Dumfries and Galloway Council is constantly trying to improve the help it gives to the Third Sector, who are a valued partner in delivering high quality services.

The Third Sector Strategic Budget provides core funding to cover running costs for one year to organisations in Dumfries and Galloway that work across the whole region, or at least two Area Committee areas, or are considered to be strategic such as a local initiative or independent museum.

Third Sector Strategic Budget applications are invited from organisations whose services fit with the following service areas:

• Adult Services
• Children's Services
• Community Learning & Development (including Economic Regeneration)
• Cultural Services - Arts
• Cultural Services - Museums

We must receive applications for funding to the Third Sector Strategic Budget for 2010/11 by 5.00pm on Saturday 31 October 2009. Applications received after this date will not be considered.  The call for applications to the Third Sector Strategic Budget is advertised in local newspapers in early September each year. Please  view the attached press release [25kb] for more information about the call for applications 2010/11.

If you do not supply the required documents at the time of application, or if you fail to fully complete the application form, your application will receive a reduced score and any agreed funding will be conditional on submission of the required information.

For applications to Resources Committee (Third Sector Strategic Budget), the expected available budgets for 2010/2011 are as follows:

• Adult Services    £104,902
• Children's Services    £3,322
• Community Learning & Development    £84,112
• Cultural Services - Arts    £5,396
• Cultural Services - Museums    £1,121

These are the highest possible amounts available and may be reduced. These budgets are extremely restricted due to existing 3 year funding commitments, so you are strongly advised to contact us to discuss your proposals before filling in your application form.

Applications to Area Committees, Sports Councils and Annandale & Eskdale Sports & Leisure Trust continue to be accepted throughout the year until budgets are fully committed.

Third Sector Funding applications for 2010/11  will be considered by Resources Committee in January 2010. Funding payments will start in April 2010 (the council's financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March each year). Area Committees and local Sports Councils (including Annandale & Eskdale Sports & Leisure Trust) start the decision making process in April 2010.

If you are not sure whether the closing date applies to your application, contact the Voluntary Sector Funding Co-ordinator.

If you need a printed application pack please contact us.

Minimum Essential Requirements at time of Application

All organisations must enclose the following documents:

• A copy of your organisation's constitution* (the set of rules your organisation follows). If your organisation is a company limited by guarantee, send us a copy of your memorandum and articles of association. Your constitution must be signed and dated as formally adopted (approved) at an annual general meeting (AGM) or an extraordinary general meeting (EGM). If you know we already have an up-to-date copy of your constitution, you do not need to send it to us again.
• A copy of your organisation's most recent set of audited or examined accounts. These must be examined by an independent person who you reasonably believe has the ability and experience to examine them properly. An independent person is someone who is not a member of your organisation. If your organisation is new, you can send us income and spending plans for your first year. The person who examines and certifies your accounts as a true record does not have to be a qualified auditor or accountant. However, they do need to have relevant experience, for example, perhaps they work or worked in a bank or post office and working with figures was part of the job. 'Certified' means that the person who examined your accounts must write a statement on the accounts to say that they are a true record, and sign and date this statement.
• Copies of estimates or quotes if these apply
• Proof of community support

If you are applying for £10,000 or more, you must also enclose the following documents:

• Your organisation's most recent yearly report, or the minutes of your latest annual general meeting
• Your organisation's most recent business plan or action plan
• A chart setting out the structure of your organisation
• Your organisation's policy or procedure documents. If you know we already have
  up-to-date copies of these, you do not have to send them to us again

If you do not supply the required documents at the time of application, or if you fail to fully complete the application form, your application will receive a reduced score and any agreed funding will be conditional on submission of the required information.

* We need a copy of your constitution, trust deed or memorandum and articles – you need to keep the original. Your constitution must be adopted at an AGM or an EGM and be signed and dated on the day it was adopted. If you do not have a signed and dated copy of your constitution, you will need to have this adopted again.

As well as other things, we expect your constitution to tell us:

• who is allowed to operate the bank account (give people's positions not their names);
• how many authorised people (signatories) must sign each cheque – we cannot accept less than two 2 authorised people and these must not be connected (*see 'Note One' below);
• what will happen to your funds if the organisation folds – this is called a dissolution clause; and
• the minimum number of members that must go to committee meetings and annual general meetings ('quorum').

Your local Council of Voluntary Service (CVS) can help you to develop or amend your constitution.

Note One - Connected

The Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 defines 'connected' as the following.

• "Any person to whom the [signatory] is married, is the civil partner of the [signatory] or with whom the [signatory] is living as husband and wife or, where the [signatory] and the other person are of the same sex, in an equivalent relationship.
• Any child, parent, grandchild, grandparent, brother or sister of the [signatory] (and any spouse of any such person)
• For the purposes of the above, a person who is another person's stepchild or brought up or treated by another person as if the person were a child of the other person, is to be treated as that other person's child."

Suggested wording for the constitution/memorandum & articles is "There should be a minimum of two authorised signatories who are not connected, as per the definition of 'connected' within the Charities & Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005."  Of course, management committees may need to add more to this clause to reflect their individual circumstances.

Where a legal fee may be incurred for changing a trust deed or memorandum and articles, the following is an acceptable alternative: 

• A copy of a financial protocol that has been agreed by the voluntary management committee - financial protocol to be signed and dated by a minimum of two authorised signatories; AND
• A copy of minutes of meeting where financial protocol was agreed and minuted.

 Download the template for the financial protocol [21kb].

If your organisation has a trust deed or memorandum and articles of association, it will be easier for you to adopt the financial protocol template attached, but when you next revise the memo and articles you should aim to include the clause as noted above.

You may view some Frequently Asked Questions about this requirement on the Village Halls Improvement Scheme - FAQs webpage. These FAQs were written in relation to the Village Halls Improvement Scheme, but are relevant for all funding applicants.

Application Scoring Process

Each applicant is allocated a Lead Officer from the Council service appropriate to their area of work.  Each eligible application is assessed through a 4 stage scoring process consisting of:

Stage A - Technical checks by a member of the Third Sector Support team.

Stage B - Check of accounts and financial management arrangements by a Finance Officer.

Stage C - Check including governance arrangements, past performance and fit with Community/Corporate/Service/Operational Plans by the nominated Lead Officer. 

Stage D - All scored applications are passed to a Moderating Panel consisting of three senior members of staff from the relevant service.  The Moderating Panel looks at all applications for the relevant service area and ensures that recommendations to Committee fit within the available budget.

Successful applicants need to sign Acceptance of Award Conditions before funding can be released.  A contract must be signed if the agreed award is £10,000 or more, and regular satisfactory monitoring reports are required for further instalments to be released. 

Remember there is also support available from local Council Community Learning & Development staff and local Councils of Voluntary Service.

Acknowledging Dumfries and Galloway Council Support

The following information applies to Third Sector organisations receiving funding from Dumfries and Galloway Council.

Your organisation must ensure that Dumfries and Galloway Council's financial support is acknowledged in all publicity associated with your organisation. You are required to use the Council's logo, preceded by the words, 'Supported by'.

The logo for Dumfries and Galloway Council is available to download here along with the relevant guidelines for its use

You must provide copies of all instances of use of the council logo to the Voluntary Sector Funding Co-ordinator. Your organisation must disclose the award separately in your annual accounts. Your organisation must acknowledge the Council's funding in your annual report and your Chair or Secretary's report at AGM. You must supply copies of any such documents to the Council on request.

Other Funding Opportunities

There are also a wide range of funding opportunities for both individuals and organisations from £100 up to £1,000,000 + available from various sources and some links are provided in our Grants and Funding - Useful Links.

It is recommended that before completing application forms for funding from any source it is worth contacting the organisation concerned and talking through your plan or project.

Some key considerations when applying for funding include:

1. Why is the project needed?
2. How does the project deliver against local and regional priorities? 
3. Are there alternatives to fund this project?
4. Projects objectives and planned outcomes?
5. Will you be able to monitor progress and know when targets have been met?
6. Do you have an accurate cost break down of your project?
7. Do you have a contingency plan?
8. Are there possible risks for the project?
9. Do you have other partners involved?
10. How much of your own investment have you put into the project?
11. What are your exit routes after funding has ceased?