Armed Forces Community Covenant Grant Scheme

What Makes A Good Bid?

Today we will cover…

Some of the basics

An opportunity to ask questions

An exercise

Top tips

Know your Armed Forces Community

What do you know about the Armed Forces in your area?

Do you know where the nearest Regular or Reserve unit is?

Is there family accommodation in your area?

How do you find out the needs of the military in your area?

What makes a good bid?

Demonstrate the need being fulfilled

Community need

Military community need

How many will be influenced?

Keep it focused and simple

Fill in all the details

Be clear on your costings and refer back to the…

Criteria and guidance

Give yourself plenty of time to prepare your bid

Don’t take an existing bid off the shelf and sprinkle military terms through it!

Does your bid give off VIBES?

V – Value for money

I – Impact on identified need

B – Bring communities together

E – Enable an activity, (matched funding is a bonus)

S – Supported by stakeholders

To consider

Check for duplication – is the service already provided by MOD, MOD Agencies, military charities, non-military charities, your own organisation, the NHS…

What are your organisation’s strategic objectives?

What are you trying to achieve regionally?

How can we tie your objectives and military opportunity together?

Is this the best place for your bid?

Does it link back to your action plan?

Five Aims of Community Covenant

Encourage local communities to support the Armed Forces Community in their areas

Nurture public understanding and awareness amongst the public of issues affecting the Armed Forces Community

Recognise and remember the sacrifices faced by the Armed Forces Community

Encourage activities which help to integrate the Armed Forces Community into local life

Encourage the Armed Forces Community to help and support the wider community, whether through participation in events and joint projects, or other forms of engagement

Successful bids (part 1)

Youth

Faith

History

Health

Successful bids (part 2)

Employment

Education

Play!

Decision making process

Idea generated by YOU

Local Community Covenant Board

Regional Community

Covenant Board

Administration of finances, advice,

auditing,CE Team, Sp Comd Armed Forces

Covenant Team

HM Treasury

Approval Y/N

Approval Y/N

Bids which are Novel, Contentious or over

£70,000

What if your project changes?

Talk to your local panel

Explain what you’d like to happen and why

The local panel can advise and/or take advice

For the auditors, confirm it in writing

After a bid – what can you expect?

The LA may have additional Terms and Conditions to sign up to

Provide regular reports back to the LA

Expect a financial audit

Provide a final report

Demonstrate outcome

Meeting the original objectives

Show where the money went

Opportunities for publicity

Local, regional, national

Top Tips

If your bid points to a shortfall in provision, provide evidence that your proposal goes above and beyond current provision

Take advice early

Demonstrate sustainability for projects longer than 12 months

Matched funding is not essential but is beneficial, if you can’t get matched funding then explaining why is also helpful

If you are working with other organisations please be clear on their status e.g. not for profit organisations or charities

Lead the way!

Further information

Armed Forces Day Heritage Lottery Fund (www.hlf.org.uk)

https://www.gov.uk/armed-forces-community-covenant

https://www.gov.uk/community-covenant-grant-scheme

http://www.warmemorials.org/grants-scotland/ (for WW1 memorial repairs & cleaning)

http://www.museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk/