Community Action Plan guidance note
Introduction
This guidance is for community groups in receipt of CARES funding to support the development of a Community Action Plan. Community action plans are documents that set out a clear vision for the area with priorities supported by local people, a timeline for achieving them, and options for implementing them. This helps the community to work out what their priorities are when deciding how to use this funding.
Eligibility
Subject to funding availability, communities can access support from CARES to develop a Community Action Plan where there are, or will be, community benefit funds delivered in the locality. To ensure available funding is directed to communities with the greatest need and to demonstrate additionality, Local Energy Scotland requires applicants to demonstrate (in addition to general eligibility criteria for CARES support):
- That you have been unable to secure funding from the renewable energy developer to develop a Community Action Plan
- You don’t have existing community benefit funding or other unrestricted/unallocated funds that could be used to complete a Community Action Plan.
- You have considered options to work with neighbouring communities to complete your plan (or build on existing plans).
Grants
Funding available
Community Action Plans may be eligible for lower or higher grants based on the scale and scope of work being undertaken, and the community benefit funds available to them.
In order to present a strong case for funding, applicants must demonstrate that they have thought through the nature and characteristics of their community, and what is required from a Community Action Plan. Key considerations include –
- Size (population) of the community
- Geography (urban / rural / remote / island)
- Value of community benefit funds available
The table below provides general guidance on indicative funding levels. These indicative costs may increase by up to 25% for remote and island communities where additional costs associated with travel and consultation can be demonstrated.
Where the value of community benefit funds is:
< £10k per community per year (average)
The CAP activities supported are a socioeconomic review and community survey to inform CAP priorities.
The indicative available grant would be up to £8k for a single geographic community and up to £1k for each additional community.
> £10k per community per year (average)
The CAP activities supported are a socioeconomic review, consultation process and events to inform CAP priorities.
The indicative available grant would be up to £12k for a single geographic community and up to £2k for each additional community.
Scope of works
Activities that Community Action Plan funds can be used for are outlined below, and in more detail in the ITT template. A suggested weighting is provided in brackets next to the activity title.
Any quotes over £1,000 will need to be subject to tendering.
Activities
- Desktop research (5-10%)
Develop understanding of key community characteristics, demographics and existing community services.
- Community consultation(50-60%)
Conduct survey/questionnaire.
Direct engagement with target groups and stakeholders e.g. workshops, focus groups, interviews.
Run marketing campaign including events, local press, social media etc.
- Drafting the Community Action Plan(25-30%)
Document findings of public consultation in detail and provide robust analysis .
Identify key spending themes and priorities.
Outline specific potential projects to target funding towards
- Expenses(0-5%)
Materials, venue hire, travel, subsistence etc.
Tendering
Community groups should seek quotes from community engagement services suppliers before applying for CARES funding. Guidance on the tendering process is provided in the Community Benefits Toolkit module on creating a lasting legacy.