Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant

2. Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant Funding Criteria 2023-2025

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Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant Funding Criteria 2023-2025

Pembrokeshire County Council is committed to bringing real improvements to Pembrokeshire. The Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant forms part of the Council’s (ie Pembrokeshire County Council) regeneration programme.

What is the Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant?

The purpose of the Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant is to offset the negative impacts of second home ownership in Pembrokeshire communities. Funding is available for projects that address issues arising from second home ownership and which further one or more of the Council’s (ie Pembrokeshire County Council) 2023-2028 Corporate Goals, structured around the following 2023-2028 Well-being Objectives:

Improve the provision of education and learning, equipping learners with lifelong skills and knowledge for the future
Appropriate provision of care and support, focusing on prevention and ensuring vulnerable people are safe.
Deliver economic ambition through supporting growth, jobs and prosperity and enable the transition to a more sustainable and greener economy.
Initiatives that deliver decarbonisation, manage climate adaptation and tackle the nature emergency.
Projects that support communities and build active, resourceful, connected, sustainable and creative places to live.
Activity that supports the Welsh language within communities.

In addition, projects should show the following:

Support from the local community and partner organisations through appropriate consultation.
They are well thought out, have clear financial plans and can be delivered.
They consider future sustainability.
They add value to existing activities and are complementary to other projects and initiatives.
Through consultation, that they meet current and future needs and opportunities in their communities.
They have considered how the project can benefit those who share protected characteristics.[1]

[1]* Protected characteristics are designated under the Equality Act 2010 and include people of different abilities, ages, ethnic backgrounds, genders and religions

Level of grant

There is £700,000.00 available through the Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant for financial year 2024-2025. This has been split into small and large community projects. We welcome applications from groups and organisations working in Pembrokeshire.

A total of £300,000.00 has been allocated to support small grant requests up to £15,000.00, although total project costs may be more than this.
A total of £400,000.00 has been allocated to support large grant requests up to £100,000.00, although total project costs may be more than this.
We will consider funding up to 80% of total eligible project costs. Match funding can be ‘in kind’, cash or a combination of both and must be in place before your project starts, but does not need to be in place before you make an application into the Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant.

Who can apply for funding?

Town and Community Councils
Constituted voluntary and community groups
Registered charities
Not for profit organisations / social enterprises
Local branches of national third section organisations can bid using the parent body constitution but they must have their own bank account. We will also require confirmation that the parent body supports the application
Informally or formally constituted consortia working on a particular project can also apply. All the organisations involved in an informal consortium must be eligible in their own right and must provide a copy of their constitution or governing document. The application form should be completed by the lead organisation that will be legally responsible for the grant and will receive the grant monies, should the application be successful.

We are unable to accept applications from the following:

Private sector organisations. Information about alternative sources of funding and assistance for private sector organisations is available from Business Wales (opens in a new tab) / 03000 6 03000
Applications on behalf of other organisations in the name of a professional fundraiser (exceptions may be made for Town and Community Councils applying on behalf of a community group)
Individual beneficiaries

What can be funded?

Funding is available for capital and/or revenue costs.

Capital Costs

Funding for capital costs can include, but not exclusively:

Site investigation, clearance and preparation work
New build and / or refurbishment costs including direct professional fees where necessary
Landscaping and other environmental enhancement work
Fixtures and fittings directly related to the project
Equipment where it is directly related to the project aims
Mobile items and vehicles can only be supported in certain circumstances, usually if they form an integral part of a larger project and will be considered on a project by project basis

Revenue Costs

Funding for revenue costs can include, but not exclusively:

Salaries related to the creation of new and additional jobs but not redundancy costs
Overhead costs (flat rate of 15% of eligible direct staff costs)
Training and Development
Equipment
Marketing costs
Items purchased with credit cards are eligible. Applicants will need to provide a copy of the credit card statement as part of the claims process.

Procurement

Purchasing goods, services or works

When procuring works, goods and services, applicants are expected to conduct the process in a manner which ensures openness, value for money and fairness and must follow the procurement procedures as they are outlined in this section.

Procurement Thresholds

The precise procedures to be followed will depend upon the size of the order or contract to be let. Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) operates a graduated set of procedures which recognises the need to lighten administrative requirements for contracts involving smaller amounts. All applicants must adhere to the rules included at Annex A.

Public sector bodies that are covered by the EC Procurement Directives are required to follow their own organisational procurement rules and procedures.

Failure to fully comply with the procurement thresholds will render the costs ineligible for assistance under this fund.

Subsidy Control

All bids must also consider how they will deliver in line with subsidy control as per UK Subsidy Control Regime (opens in a new tab) guidance.

Where applicants do not adequately demonstrate that the proposed project is compliant under the UK Subsidy Control Regime it may be considered ineligible, and your application could be rejected.

Further guidance can be seen in Annex B.

Value Added Tax (VAT)

Project cost calculations should include VAT except in the case of Town and Community Councils and other organisations eligible to claim back VAT. Where VAT can be reclaimed the total project costs should reflect the net VAT figure, where VAT cannot be reclaimed then figures should include VAT.

HM Revenue and Customs (opens in a new tab) can provide further advice or you can call them on 0300 200 3700.

What can’t be funded?

Activities which cannot be funded include:

Those which conflict or adversely affect the aims, objectives or policy of Pembrokeshire County Council or any other associated company / organisation
Any project that has already started or work where materials or design are not appropriate within the guidelines of this grant.
Expenditure incurred prior to the Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant Offer Letter cannot be considered; this also includes where contracts have been signed or orders placed.
On-going expenditure, running costs, maintenance costs and funds for existing activity where funding has already been secured.
Ongoing/repeat costs for existing services that have received funding from other sources.
Existing insurance, routine repairs and maintenance costs/equipment.
Day to day i.e., organisations existing costs including mandatory training costs.
Religious activities (although funding proposals from religious organisations are welcome).
Fundraising campaigns, trips and visits e.g. town twinning.
Grant may not be offered or paid if the organisation or applicant is in arrears with any payment to Pembrokeshire County Council.
Items purchased through lease purchase, hire purchase, extended credit agreements/finance leases.
More than three applications from any single organisation in the last three years for the same project or what we believe to be the same project.
More than one ‘live’ Enhancing Pembrokeshire project delivered per organisation at any one time.
Projects asking for more than one year’s funding support.
Recoverable VAT costs.
Those which a public body has a duty to provide.
Those which impact upon or adversely affect the sustainability of existing provision.
Any activity that is party political.

Making an application

Expression of Interest

E-mail enhancing.pembrokeshire@pembrokeshire.gov.uk to register your project, request an Expression of Interest form (EOI) and access support. If the information you provide on your EOI indicates the project is likely to be eligible for support, we will invite you to make a full application.

Applicants are now invited to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI).

Completed EOI's must be submitted to enhancing.pembrokeshire@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

Small grants are assessed on a rolling programme throughout the year. Closing date for EOI's to the large scheme is 14 June 2024 and all large full applications must be submitted by 12 July 2024.

It is important that you allow enough time for your application to be assessed. Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant funding will not cover any costs you incur or commit to before you have signed and returned your funding agreement.

Types of Applications

Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant could potentially be used to fund different stages of a project, with a further application being made once a phase has been completed. The award of grant funding for one phase of a project does not guarantee that you will be awarded a grant for further phases.

For any one project, Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant can be used to support capital, revenue and/or a combination of those costs.

Submitting an Application

Applications along with supporting documentation will only be accepted electronically. These must be emailed to enhancing.pembrokeshire@pembrokeshire.gov.uk.

We will acknowledge receipt of applications within 5 working days. We will work with you to ensure all necessary information and documents are provided prior to the relevant panel meeting.

In some cases, advice may be sought from other appropriate officers from within Pembrokeshire County Council or partner organisations, or other relevant experts.

What information, in addition to a completed application form, will need to be provided?

In addition to a completed application form, all applications must be accompanied by:

A copy of the organisation’s governance document (e.g. constitution).
Accounts and / or projected cash flow forecast / bank statements.
Policies such as relating to the Equalities Act 2010, Environment, Safeguarding and Welsh Language.
Insurance certificates, schedule of cover including public liability.
Clear written evidence of need provided through consultation.
Evidence of support for the project and where applicable, future uses.
Evidence of competitive tendering. Please refer to the quotation section on the application form.

If the project involves recruiting paid staff or volunteers you must also provide the following (please discuss with the Regeneration Team):

A recruitment plan
A job description
Roles, responsibilities and pay scale
Working patterns and timesheets
Details of induction and training
How staff will be supervised and managed
Accountability and reporting structure
Payment mechanism

When a project involves purchasing equipment, furniture, office consumables or employing the services of a professional (including building and renovation work) evidence of procurement will be required. This is to ensure that a fair and open process has been used.

The following may also be required (please discuss with the Regeneration Team):

Bank Account Details
Building Regulations
Business Plan
Conservation Consent
Environmental Consent
Highways Consent
Landlord Consents
Licences
Listed Building Consent
Maintenance arrangements
Planning permission or evidence that planning has been sought
Proof of ownership
Quotations for work
Signed lease agreements (these should have at least 15 years left to run)

How is my application assessed?

Grant Panel

All applications will be considered by a Grant Panel. Recommendations will be taken through Pembrokeshire County Council’s agreed decision-making processes for final decision.

Applications will be assessed and prioritised in line with the following criteria:

Ability to meet one or more of the 2023-2028 Well-being Objectives
Can demonstrate a clearly identified and articulated need
Clearly articulates the difference the project will make to communities
Can deliver within the timeframe, to be completed within two years of award date
Value for money

Where relevant, advice from other appropriate council officers and partner organisations will be presented to the panel for consideration.

The assessment scoring can be found in Annex C.

Project Delivery

We can help your organisation set up processes to ensure the project is successfully delivered and completed.

Successful Application

All offers of grant funding will be subject to three stages:

Stage 1 – The Funding Agreement must be signed by two members of the organisation and returned electronically to Pembrokeshire County Council within30 days.
Stage 2 – Procurement Stage (where applicable). On receipt of the signed Terms and Conditions of offer, the Council (ie Pembrokeshire County Council) will send a Project Procurement Form.
Stage 3 – Confirmation to proceed, subject to all the relevant documents, quotes and match funding being in place.

Unsuccessful Application

Unsuccessful applicants will receive feedback and, if appropriate, invited to re-submit. There is no right to appeal.

General Conditions

For large capital projects the grant will be recovered should the organisation cease to trade, relocate or the property sold on within 6 years of award.
For properties constructed or improved as part of the large grant award, we may seek to register an interest in the grant-aided property with the Land Registry by either a Restriction or a Legal Charge. This process will alert the authority (ie Pembrokeshire County Council) to any change in the ownership of the property and of any potential consequence on the terms and conditions on which the grant was awarded. The grant recipient will be responsible for pursuing the removal of any Restriction or Legal Charge and any costs associated with the process, at the end of the period. This will be relative to the size of the grant awarded.
It is strongly recommended that goods purchased in relation to the grant are purchased using a business or organisation bank account.
If the eligible works expenditure is lower than anticipated in the grant offer, the grant will be reduced on a pro rata basis.
Payments of grant award will be retrospective unless otherwise agreed and will be paid on submission of evidence of expenditure and projects outcomes in the form of original paid invoices and relevant bank statement evidencing project expenditure. Where advance payments have been agreed individual terms will apply.
The applicant must accept the terms and conditions of the grant by completing the Funding Agreement within 30 days from receipt. All expenditure associated to the grant must be completed in line with the start and finishing dates on the Offer Letter.
Should the project not proceed within the period stipulated in the offer of grant, the offer of grant will automatically lapse. An extension of the grant offer period can be made, provided that a request is made in writing. Any variation to the Terms & Conditions set out in the Offer Letter must be requested and agreed.
Cash purchases will not be considered for grant payment.
Officers of the authority (ie Pembrokeshire County Council) may undertake site visits prior to any payment of grant funds.

Claw back of grant funds

Funding shall be withheld and/or, insofar as payment has been made, the grant recipient shall repay funding either in whole or in part, including if:

a) there has been an overpayment of funding

b) during its economic life, the project undergoes substantial change defined as being used for purposes other than those specified in the application or having a change of owner without notifying Pembrokeshire County Council.

The economic life is the period up to 6 yearsfrom date of the final payment of grant and repayment of funding will be required as follows:

Date of disposal of asset(s) and amount to be repaid

Within 1 year: Funding to be repaid in full
Within 4 years: 40% of funding to be repaid
Within 6 years: 10% of funding to be repaid
After 6 years: No funding to be repaid

The above are minimum repayment requirements. The grant must be repaid in full on demand if:

the applicant is found to have made any misrepresentation in connection with the application
the applicant has breached the provision of condition above
the assets and property (if applicable) are not fully re-instated within 12 months of any occurrence giving rise to loss of or damage to the property.

How will successful applications be monitored?

Expected Results

Organisations in receipt of Enhancing Pembrokeshire grant funding will need to identify the expected results or legacy of the project.

Spot Checks / Site Visits

Organisations in receipt of Enhancing Pembrokeshire grant funding will be subject to spot checks / site visits in the five years following approval of your grant. Spot checks / site visits will be undertaken by Pembrokeshire County Council.

End of Project Evaluation

Upon completion, we would like to know that the project has successfully achieved the benefits outlined in the application. The Regeneration Team will request an end of project evaluation. This should include photographs of your project at various stages of development.

Monitoring Letters

Organisations in receipt of Enhancing Pembrokeshire grant funding will receive a letter from Pembrokeshire County Council one year, three years and five years after completion of the funded project asking them to re-confirm:

Asset retention
Use and any restrictions of use of asset
Change in the Lease Agreement (where applicable)
Business status
Results
Document retention and the requirement for organisations / groups in receipt of the grant to co-operate with reasonable requests for documents and other information relating to the project and visits, by Pembrokeshire County Council or any of its representatives
Any applicable special conditions of grant

The organisation in receipt of the grant will be required to sign and return an acknowledgement slip, which will be sent to confirm that there have not been any changes to the conditions on which funding was awarded.

Publicity

Successful applicants must demonstrate support from Pembrokeshire County Council Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant this includes any publicity including press releases in relation to the funded project. Plaques will be provided for capital projects to enable applicants to show recognition of the support provided.

Complaints, Compliments and Comments

As a Council we are determined to make the services we provide for you as effective as possible. We value your comments and want to work together to achieve this aim. We recognise it is important to learn from what you say, not only to deal with your particular issue, but to ensure that we improve our services.

You can submit a complaint, compliment or comment in a number of ways:

Call our Customer Contact Centre on 01437 764551
Visit the Pembrokeshire County Council website

Disclaimer

The information in this document is intended for guidance in relation to the Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant. It is not suitable for professional advice and we cannot accept any responsibility for loss occasioned as a result of any person acting or refraining from acting upon it.

If you need further information please contact:

enhancing.pembrokeshire@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

‘Mae croeso i chi gysylltu gyda’r cyngor trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg.

You are welcome to contact the council (ie Pembrokeshire County Council) through the medium of Welsh or English.

Annex A - Third Party Grant Procurement Rules

Up to £5,000.00

A minimum of 1 written quotation must be obtained and retained.

Best value for money must be obtained and reasonable care taken to obtain goods, works or services of adequate quality at a competitive price. A documented record to support the decision must be retained for audit purposes.

Requirement: All

£5,000.00 - £24,999.00

A minimum of 3 written quotations must be sought from competitive sources. The quotes must be based on the same specification and evaluated on a like for like basis. A documented record of the quotes sought, the evaluation process and the decision to award must be recorded.

Requirement: All

£25,000.00 – £74,999.00

A minimum of 3 written quotations must be sought from competitive sources*. The quotes must be based on:

the same specification
the same evaluation criteria and evaluated on a like for like basis. It is best practice to establish an evaluation panel.
the same closing date

A documented record of the quotes sought, the evaluation process and the decision to award must be recorded for audit purposes.

* In the event that only one quotation is received, you must contact enhancing.pembrokeshire@pembrokeshire.gov.uk to provide details and justification of the procurement process you have undertaken. The decision to proceed to purchase must be approved by PCC on a case by case basis. In circumstances where it is evident that more than one quotation could be sought, there may be a requirement to advertise via Sell2Wales (opens in a new tab)

Requirement: All

Spend thresholds of £75K and under are exclusive of VAT.

£75,000.00 – £213,477.00

A minimum of 4 tenders must be sought from competitive sources, with a minimum of 2 tenders to be received.

All those tendering must be provided with the same information:

the same specification requirements
an outline of the evaluation criteria against which the contract will be awarded and
the same closing date for receipt of tenders, after which no submissions will be accepted

The evaluation process you follow must be consistent with the original evaluation criteria outlined and an evaluation report produced detailing on what basis the successful tender was awarded. It is best practise to establish an evaluation panel to evaluate tenders.

In the event that only one tender is received, you must contact enhancing.pembrokeshire@pembrokeshire.gov.uk to provide details and justification of the procurement process you have undertaken. The decision to proceed to purchase must be approved by PCC on a case by case basis. In circumstances where it is evident that more than one tender could be sought, there may be a requirement to advertise via Sell2Wales (opens in a new tab)

Requirement: Goods and Services

£75,000 – £5,336,937.00

A minimum of 4 tenders sought from competitive sources, with a minimum of 3 tenders to be received.

All those tendering must be provided with the same information:

the same specification requirements
an outline of the evaluation criteria against which the contract will be awarded and
the same closing date for receipt of tenders, after which no submissions will be accepted

For contracts in excess of £250k in value:

In selecting contractors for the tender list, it is recommended that the appropriate due diligence and financial checks are undertaken on these parties.
As a minimum, due diligence and financial checks must be undertaken on the preferred contractor following the evaluation and prior to contract award.

Requirement: Works

Spend thresholds for Goods / Services under £213,477.00 and works under £5,336,937.00 are exclusive of VAT

Above £213,477.00*

If a contract for Goods or Services is likely to exceed £213,477.00 the applicant must inform enhancing.pembrokeshire@pembrokeshire.gov.uk to determine whether the contract will be subject to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015

Requirement: Goods & Services

Above £5,336,937.00*

If a contract for Works is likely to exceed £5,336,937.00 the applicant must inform enhancing.pembrokeshire@pembrokeshire.gov.uk to determine whether the contract will be subject to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015

Requirement: Works

* When calculating the estimated value of the contract in order to determine whether the full UK Public Contracts Regulations may apply, the contract value estimation (for these values only – not below) must be inclusive of VAT as of the 1 January 2022. This is as a result of the UK's independent membership of the GPA (Government Procurement Agreement).

Advertising via Sell2Wales

It is possible for you to advertise on the National Procurement website Sell2Wales (opens in a new tab) if you are in a situation where you have difficulty in identifying the minimum number of suppliers required and/or would like to vary or attract new suppliers to quote or tender.

Advertising via Sell2Wales is best practice, however you may feel that you are better able to identify potential suppliers who could provide the best overall offer.

This facility is available to you free of charge, please visit the Sell2Wales (opens in a new tab) website, or you can contact their website helpline on 0800 222 9004 for further information.

Seeking Quotations/Tenders

For spend above £5,000 it is essential that the quotes/tenders are sought from appropriate suppliers for the goods, works or services required. In circumstances where it is evident that unsuitable quotes/tenders have been sought, there may be a requirement to advertise via Sell2Wales.

Other Funders

If a project involves any other or additional funding streams, these Third-Party Grant Procurement Rules must be followed as a minimum for the total estimated spend of the requirement.

Avoiding conflicts of interest

We recognise that it is possible that applicants / developers or persons connected with them (such as relatives, business partners or friends) may wish to tender for a contract being offered by the applicant / developer. This is acceptable, but applicants will need to ensure that the tendering process is undertaken in an open, transparent and fair manner, as outlined above, which does not give one person or company tendering any advantage over another, which arises from the process. Appropriate measures to prevent identify and remedy any conflicts of interest must be carried out.

If an applicant / developer or any person connected with them directly or indirectly, has a financial, economic, political, or other personal interest which might be perceived to compromise their impartiality and independence in the context of the procurement procedure:

The applicant / developer, or any other person or party with an interest must declare that interest in writing to enhancing.pembrokeshire@pembrokeshire.gov.uk. This will then be reviewed and advice given accordingly.
Specifications and evaluation criteria must not be biased or tailored to favour one solution or any one party over another.
The person or party with an interest should take no part whatsoever in any of the tender evaluation procedures to ensure that the process is fair to all. It is acknowledged that the grant applicant may be required to provide the final approval.
Every stage of the procedure must be recorded formally.
If the contract would normally be subject to a single tender procedure, it is recommended that the sponsor should seek written quotes from at least two other suppliers (i.e. following the procedure set out above for contracts between £5,000 and £25,000)

The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that there is fairness in the spending of public money and that the integrity of the applicant is not compromised.

Changes to the specification or contract

If any changes are required to the specification after seeking quotes/tenders which affects the original scope of the requirement, a new procurement exercise may need to be undertaken to ensure that best value for money has been achieved. This may occur where there are unforeseen additions to the original requirement, where tenders are received in excess of the available budget, where funding levels change etc.

The grant applicant must inform enhancing.pembrokeshire@pembrokeshire.gov.uk who will offer advice accordingly.

Failure to observe the relevant procedures outlined above will be considered non-compliant and may lead to a withdrawal of the grant offer and potential claw-back of funding.

In cases where you are unable to satisfy the requirements of these procedures you must always inform the project manager.

If you have any queries as to how these procedures should be applied, you should contact the project manager for clarification and further guidance.

Do’s and Don’ts of Tendering

Do - Ensure that any potential conflicts of interest are declared at the earliest opportunity

Don’t - skew the specification to eliminate or to discriminate against suppliers i.e. limit the specification to a specific brand.

Do - Comply with the appropriate rules

Don’t - change the scope of the specification once distributed

Do - Ensure that the specification is precise and not in excess of the requirements.

Don’t - change the evaluation criteria during the process.

Do - Ensure that the Evaluation Criteria is directly relevant to the subject of the contract

Don’t - give companies too short notice to quote.

Do - Complete and retain full records for future reference and audit purposes

Don’t - enter too much detail verbally with suppliers regarding specific questions. The same information must be provided to all suppliers to ensure the process is fair

Do - Ensure that quotes/tenders are evaluated on a ‘like for like’ basis.

Don’t - reveal prices to potential suppliers

Do - Ensure that you treat suppliers in an open, transparent, and non-discriminatory manner.

Don’t - breach confidentiality

Do - Allow sufficient time for companies to quote

Don’t - open quotes/tenders in advance of the deadline.

Do - Ensure the value of the Goods/Works or Service is estimated accurately at the start of the process toapply the correct procurement process. The aggregated value must be used where applicable.

Don’t - consider submissions received after the deadline

Procurement Definitions

Aggregation: Adding together the value of separate contracts for the same supply, service or works.

Contract: A Contract for the purposes of these Rules shall be any agreement (whether in writing) between the grant applicant and one or more other parties for: -

the sale of goods or materials
the supply of goods or materials
the execution of works
the provision of services (including accommodation and facilities)

Competitive Source: an independent provider bidding against another independent provider

Goods: are material items i.e. equipment, food, vehicles etc.

Public Contracts Regulations 2015: are rules and regulations that Public Sector organisations must adhere to when procuring Goods, Works and Services over a certain value threshold whereby an official Tender Exercise in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 should be undertaken

Evaluation: a method of determining which offer provides the best value for money in accordance with the pre-determined evaluation criteria

Evaluation Criteria: A list of key requirements taken from the specification that will enable suppliers to explain how they intend to deliver the requirement which will be evaluated. The criteria by which the most economically advantageous tender will be determined is based on a combination of price/cost and quality criteria.

Evaluation Panel: It is best practice to establish an evaluation panel to undertake the evaluation exercise. It may be appropriate to have a cross functional team as a panel. Panel should agree specification and evaluation criteria. Panel should be consistent throughout each stage of procurement exercise

Sell2Wales: is a National Procurement website where all public sector contracts are advertised. Third Party Grant Recipients can also advertise via the Sell2Wales (opens in a new tab) website free of charge or you can contact their website helpline on 0800 222 9004 for further information

Services: tasks undertaken by people i.e. consultancy services, translation services etc.

Specification: this is a written statement that defines the requirements. The specification will vary according to the work, product or service concerned. For a simple product the specification may be a brief description, while in the case of a complex requirement it will be a comprehensive document. The description of the goods, works or services required must not refer to a specific make, brand, or source

Tender/Quote: is the document compiled by a potential supplier in response to an invitation to quote/tender. It sets out general information demonstrating the capability and eligibility of the supplier - including detailed information about how they propose to fulfil the specifications of the requirement

Works: include landscaping, construction, building works etc.

Annex B - Subsidy Control

Pembrokeshire Enhancing Pembrokeshire Fund is being operated under UK Subsidy Rules.

Each application will be assessed to establish whether the support amounts to a subsidy under the UK Subsidy Rules. All applicants will be required to answer the following 4 questions.

If your answer to all 4 of the following questions is ‘yes’, the assistance is a subsidy. If one or more of your answers are ‘no’, it is not a subsidy.

Applicants are required to provide a rationale to their assessment in their application form.

Question:

Is the financial assistance given, directly or indirectly, from public resources by a public authority? Yes/ No

Definition:

‘Public authority’ includes any entity which exercises functions of a public nature. This includes public authorities at any level of central, devolved, regional or local government and non-governmental bodies that are performing a public function.
‘Public resources’ include public funds that are administered by the UK government, the devolved governments, or local authorities, whether they are given directly, through public bodies (such as agencies), or through private bodies.

Question:

Does the financial assistance confer an economic advantage on one or more enterprises? Yes/ No

Definition:

The recipient must be an ‘enterprise’: any entity engaged in an economic activity, which means offering goods and services on a market. The financial assistance must confer an economic advantage, meaning that it is provided on favourable terms. Financial assistance will not confer an economic advantage if it could reasonably be considered to have been obtained on the same terms on the market

Question:

Is the financial assistance specific? That is, has the economic advantage been provided to one (or more than one) enterprise, but not to others? Yes/No

Definition:

This covers financial assistance that is provided to specific beneficiaries determined on a discretionary basis by the government (ie the Prime Minister), as well as assistance that benefits (directly or indirectly) only enterprises in a particular sector, industry or area, or with certain characteristics.

Question:

Will the financial assistance have, or is it capable of having, an effect on competition or investment within the UK, or trade or investment between the UK and another country or territory? Yes/No

Definition:

Given the nature of this grant scheme it is unlikely that your project will need to consider this.

Where there is a subsidy, we will work with you to ensure that any support is compliant with the public subsidy rules.

Annex C Application Assessment Criteria

Score: 5

Rating: Very Good

Criteria:

Demonstrates a very strong alignment to local and national priorities, evidence of need and local engagement
Project offers very good value for money, unit costs per output/outcome are very good, with an exit strategy that demonstrates sustainability post-grant funding
Complete confidence in deliverability and the achievement of proposed outputs and outcomes
Very good prospects for project success

Score: 4

Rating: Good

Criteria:

Demonstrates a good alignment to local and national priorities, evidence of need and local engagement
Project offers good value for money, unit costs per output/outcome are good, with an exit strategy that outlines the potential to sustain the project post-grant funding
High level of confidence in deliverability and the achievement of proposed outputs and outcomes
Good prospects for project success

Score: 3

Rating: Acceptable

Criteria:

Demonstrates an acceptable alignment to local and national priorities, evidence of need and local engagement
Project offers reasonable value for money, unit costs per output/outcome are acceptable, with an exit strategy that outlines some potential options for sustaining delivery post-grant funding
Some acceptable weaknesses or deficiencies in deliverability
Reasonable level of confidence in deliverability and the achievement of proposed outputs and outcomes
Reasonable probability of project success

Score: 2

Rating: Marginal

Criteria:

Demonstrates a basic but limited alignment to local and national priorities, evidence of need and local engagement
Possibly capable of delivering and achieving proposed outputs and outcomes
Project unlikely to offer value for money, unit costs per output/outcome are high, with an exit strategy that fails to provide confidence in continuity post-grant funding
Some weaknesses or deficiencies
Limited level of confidence in deliverability and the achievement of proposed outputs and outcomes
Possibility of project success

Score: 1

Rating: Poor

Criteria:

Demonstrates a very limited understanding of local need, engagement, or very limited ability to meet alignment to local and national priorities
Major weaknesses or deficiencies
Project fails to offer value for money, unit costs per output/outcome are very high. Exit strategy is poor
Very limited level of confidence in deliverability and the achievement of proposed outputs and outcomes
Low probability of project success

Score: 0

Rating: Unacceptable

Criteria:

Fails to meet the criterion in all respects
Indicates a complete misunderstanding of, or non-compliance with, stated requirements
No confidence in deliverability and the achievement of proposed outputs and outcomes
No prospect of project success

ID: 8827, revised 24/04/2024