About the fund
As part of the government's levelling up agenda and to promote economic recovery post COVID-19, a new national UK Community Renewal Fund has been established.
This together with other funding from the government's Levelling Up Fund and existing Town Fund investments, presents a significant opportunity for Lincolnshire to develop a comprehensive set of actions to help residents and to start to revive the economy of Lincolnshire.
We are invited bids from eligible applicants by noon 14 May 2021.
Priorities and funding
The UK Community Renewal Fund will support outcomes in one, and ideally more than one of the following investment priorities:
- skills
- local business
- communities and place and
- supporting people into employment
As the lead body we are inviting proposals to access up to £9m of grant to support eligible activities.
Areas
In Lincolnshire the government has pre-selected 3 priority areas where the UK Community Renewal Fund may be targeted.
This is based on an index of economic measures which includes productivity, household income, unemployment, skills and population density.
The 3 priority areas are:
- Lincoln
- East Lindsey
- Boston
The government has identified a target bid value of up to £3m for each of these places, giving Lincolnshire up to £9m in total.
Whilst prioritised, the three areas are not guaranteed funding and projects from these areas must also score well on strategic fit, deliverability, effectiveness and efficiency.
Projects from other areas are therefore also eligible and we are particularly keen to see projects which span non-priority area and priority areas.
The opportunity
This is a one-off fund to support pilots and innovative approaches to local economic growth in Lincolnshire.
Projects must be locally informed and driven and align with local growth strategies and target areas and people of greatest need promoting inclusive, sustainable growth.
All activity must add value to current national or local provision and align with national policies.
Successful activity will help Lincolnshire prepare for the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which is the government's long term replacement for European grant funding.
What you need to know:
- Projects must be delivered and financially completed by 31 March 2022
- The UK Community Renewal Fund is 90% revenue funding, with 10% capital – all bids must be calibrated accordingly or seek revenue funding only
- Whilst there is no minimum value, ideally projects should require a minimum of £500,000 from CRF up to a maximum of £3m
- Match funding isn't mandatory but projects with some match will score higher (other than employment schemes where match funding is not a requirement)
- Collaboration and bids spanning more than one investment priority are encouraged
Bid development timeline
The Council has been appointed the local lead body.
In that role it is responsible for:
- Inviting bids from a range of eligible applicants (between 26 April and noon 14 May 2021)
- Appraising, prioritising and shortlisting those bids received (between 14 May and 17 June 2021)
- Submitting the shortlist to government (by noon 18 June 2021)
- Entering into a single funding agreement with the government to deliver any Lincolnshire bids selected by government (estimated August 2021)
- Issuing individual grant agreements to successful bidders (estimated late August 2021)
- Ensuring monitoring and assurance requirements are met (including a mid-term review November/December 2021)
All bids for UK Community Renewal Fund must be submitted to us by noon 14 May 2021.
Any bids submitted directly to the government will be rejected.
Our bid
Following the announcements of a funding opportunity from government in March, and the subsequent Invitation to Bid, Lincolnshire County Council submitted a funding application to UKCRF on 18 June 2021.
Government decisions are expected in the summer.