On 27th February SCVS in conjunction with key officers from Swansea Council held an update session in relation to Shared prosperity Funding, one of the UK Government funds replacing European funds that are no longer available after Brexit.

Update - Deadline for 'open call' submissions extended to 29th March 2023

More information will become available from today (1^st March 2023) on Swansea Council’s website at: www.swansea.gov.uk/spf (please note - this link is correct, and will become active once the page is live on the Swansea Council website), and we will continue to update key information here on the SCVS website as it is released.

The presentation from the session, along with Q&As about the funding are available below.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a central pillar of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda and will provide funding over a 3 year period to March 2025. All areas of the UK will receive an allocation from the Fund via a funding formula rather than a competition.

In South West Wales, there are separate allocations for each county, and these will be managed locally. The UK SPF’s mix of revenue and capital funding can be used to support a wide range of interventions to build pride in place and improve life chances.

The UKSPF total for the region is made up of ‘core’ funding, which will fund most of the Fund’s Priorities, and the Multiply programme, which focuses on supporting adult numeracy initiatives.

The programme has been designed with a range of entry points, enabling some of the funds to be allocated to larger projects, and a series of tailored grant schemes housed within ‘anchor’ projects to ease access to smaller grants, especially small businesses and third sector organisations.

Click here for the Shared Prosperity Fund Third Sector update presentation which was delivered at the session on 27^th February 2023

Below are Q & As from the session itself.

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Shared Prosperity Funding Third Sector update – Q&A’s from the session Chat, 27th Feb 2023

?: What's the deadline and processing times for open call projects

A: Once the open call window goes live, hopefully Wednesday 1st March, there will be a 3-week window in which to apply, and we would look to process within 6 weeks (subject to volume and quality of applications) - Update: Deadline for open call extended to 29th March 23

Please Note - the open call is one part of what can be applied for – there will also be a call for bids for funding within the 7 'anchor projects / themes'; and it is anticipated that there will be third sector funding available through a grant scheme in the next couple of months

?: Can you apply for both open call and anchor if it's different projects?

A: Yes, you could apply for both – bidding to an anchor would usually be to smaller grant pots for smaller scale activities, whereas open call would be for a larger project that could not be supported by and is different to anchor provision.

?: Will the themed anchor scheme grants be made public soon. So that people know which fund to go for?

A: The list of anchor scheme grants will be available at the same time as the open call, but they will open gradually over the coming weeks. If you are unsure you can email for advice to [email protected]  as well as seeking advice from SCVS.

?: Can you apply across Swansea and NPT in one bid?

A: No, they're being delivered as local programmes so you would submit separate funding bids in each county, though the forms are virtually identical but you would need to make clear the specific need being addressed relevant to each local area, not just a generic description and budget.

?: Is 10% a minimum or maximum to be spent on capital?

A: We are able to commit upwards of 10% of the SPF budget allocation to Capital schemes. So there is a minimum of 10% in capital funding in year 1 rising to 19% in year 3.

?: So there's no restrictions for organisations applying for capital grants?

A: SPF is primarily a revenue fund, with some flexibility to support limited capital interventions - with an indication of between 10-19% committed to capital. Capital funding can be applied for and would be assessed on a case by case basis. There's an expectation that alternative sources of capital funding should be explored first. 

?: Would the capital side of things be separate from project funding? I.e. acting as two different funds?

A: Applicants can include a mix of revenue and capital as part of the same project if it is appropriate to the project in question. As part of the financial spreadsheet to be submitted with the application form you will be able to identify capital and revenue items.

?: Will there be an emphasis on collaboration and partnerships like with CRF (Community Renewal Fund)? Other than it being good to coproduce generally.

A: Partnership bids are welcomed under the open call, but you would need ensure sufficient capacity is built in to manage a collaborative project

?: Would you be able to clarify please how much money in total will be available for the skills strand? 

A: there will be a minimum of £3m for the skills open call, and a separate £5.2m for the Multiply programme

?: What is the difference between employability and skills? What might class as larger scale in this context?

A: The two are linked, but in this context think of the journey an individual will go on to getting back into employment and the things they need to help them achieve that as ‘employability’ and skills is a more institution-based activity, such as upskilling existing workforce to be able to maintain green infrastructure, for example.

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If you need advice or support in relation to applying for Shared Prosperity Funding, or other funding for your third sector organisation, please contact us on [email protected]