• Nottingham City Council is looking for projects that include the building or upgrading of venues or facilities in Nottingham City that are used to deliver activities that engage local communities.

• The capital funds available from Nottingham City Council must only be used to meet the cost of building and construction (including associated professional fees) or large value items of equipment.

• We particularly encourage projects that aim to engage the most vulnerable in our communities and those which aim to address the exclusion or isolation of residents due to their age, gender, ethnicity, health or sexuality.

Projects that focus on any of the points below and have a lasting legacy will be prioritised: 

• Support the retention of existing or the development of new services and facilities that contribute to the local economy, community wellbeing and cohesion.

• Support voluntary and community groups to undertake activity which helps to address specific needs of their residents 

• Increase the number of volunteering opportunities

• Provide a long term sustainable benefit to the local community or area.

• Enhance community spaces (including green spaces) so they could:

  • Be able to host extra services

  • Be more useable by the wider community as a whole

  • Support the Carbon Neutral Nottingham 2028 Action Plan 

  • Support the use of local businesses 

Eligible projects could receive a pledge of between £7,500 and £15,000 of capital funding up to a maximum of up to 50% of the crowdfunding target.

Nottingham City Council is looking for projects which will deliver the following: 

• Create new or upgrade existing venues or facilities in Nottingham City that will be used to engage with the local community

• Improve the local community’s perception of the new or upgraded venue of facilities

• Support the delivery of local events and activities 

• Increase the number of Nottingham City residents accessing the venue or facilities

• Use the increase in use and engagement to safeguard jobs within organisations using the venues or facilities

• All projects seeking support will be expected to complete a set of questions when pitching to the fund to determine the eligibility of their projects. The pitch is where you explain why your project deserves a grant from the Council. Follow our video here.

• Nottingham City Council are happy to accept and consider pitches from projects to both the Community Development and Employment Support projects – the council will take a view on whether they pledge from one or both funds dependent on the nature of the project pitching.
• In this scenario, the minimum pledge from Nottingham City Council would be between £15,000 (i.e. a minimum of £7,500 from each fund) and £30,000 (i.e. a maximum of £15,000 from each fund). 
• Projects will need to demonstrate that they have local support for the activity proposed. For both the Community Development Fund and the Employment Support Fund, Nottingham City Council’s panel will consider making a pledge to a project once it has reached 20% of its total project target. This will be through pledges offered on your Spacehive campaign. You are therefore advised to start your campaign as soon as possible.

Timings

• The panel will meet for the first time in April 2024. For both of its funds, it will consider all the projects that have already received pledges for at least 20% of their project target. 
• For both of its funds, should Nottingham City Council still have funds available following this first panel, a second panel will be held in July 2024 when other projects that have reached their 20% point will be considered.
• Crowdfund Nottingham projects that receive a pledge will use this funding to contribute to the outputs and outcomes that Nottingham City Council has committed to use its UKSPF funds to deliver.
• To help the Nottingham City Council panel’s assessments of projects seeking pledges, projects will need to propose the number of UKSPF outputs and outcomes they will be able to deliver through their project before 31st March 2025. 
• These proposed numbers will be used by the panel when considering which projects to pledge to, particularly where the demand for pledges exceeds the amount of funding available. 

Please note

• Nottingham City Council can only use its UKSPF funds to contribute to capital costs associated with the project. These costs must be clearly identifiable in the project’s plans.

• The numbers proposed to the panel will be included in the grant agreement that Nottingham City Council issues to the project. If Nottingham City Council makes a pledge to a project, the grant agreement will only be issued once the project has achieved 100% of its project target.

• Organisations should aim to have their projects completed and available for use by October 2024 at the latest.

• Projects should consider when their completed project will be ready for use, when proposing the number of outputs and outcomes they will be able to deliver. The numbers proposed must be realistic and achievable, as projects will be expected to achieve the numbers they have proposed before the end of March 2025. 

• Organisations will be required to report on their delivery of these outputs and outcomes following the completion of their project, up to the end of March 2025. NCC will issue a reporting template with the grant agreement. Projects will report their progress to NCC in July 24, Sep 24, Dec 24 and Mar 25.

• Project creators are advised to read the definitions of each output carefully before deciding on how many they are proposing the project will deliver (in particular those relating to the Employment Support Fund).

• Projects do not have to propose numbers for every output or outcome listed, however the numbers proposed will be taken into account by the Nottingham City Council panel when considering a project’s overall impact and value for money.

If your project receives a pledge from Nottingham City Council and reaches 100% of your target you will:

• Receive a Grant Agreement from NCC for you to sign. This will include the amount pledged and what the funding will contribute to. It will also include how you should report on the impact of your project, including providing details of the individuals you have supported with job-searching and to progress into employment.

• Need to send in an invoice for the amount you are requesting from NCC 

Important: Nottingham City Council will administer the payment of your pledge from the council outside of the Spacehive platform. All other pledges to your project will be collected via your Stripe account which is set up during your campaign creation. 

Projects are also able to upload funds raised offline and upload funds raised pre-campaign to evidence existing support. Find out more here.

• The UKSPF funds can only support capital costs. 

• Eligible projects can expect a pledge of between £7,500 and £15,000 of capital or a maximum of up to 50% of the crowdfunding target. 

• All projects seeking support will be expected to complete a set of questions when pitching to the fund to determine the eligibility of their projects. The pitch is where you explain why your project deserves a grant from the Council.

• Projects will need to evidence both fund eligibility and local support to be considered for a pledge by Nottingham City Council. 

• Projects must cover any other costs associated with the project using funds / pledges they have secured from other sources (including funding raised through crowdfunding).

• Please note: the council will not be the first organisation to pledge to your project and will first want to see community support and backing, in the form of pledges from local people towards your campaign. Start by getting lots of small pledges from the community to show local support for your project. This will help unlock bigger pledges.

• Please contact Nottingham City Council for any further information: [email protected]

The venue, equipment, space or facility to be built or upgraded must be within the Nottingham City Council boundary.

The Organisation seeking the pledge must be one of the following:

• Community Interest Company

• Charitable Incorporated Organisation

• Company Limited by Guarantee

• Social Enterprise

• Registered charity

• Public body which delivers or hosts community projects 

• Constituted body

Nottingham City council is unable to support these groups and pledges will not be made to: 

• Private companies

• Statutory service providers

• Groups proposing projects with a political affiliation

• Individuals (the fund is for organisations with legal status only)

•  Educational institutions and religious organisations whose venue or facility is not accessible to the wider community. The project must have a demonstrable benefit to the wider community and not just their own students or congregation.

Permissions

It is the project creator’s responsibility to ensure that all necessary permissions or licences are in place at the verification stage of the campaign process. If the applicant does not own the land or building that the grant relates to, the owner’s informal permission must have been obtained when an application is submitted, and formal agreement must be confirmed before any funding will be paid. 

Projects will need to evidence both fund eligibility and local support to be considered for a pledge by council.

• We are looking for projects that include the building or upgrading of venues or facilities in Nottingham City that will be used by economically inactive or long-term unemployed residents who are looking for employment opportunities.

• The capital funds available from Nottingham City Council must only be used to meet the cost of building and construction (including associated professional fees) or large value items of equipment.

• We particularly encourage projects which aim to support residents in groups where economic inactivity and long-term unemployment is proportionally high.

Projects that focus on the points below and have a lasting legacy will be prioritised: 

•        Support the retention of existing, or the development of new services and facilities that contribute to the local economy, community wellbeing and cohesion.

•        Support voluntary and community groups to undertake activity which helps to address specific needs of their residents 

•        Increase the number of volunteering opportunities

•        Provide a long-term sustainable benefit to the local community or area.

•        Enhance community spaces so they could be:

•       More flexible

•        Able to host extra services

•        More resilient

•        Used by more economically inactive or long-term unemployed residents

•        Support the Carbon Neutral Nottingham 2028 Action Plan 

•        Support the use of local businesses 

Nottingham City Council is looking for projects which will provide a venue or facilities or equipment where residents can engage with one or more of the following services or activities:

•        Advice, guidance and support with progression into employment

•        Job-searching

•        Support with improving employability and interpersonal skills

•        Support to engage with the benefits system

•        Community groups which support progressing into, and sustaining employment

•        Support to overcome a specific barrier to employment (e.g. poor mental or physical health)

•        Development of basic skills (including literacy, numeracy, digital and ESOL skills) which will support their progression into employment 

•        Ongoing support to sustain employment

Nottingham City Council is happy to accept and consider pitches from projects to both the Community Development and Employment Support projects – the council will take a view on whether they pledge from one or both funds dependent on the nature of the project pitching. In this scenario, the minimum pledge from Nottingham City Council would be between £15,000 (i.e. a minimum of £7,500 from each fund) and £30,000 (i.e. a maximum of £15,000 from each fund).

All projects seeking support will be expected to complete a set of questions when pitching to the fund to determine the eligibility of their projects. The pitch is where you explain why your project deserves a grant from the Council. Follow our video here.

Nottingham City Council is happy to accept and consider pitches from projects to both the Community Development and Employment Support projects – the council will take a view on whether they pledge from one or both funds dependent on the nature of the project pitching.

In this scenario, the minimum pledge from Nottingham City Council would be between £15,000 (i.e. a minimum of £7,500 from each fund) and £30,000 (i.e. a maximum of £15,000 from each fund). 

Projects will need to demonstrate that they have local support for the activity proposed. For both the Community Development Fund and the Employment Support Fund, Nottingham City Council’s panel will consider making a pledge to a project once it has reached 20% of its total project target. This will be through pledges offered on your Spacehive campaign. You are therefore advised to start your campaign as soon as possible.

Timings 

• The panel will meet for the first time in April 2024. For both of its funds, it will consider all the projects that have already received pledges for at least 20% of their project target. 

• For both of its funds, should Nottingham City Council still have funds available following this first panel, a second panel will be held in July 2024 when other projects that have reached their 20% point will be considered.

• Crowdfund Nottingham projects that receive a pledge will use this funding to contribute to the outputs and outcomes that Nottingham City Council has committed to use its UKSPF funds to deliver.

• To help the Nottingham City Council panel’s assessments of projects seeking pledges, projects will need to propose the number of UKSPF outputs and outcomes they will be able to deliver through their project before 31st March 2025. 

• These proposed numbers will be used by the panel when considering which projects to pledge to, particularly where the demand for pledges exceeds the amount of funding available. 

Please note

• Nottingham City Council can only use its UKSPF funds to contribute to capital costs associated with the project. These costs must be clearly identifiable in the project’s plans.

• The numbers proposed to the panel will be included in the grant agreement that Nottingham City Council issues to the project. If Nottingham City Council makes a pledge to a project, the grant agreement will only be issued once the project has achieved 100% of its project target.

• Organisations should aim to have their projects completed and available for use by October 2024 at the latest.

• Projects should consider when their completed project will be ready for use, when proposing the number of outputs and outcomes they will be able to deliver. The numbers proposed must be realistic and achievable, as projects will be expected to achieve the numbers they have proposed before the end of March 2025. 

• Organisations will be required to report on their delivery of these outputs and outcomes following the completion of their project, up to the end of March 2025. NCC will issue a reporting template with the grant agreement. Projects will report their progress to NCC in July 24, Sep 24, Dec 24 and Mar 25.

• Project creators are advised to read the definitions of each output carefully before deciding on how many they are proposing the project will deliver (in particular those relating to the Employment Support Fund).

• Projects do not have to propose numbers for every output or outcome listed, however the numbers proposed will be taken into account by the Nottingham City Council panel when considering a project’s overall impact and value for money.

If your project receives a pledge from Nottingham City Council and you reach 100% of your project target you will:

• Receive a Grant Agreement from NCC for you to sign. This will include the amount pledged and what the funding will contribute to. It will also include how you should report on the impact of your project, including providing details of the individuals you have supported with job-searching and to progress into employment.

• Need to send in an invoice for the amount you are requesting from NCC 

• Nottingham City Council will administer the payment of your pledge from the council outside of the Spacehive platform. All other pledges to your project will be collected via your Stripe account which is set up during your campaign creation. 

Projects are also able to upload funds raised offline and upload funds raised pre-campaign to evidence existing support. Find out more here.

The venue, equipment, space or facility to be built or upgraded must be within the Nottingham City Council boundary.

The organisation seeking the pledge must be one of the following:

• Community Interest Company

• Charitable Incorporated Organisation

• Company Limited by Guarantee

• Social Enterprise

• Registered charity

• Public body which delivers or hosts community projects 

• Constituted body

Nottingham City council is unable to support these groups and pledges will not be made to: 

• Private companies

• Statutory service providers

• Groups proposing projects with a political affiliation

• Individuals (the fund is for organisations with legal status only)

•  Educational institutions and religious organisations whose venue or facility is not accessible to the wider community. The project must have a demonstrable benefit to the wider community and not just their own students or congregation.

Permissions

It is the project creator’s responsibility to ensure that all necessary permissions or licences are in place at the verification stage of the campaign process. If the applicant does not own the land or building that the grant relates to, the owner’s informal permission must have been obtained when an application is submitted, and formal agreement must be confirmed before any funding will be paid. 

Projects will need to evidence both fund eligibility and local support to be considered for a pledge by council.