The Council recognises that the community and voluntary sector makes a major contribution to the quality of the life of people who live and work in Devon. This contribution can be complementary or supplementary to the work of the Council or other agencies.

Within agreed overall resources, the Council will provide support to community and voluntary sector organisations, either directly or in partnership with other agencies.

The Council will publicise the availability of support to the voluntary and community sector, together with the conditions with which applicants are expected to comply in making an application.

In determining whether a grant should be made, the voluntary organisation will be expected to demonstrate how:-

• Its aims accord with the Council’s Access Fund priorities and objectives
• How much progress has been made from its own efforts in achieving its aims, including the raising of necessary resources
• The grant will improve the likelihood that the aims will be achieved, and represents value for money

The Council will make assistance available in a variety of ways:-

• One off grants
• Indirect support, such as provision of Officer time and/or access to services
• After a grant has been made, the recipient will be required to show how the money has been spent and the extent to which the objectives of making the grant have been achieved

The objective of this is to:-

• Satisfy the Council that the organisation is clear about what it intends to achieve
• Ensure that a proper timetable for completion/development of a project has been set
• Ensure that the project is related to the needs it aims to meet
• Provide targets against which the project can be developed

Organisations should ensure that the terms and conditions can be met before accepting the grant. Every applicant must provide the information requested under the grant conditions within two months of the end of the financial year of the grant award.

The approval of all grants will be as a result of decisions taken fairly and openly, with the justification and conditions attached to any grant clearly recorded. A list of all organisations receiving funding will be published.

For further information, please contact: Traveldevon@devon.gov.uk