Once a grant has been formally accepted and any pre-payment conditions have been fulfilled, payment can be made. It may be that smaller grants (say up to £10,000) and any larger grants relating to salaries are paid up front, as few community groups have the cash flow to resource their project first and claim the grant afterwards.
However, there is a balance to be struck here as regards risk to the community benefit monies; for larger amounts, it may be prudent to pay the grant on receipt of relevant invoices. For example, grants for the purchase of a mini-bus, purchase of property, or for building works. For complex building projects, agreeing a payment schedule with the awardee may be the best approach, based on their project plan, and with payments also dependent on receipt of the architect’s completion certificate at each stage.
