A GUIDE FOR APPLICANTS

MODERNISATION FUND CAPITAL PROGRAMME

‘Like other sectors , the voluntary and community sector needs to modernise and change to remain effective and efficient’

Investing Together Report (7.29)

POLICY BACKGROUND

•To help facilitate and encourage this change Ministers approved the establishment of £18 million Modernisation Fund

•Modernisation Fund Revenue Programme £3 million fund To date, £2 million in grants have already been agreed

POSITIVE STEPS

POSITIVE STEPS

•Modernisation Fund Capital Programme

•£15 million fund to support capital projects

•Partnership and collaboration

•Income generation and/or cost reduction

•Improving access to services

•Enhanced capacity to deliver services

•Tackling obstacles to good relations within and/or between communities

•Delivery of services and facilities in support of disadvantaged young people

AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME

THE THREE SCHEMES

•An Infrastructure Pilot Scheme

•Community Facilities Improvement Scheme

•A Small Capital Grants Scheme

INFRASTRUCTURE PILOT SCHEME

•Providing £300k - £1.5m capital grants with a budget of £9m

•Aimed at development of small number of major infrastructure projects

•On completion these will be models for development and modernisation of the sector

•Providing £100k - £300k capital grants with a budget of £3m

•Improve community facilities

•Allow better service delivery with better access to services

COMMUNITY FACILITIES IMPROVEMENT SCHEME

SMALL CAPITAL GRANTS SCHEME

•Providing £20k - £100k capital grants with a total budget of £3m •To undertake minor works or purchase assets

•Improve ability to deliver a service to the community

•Charitable Bodies

•Voluntary or Community organisations

•Social economy enterprises

AND

•Proposal must deliver at least TWO of the aims of the programme

ELIGIBILITY

COMMON REQUIREMENTS

•Meet our eligibility criteria

•Be able to spend the grant by March 2010

•Be sustainable

•Return applications by 4.00pm on 19th

October 2007

• Enquiries to be addressed to:VCU

POLICY AND RESEARCH TEAM

LIGHTHOUSE BUILDING

GASWORKS BUSINESS PARK

BELFAST

BT7 2JB

Email : colette.mccluskey@dsdni.gov.uk

TEL: 028 90829440 / 028 90829405

ENQUIRIES