of capital and revenue? In Great Britain, should each Lead Authority’s bid follow a 90/10 RDEL/CDEL split?

90% of funding available through the UK Community Renewal Fund is revenue funding, with a small amount of capital funding. Prospective applicants should calibrate their bids accordingly. We are interested in bids that are either wholly or predominantly 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.

1.5 The prospectus says that you encourage bids of more than £500,000 where this maximises impact and deliverability. Will bids be penalised if they are below this figure? Is there a minimum threshold value for projects? In Great Britain, can Lead Authorities set their own minimum threshold?

As set out in the prospectus, we expect to support a range of projects by theme and size, but we encourage applicants to maximise impact and deliverability through larger projects (£500,000+) where this is possible.

Applicants should note that the published assessment criteria indicates that projects are likely to score higher where they demonstrate how outcomes will flow from the interventions, at an efficient rate and an appropriate scale, and demonstrate value for money taking account of the level of contribution to programme outputs for funding sought.

Smaller projects will still be considered and there is no minimum threshold.

1.6 Can organisations submit more than one bid?

Yes, project applicants can submit multiple bids.

In Great Britain, project applicants should note that a maximum of £3 million worth of bids can be submitted per place by the Lead Authority. In Northern Ireland, bids can be of any value up to the total allocation of £11 million.

1.7 Which organisations can bid for funding?

Any legally constituted organisation delivering an appropriate service should feel able to submit a bid. In Great Britain, bids must be submitted via Lead Authorities. In Northern Ireland, applicants can apply directly to the UK government.

We are expecting bids to be prepared by a range of applicants, including but not limited to local authorities, universities, voluntary and community sector organisations and umbrella business groups.

Private sector organisations and registered charities may prepare bids where they are providing a service to benefit other organisations or individuals. They will not receive funding if the intention of the project is to further their own business/organisation e.g. through the purchase of equipment or offsetting additional staffing or other costs.

1.8 Is there an appeal process?

There is no appeals process for the Lead Authorities in Great Britain or the project applicants in Northern Ireland bidding to UK government.

Where relevant, Lead Authorities in Great Britain and project applicants in Northern Ireland may make a complaint in line with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s complaints policy.

1.9 The prospectus says that funding must be spent by 31 March 22. How do you define spent? What happens if spend goes beyond 31 March?

The UK Community Renewal Fund is an additional £220 million of funding to help local areas prepare for the introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund from 2022. Successful UK Community Renewal Fund bids will be for 2021-22 only and should be scaled accordingly.

Spend by 31 March 2022 means all expenditure incurred by this date. Any expenditure that is incurred after this date (that is relates to activity happening after 31 March 2022) is not eligible.

1.10 Is there a date by which projects must have started? Can projects that have already launched also be funded?

Projects should set realistic start and end dates as well as realistic milestones, taking account of the fact that all expenditure must be incurred by 31 March 2022. Such deliverability considerations will be factored into UK government’s bid assessment.

Projects that have already launched are eligible for support, where they meet the selection criteria and investment priorities set out in the prospectus, but applicants must clearly demonstrate the additional impact that funding would have on the scale, scope and/or quality of the existing project.

Applicants should note that projects will be assessed against considerations including that the project would not proceed without funding or could only be delivered on a smaller scale.

Costs are eligible for support from the date that projects are approved by UK government. Decisions will be made from late July and precise dates will be confirmed in the agreement between MHCLG and the relevant Lead Authority or project deliverer in Northern Ireland.

UK Community Renewal Fund costs may only be incurred from the point of approval onwards – retrospective costs will not be paid.

1.11 Will funds be paid in advance of need?

Funding for projects will be paid to Lead Authorities in two tranches. The first tranche will be paid on commencement (i.e. late July 2021 onwards), and the second tranche on completion (i.e. Quarter 1 Financial Year 2022-23).

Lead Authorities may establish their own arrangements for making payments to local projects.

1.12 Are COVID-19 recovery projects in scope?

Any project which meets the investment priorities set out in the UK Community Renewal Fund prospectus could be eligible for funding through the UK Community Renewal Fund.

1.13 Is there an output or outcome associated with feasibility activity or research, which is an eligible activity for the Fund?

Feasibility studies for delivering net zero and local energy projects and exploring opportunity for promoting culture-led regeneration and community development through feasibility studies and research are eligible interventions.

We will be publishing further guidance on monitoring and evaluation later in the spring, which will include further information on how these studies and research should be accounted for.

1.14 Which local strategies can we use to assess strategic fit? How would the government look upon a bid that used a strategic commissioning model?

Any relevant and appropriate local authority strategy can be used to demonstrate strategic fit.

Lead Authorities must show they have led an open process by which organisations are invited to submit bids, so local strategies selected for use should be publicly published and readily available for access.

1.15 What clawback arrangements around performance and expenditure will be imposed if projects fail / if other unavoidable issue arise?

Each grant must be used for the purpose intended. This will be subject to monitoring and final review.

Precise monitoring and assurance arrangements will be published later in the spring.

1.16 Why are the UK Community Renewal Fund and the Levelling Up Fund different in focus and targeting? How do the two Funds fit together?

We have shaped the methodologies for the two funds to reflect their individual and distinct objectives and policy goals. For example, the capital-focused Levelling Up Fund will invest in local transport and high street regeneration and therefore includes metrics around local connectivity and commercial vacancy rates.

By contrast, the revenue-focused UK Community Renewal Fund will look to invest across a range of smaller scale trial projects with the overall goal of supporting people and communities in need, and thus its targeting metrics more broadly aim to assess places’ general economic resilience.

1.17 Are you aiming for an even spread of funding across the country?

The UK government has a responsibility to support the economic health of people, businesses and communities across the whole of our United Kingdom. With this in mind, in addition to selecting projects based on a project’s score and the prioritisation of the place, Ministers can exercise discretion to meet the following finite set of additional considerations:

• ensuring a reasonable thematic split of approved projects.
• ensuring a balanced spread of approved projects across Great Britain or Northern Ireland.
• in Great Britain, ensuring that the balance of approved projects between those focused on priority and non-priority places gives appropriate regard to priority places.
• where no distinction can be made between two or more projects, Ministers can make decisions between projects based on which they consider the best value for money in delivering the objectives of the programme.

1.18 Will there be changes to the methodology used to target funding to places?

To ensure the UK Community Renewal Fund funding reaches the most in need, we have identified 100 priority places based on an index of economic resilience across Great Britain which measures productivity, household income, unemployment, skills and population density. This has been developed based on a consistent approach to identifying need across Great Britain.

We are committed to transparency and a methodological note explaining how the 100 priority places were determined has been published.

1.19 Is there a role for Members of Parliament in the UK Community Renewal Fund?

There is no mandated role for MPs within the UK Community Renewal Fund.

However, the Assessment Process sets out that, as part of the strategic fit criteria, projects are likely to score higher where there is clear support from local partners such as other local authorities or elected representatives.

1.20 Who will be responsible for collecting and reporting State Aid data for submission to the European Commission?

Where the UK has ongoing commitments under EU state aid rules, for example under the NI protocol, the UK government will be responsible for reporting State Aid data to the European Commission. We will work with project deliverers to access required information.

1.21 Is there any indicative split of funding between the 4 nations?

In Great Britain, the UK government will run a competitive process with no pre-set eligibility or nation allocations.

We are taking a different approach to delivering the UK Community Renewal Fund in Northern Ireland, to take account of the different local government landscape in Northern Ireland compared to Great Britain.

The UK government will run a national competition against a fixed national allocation in Northern Ireland, equating to £11 million of funding.

1.22 It is not possible to add rows to questions 1h and 1i, does this mean that there is a limit of three local authorities and four milestones, or should any additional content be added on a separate document?

Applications are not limited to three local authority areas, or four milestones.

The application form has been amended to allow for additional information to be included.

1.23 Is there a word limit for questions 2e to 2i?

There is no word limit for question 2e to 2i, please keep answer as concise as possible.

1.24 Are we able to define our own outcomes?

No. The outcomes to be used are set out in Annex A, of the Technical Note for Project Applicants and Deliverers.

1.25 With regard to para 5.4.1 of the Technical Note for Project Applicants and Deliverers, specifically the inclusion of the following as eligible revenue costs: grants to end beneficiaries, small items of equipment. Are there any limits to this expenditure to remain within the definition of a revenue costs?

Grants to end beneficiaries should be treated as revenue expenditure, regardless of what the end beneficiary purchases with the grant.

As set out at section 5.4.2 of the Technical Note for Project Applicants and Deliverers, capital expenditure is defined as:

• acquisition of land and or buildings
• building and construction
• professional fees associated with building and construction
• plant and machinery
• any larger value item of equipment, assessed in accordance with the project deliverer’s capitalisation policy Items which do not meet this definition should be classed as revenue expenditure

1.26 Are all grants considered revenue based on the Accountable Body’s accounting treatment of grants?

Grants to end beneficiaries should be treated as revenue expenditure, regardless of what the deliverer purchases with the grant.

1.27 One of the key priorities is moving people into employment and yet there isn’t an outcome measure for this.

An additional ‘People in employment, including self-employment, following support’ output has been added to the Technical Note for Project Applicants and Deliverers to address this.

1.28 The assessment criteria states that projects are likely to score higher where they directly address a priority intervention in a local plan – such as investing in a target sector or place. Can local plans include plans at the national level, e.g. across Northern Ireland?

Yes. Where appropriate, local plans may include those at the national level (i.e. England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland). However, where more local-level plans (e.g. at the local authority or regional level) are in place, bids that demonstrate alignment with those will be preferred.

1.29 Must costs be defrayed by lead authorities or project deliverers by the 31st March 2022?

Project expenditure must relate to activity that takes place up to the end of March 2022. It is not necessary for expenditure to be defrayed by projects or Lead Authorities by the end of March 2022.

1.30 Can religious organisations receive funding from the UK Community Renewal Fund?

Yes. Religious organisations are eligible to receive funding to deliver activities that meet the priorities set out in the Prospectus.

1.31 Over what period should projects be evaluated?

Funding for evaluation work is only available in 2021/22. Evaluation work that can be completed by the end of March should be completed by 31st March 2022, the costs associated with this work may be paid after March.

1.32 Must all outcomes be achieved by the 31st of March 2022? What about outcomes linked to activity that takes place near the end of the project?

Following completion of project activity in March, there will be a period during which projects will prepare their final returns to the Lead Authority, any outcomes that are achieved during this period may be included. Projects should plan to capture outputs up to and immediately after the 31st of March 2022. There is no requirement for projects or Lead Authorities to collect outcome data after final returns have been submitted.

1.33 If a project’s total cost is less than £500,000 and the minimum threshold referred to for evaluation of £10,000 is more than the guide range of 1% to 2% of project costs, and 2% of project costs is less than the £10,000 threshold. Which figures should be used?

Given the innovative nature of projects we are looking to attract through the UK Community Renewal Fund we have set a minimum spend on evaluation at £10,000k. If an applicant feels that an effective evaluation can be undertaken for less and makes a reasonable case, taking account of the scale of the project a lower figure is acceptable and may exceed the 1% to 2% range. If an evaluation budget of £10,000 figure exceeds the 1% to 2% range this is also acceptable.

1.34 Feasibility Studies. There is no outcome associated with feasibility studies, does this mean that projects solely to undertake a feasibility study are disadvantaged in any way? Is it necessary to undertake an evaluation of feasibility studies?

An additional outcome of feasibility studies completed has been added to the technical note for project applicants and deliverers. Applications that were submitted to Lead Authorities (in Great Britain) prior to this addition will not be disadvantaged in the assessment process. It is not necessary to undertake an evaluation of projects where the sole outcome is a feasibility study.

1.35 The technical note for applicants and project deliverers states that co-branding is only permitted with Lead Authorities or match funders. Does this mean the project deliverers may not include their own logos and branding?

No. Project deliverers may include their own branding and if the project is being delivered by a consortium the branding of organisations that make up the consortium.

1.36 Some applicants encountered problems using the original Word version of the application form, will you accept applications in other formats? Some applicants have experienced difficulties with Annex B. Can Lead Authorities ask applicants to clarify the financial aspects of the bid if this is not clear from the application form?

If there are significant technical difficulties we will accept applications made using the Word versions of the form, the ODT version of the form and PDF versions of the form.

If applicants encountered difficulties competing Annex B of the application form and the amount of funding requested from the UK Community Renewal Fund, project costs or sources of match funding are unclear (and cannot be gathered from part three of the form) Lead Authorities may seek clarification of the figures only.

1.37 Can projects continue after the 31st of March 2022 using other funds?

Yes. However, all activity funded by the UK Community Renewal Fund must be complete by the end of March 2022.

2. Great Britain

2.1 In Great Britain, can places which are not priority places still apply to the UK Community Renewal Fund? Is the priority / non-priority place designation binary in terms of bid assessment?

The UK government will run a competitive process for which all places across Great Britain can apply. This includes both priority and other places.

To ensure the UK Community Renewal Fund funding reaches the most in need, we have identified 100 priority places based on an index of economic resilience across Great Britain.

The UK Community Renewal Fund will prioritise applications that target the top 100 places, alongside a good contribution to strategic fit and delivery/effectiveness. Strong bids that focus on these places will be preferred over bids from other places, as set out in the published Assessment Criteria.

This does not mean that other places should not apply. Applications from other places that demonstrate a strong alignment with strategic fit and good delivery/effectiveness may also receive funding.

The priority / non-priority designation is binary in terms of bid assessment, except in the event where two or more projects have the same combined score on strategic fit and deliverability, effectiveness and efficiency but cannot all be funded. In that scenario, funding will be awarded to the project which will be delivered in a place highest on the index. If a project invests in more than one place, we will use the ranking of the place which receives the most spend under the proposal.

2.2 In Great Britain, is it a maximum of £3 million per Lead Authority or per district area?

It is a maximum of £3 million per place. For the purpose of the UK Community Renewal Fund, ‘place’ is defined at the district, unitary or borough scale in England, council areas in Scotland and unitaries in Wales. This definition applies to the UK Community Renewal Fund only, details on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be published later this year.

2.3 How will you assess projects that cover multiple places in Great Britain, including priority places and other places?

We will assess the predominant geographic focus of the project, based on the amount of spend in each place set out by Project Applicants on the application form. Projects with the majority of spend in priority places (51% or over) will be considered to be a priority project.

2.4 In Great Britain, must Lead Authorities launch a call for bids, or can they opt out of the UK Community Renewal Fund?

The UK government is inviting Lead Authorities across Great Britain to invite bids from project applicants, appraise these bids, and then submit a shortlist of projects for each place to UK government for assessment and approval by 18 June 2021.

Lead authorities are under no obligation to invite and submit bids. If a Lead Authority decides to ‘opt out’ of the Fund, it naturally follows that the area over which they operate will not be able to access or benefit from the UK Community Renewal Fund.

2.5 In Great Britain, are Lead Authorities inviting bids for programmes/packages, as well as individual projects, as the language seems interchangeable in the prospectus?

Yes – Lead Authorities may submit both individual projects and bids which respond holistically to issues or challenges. These may comprise a linked package of interventions.

2.6 In Great Britain, can a Lead Authority apply to the Fund themselves?

Yes, a Lead Authority can apply – but this must form part of an open process that invites bids from a range of organisations.

As part of the gateway criteria, the lead authority must show they have led an open process by which organisations are invited to submit bids. UK government reserves the right to check the process followed.

2.7 In Great Britain, can project applicants submit bids to more than one Lead Authority? Where a project covers more than one Lead Authority, should the project be submitted to both Lead Authorities or just one?

Project applicants can submit to more than one Lead Authority in response to local bidding processes if their project responds to requirements set out across more than one place.

UK government is inviting Lead Authorities to collaborate with other Lead Authorities or partners across the UK where relevant – for example to promote cross-border project opportunities that address needs in common or achieve efficient delivery scale. In these circumstances, Lead Authorities may choose to run a joint process and/or assess bids collaboratively.

2.8 Can Lead Authorities in Great Britain submit joint bids to UK government? How would this work? Will you give preference to collaborative bids in the assessment process?

We are inviting Lead Authorities to collaborate with other Lead Authorities or partners across the UK where relevant – for example to promote cross-border project opportunities that address needs in common or achieve efficient delivery scale.

Lead Authorities can follow their own processes and determine the most effective way to collaborate with other Lead Authorities where appropriate. Joint bids can be submitted and Lead Authorities should agree which of them will submit the bid to UK government.

The extent to which a project demonstrates innovation in service delivery will be assessed as part of the assessment of ‘strategic fit’. Achieving collaboration across more than one place is one way to demonstrate this.

2.9 In Great Britain, what criteria should the Lead Authority use to assess projects for the shortlist? Must we use the same criteria that UK government will use, or can we include other criteria?

Lead Authorities must ensure that they follow an open bidding process in inviting bids. This is a gateway criterion for all bids submitted.

In Annex 2 of the Technical Note for Lead Authorities, we have included an assessment template which provides an example of how Lead Authorities can appraise bids. This is intended as a tool for Lead Authorities to use but is not mandatory.

The UK government will assess bids according to the published assessment criteria. Lead Authorities should therefore take account of this when developing their own assessment processes.

2.10 When will Lead Authorities in Great Britain receive the grant agreement and T&Cs from UK government?

MHCLG will share the template for grant agreements between Lead Authorities and UK government later in the spring. Grant agreements will be issued to Lead Authorities whose bids have been successful from late July.

2.11 Have you considered the impact of the pre-election periods in Great Britain? How have you factored this into timelines?

We have published all documents that Lead Authorities need to launch their local bidding process. The decision about how each Lead Authority conducts itself during the pre-election period is one for individual Lead Authorities in line with guidance/codes in each nation.

For further details on the timelines, please see the additional guidance documents.

2.12 How will you ensure that the capacity funding to support bid appraisal and coordination will support the priority place, if it is being allocated to the lead authority operating over a wider geography?

The lead authority of each of the 100 priority places will receive £20,000 per place in capacity funding to help them with the required bid coordination and appraisal for that place.

Within those limits, it is the Lead Authority’s responsibility to determine how best to ensure that the funding supports bid coordination and appraisal for the priority place.

2.13 How will the 2% of award for administration costs incurred by Lead Authorities be calculated?

A flat rate of 2% of the value of the UK Community Renewal Fund spent by each project may be used by Lead Authorities for the costs incurred in managing Fund awards.

This sum forms part of the total award of up to £3 million per place, and thus should be taken into consideration prior to submission.

2.14 If an organisation wants to bid for multiple areas do they submit one bid per Lead Authority, or just one bid to one Lead?

Questions 2.7 and 2.8 refer:

Project applicants can submit to more than one Lead Authority in response to local bidding processes if their project responds to requirements set out across more than one place.

2.15 Are lead authorities expected to link up bids across areas after they have been submitted?

UK government is inviting Lead Authorities to collaborate with other Lead Authorities or partners across the UK where relevant – for example to promote cross-border project opportunities that address needs in common or achieve efficient delivery scale. In these circumstances, Lead Authorities may choose to run a joint process and/or assess bids collaboratively.

Lead Authorities can follow their own processes and determine the most effective way to collaborate with other Lead Authorities where appropriate. Joint bids can be submitted and Lead Authorities should agree which of them will submit the bid to UK government.

2.16 Are lead authorities required to give feedback to those applicants whose bids do not make the shortlists the lead authority submits to government based on the assessment criteria.

There is no Fund requirement to provide feedback to unsuccessful bidders. Lead Authorities may choose to do so. UK Government will provide feedback to Lead Authorities on bids submitted that are not selected.

2.17 As a Lead Authority we anticipate that other teams in the local authority will submit project applications and we want to ensure that we are avoiding any conflicts of interest. Can the Lead Authority invite partnership organisations to form an assessment panel with us to assess project applications as a way of managing any conflicts of interest?

Yes. As set out at section 3.3 of the Technical Note for Lead Authorities, each Lead Authority must ensure that all applicants are assessed in the same way and that any conflicts of interest are avoided or appropriately managed e.g. where the Lead Authority is an applicant the staff involved in the development of that project must not be involved in the assessment of projects or have access to any information that is not available to other applicants.

Lead Authorities may choose to involve other organisations to provide advice during the assessment and prioritisation process e.g. on alignment with local priorities and other planned or existing activity. The decision on which projects are submitted to the Secretary of State rests with the Lead Authority. Where partners are involved this must be managed in a way that prevents any party exerting undue influence that distorts the bidding process in favour of any applicant or in a way that prejudices any applicant taking account of any conflicts of interest.

2.18 Is the 2% award to support the costs of managing approved projects a top-slice from the overall award, or in addition to it?

Section 2.3 of the Technical Note for Lead Authorities sets out that a flat rate of 2% of the value of the UK Community Renewal Fund spent by each project may be used by Lead Authorities for the costs incurred in managing Fund awards. This funding is in addition to the costs incurred by the projects.

The 2% forms part of the total award of up to £3 million per place, and thus should be taken into consideration prior to submission.

2.19 Does the Lead Authority Bid Submission Summary (Annex 1 of the Technical Note for Lead Authorities) need to be submitted before 18 June or as part of the complete bid submission summary?

The Submission Summary must be provided along with the application forms for locally shortlisted bids.

2.20 Can questions be added to the application form? For example in Wales to reference obligations around the Welsh Language Act and the Well-Being of Future Generations Act (2015) Wales.

The application form cannot be amended. Any nation-specific requirements may be set out in the bidding document, and bidders asked to complete at section 2b (local need) of the application form. Where there are specific risks to address, bidders may be asked to address at section 5 of the application form.

2.21 How should Lead Authorities ensure applicants are compliant with UK Subsidy Control Framework/s?

See the guidance on subsidies.

Lead Authorities should refer to this guidance to assess whether awards from the UK Community Renewal Fund would constitute a subsidy and if so how that can be lawfully awarded.

2.22 May Lead Authorities negotiate with applicants to refine or amend their application?

No. Section 3.2 of Technical Note for Lead Authorities sets out that:

To enable a broad range of ideas to come forward Lead Authorities must operate an open process, inviting bids from any organisation that can deliver an eligible project. The UK government reserves the right to undertake spot checks to ensure that an open process has been followed.

An open process is one that treats all applicants in the same way e.g. does not allow or require applicants to improve or amend their submission and by doing so give them an advantage over other applicants in the Lead Authority area or elsewhere in Great Britain.

2.23 How will the £20,000 capacity funding for priority places be paid to Lead Authorities, will they have to submit a claim?

The £20,000 per priority place will be paid alongside the first instalment of funding for projects, it will not be necessary to submit a separate claim. If no projects are approved for that priority place the £20,000 will still be paid to the lead authority.

2.24 If the majority of places in a Lead Authority area are identified as priority places e.g. three of five places in the area are priority places, does that mean that all projects delivered in the area will be assessed as predominantly benefiting priority places?

No. If more than 50% of the proposed activity would take place in priority places the bid will be considered to be predominantly in priority places and be managed as such in terms of the prioritisation of bids. For example, if a bid covers three places of which one is a priority place and two are not priority places and the activity would be shared equally across each place, that bid would not be considered to be predominantly in priority places as less than 50% of activity would take place in priority places.

2.25 How should Lead Authorities pay project deliverers e.g. in arrears?

We have no requirements in this area. As Lead Authorities are responsible for the funding and setting up agreements with project deliverers, it is for them to determine how they wish to pay project deliverers.

2.26 Can Lead Authorities pay grants from the UK Community renewal Fund this financial year to support activity that takes place in the 2022-2023 financial year?

No. The end date for activity funded by the UK Community Renewal Fund is 31 March 2022. Funding cannot be drawn down in this financial year to meet the costs of activity in the 2022/23 financial year.

2.27 How should bids that cover other Lead Authority Areas be assessed?

The Lead Authority that issued the call and received the application should assess the bid against the published call; including any geographic requirements e.g. did the call invite applications that solely delivered in the Lead Authority area or was there flexibility to deliver in other areas. It is for the Lead Authority to determine fit with its criteria.

If consistent with the call it is not necessary for applicants to submit multiple applications. Lead Authorities may assess and submit bids that cover multiple Lead Authority areas. Lead Authorities may wish to consult with neighbouring authorities, however bids must be assessed against the criteria set out in the call that the applicant applied under.

2.28 How will MHCLG calculate the £3,000,000 limit per place in multi area/place bids? For example an application requesting £1,000,000 of which 75% of the activity takes place in the area of the Lead Authority that issued the call and 25% takes place in other areas.

We will allocate funding to places based on the information provided in the application. In this case 75% of the activity would be allocated to the relevant places in the area of the Lead Authority that issued the call, the balance of 25% would be allocated to the other relevant places.

During the prioritisation of bids we will consider the funding associated with each place. This will include projects submitted by the lead authority for a place and bids submitted by neighbouring Lead Authorities that would also deliver in that place. If the funding requested for a place would exceed £3 million we will prioritise projects to the £3 million limit.