Goole Fields Wind Farms Community Fund

What is the Goole Fields Wind Farms Community Fund?

The first Goole Fields Wind Farm started operating in 2014 which also saw the introduction of a community fund. RWE  (formerly Innogy Renewables UK), the wind farm operators made an annual donation to this fund, enabling it to support a wide range of projects which were of benefit to the local community.

The commissioning of the second wind farm (Goole 2) in late 2016 brought with it a further donation.  

From January 2018 the annual donation from RWE tripled from around £70,000 per annum to nearly £250,000 per annum. 

A proportion of the additional Goole 2 funds has been ring-fenced to a separate fund for an East Riding wide area of benefit which was launched in early 2020.  For further information on this separate fund click in this link East Riding of Yorkshire Future Communities 

What is the area of benefit for the Fund?

The fund is designed to specifically benefit communities within a defined geographical area (namely the Wards of Goole North, Goole South, Snaith, Airmyn, Rawcliffe and Marshland plus the Parishes of Kilpin, Laxton, Blacktoft). This is also identified in the downloadable map below:

Area of benefit map – Goole Fields Fund (pdf 6.9mb)

What type of activities will the Fund support?

Applications are welcome which promote community, charitable, amenity, educational, energy efficiency and carbon reduction initiatives for the benefit of the communities within the area of benefit.

In addition to being open to receiving normal applications, the fund panel recognises its responsibility to support local community groups and organisations who are working hard to recover from the serious impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it.

To this end, the fund panel will be taking as flexible a position as possible on fund criteria when it considers all applications.  No type of costs identified within applications will be excluded for consideration.

This approach will be sustained for all applications received up to November 2022 and then reviewed.  

Considering these changes, available funds may be oversubscribed.

Applicants are therefore advised to focus on the questions in the application form that relate to the identification of need (i.e. why funding is sought) and the results (outputs/outcomes) that funding will help groups and organisations to achieve.

Who can make an application?

The fund wants to encourage applications from as diverse a range of groups as possible including community groups and organisations, charities, social enterprises, town and parish councils, schools and faith communities. New groups or ideas for projects where a group does not currently exist can be considered. Please contact the fund administrator at:

Email: ruralfunding@eastriding.gov.uk   

The fund cannot accept applications from private individuals.

Are there any activities that cannot be funded?

The fund cannot support activities adverse to the commercial interests of the wind farm, political or religious campaigns or support services that would otherwise be the statutory responsibility of local or national government.

How can the fund distribute money?

Payments from the fund will usually be made in the form of grants. Subject to appropriate governance measures as required, other forms of financial assistance (e.g commissioning, loans, donations) can be considered by the fund panel.

For further details contact the fund administrator at:

Email: ruralfunding@eastriding.gov.uk

Other funding opportunities

For information on other funding opportunities please visit: Finding a grant

How much money can be applied for?

Applications for over £2,500 (up to a maximum of £50,000 in value) should be made, online, to the main fund.

Applications for up to £2,500 should be made to the fund's Quick Fix Fund.  This is a simpler application process for very small one-off projects, and, like the main fund is open year-round to receive applications.

Please also see the answer to 'How do I submit an application?'. 

Will the Fund support 100% of the project costs?

The fund retains the flexibility to support up to 100% of total project costs. However, the fund’s decision-making panel will take into account other external sources of funding (often referred to as 'match funding') and the applicant’s own contribution to the project. This might include one or more of the following: monetary value of in-kind contribution from volunteers, and/or a contribution from own reserves/funds. 

How is the Fund managed and who makes decisions about how it is spent?

Decisions about how the annual donation is spent are made by the Goole Fields Wind Farms Community Fund Panel. The panel is made up of local volunteers, who were appointed following an open application process, and who can draw on a wide range of knowledge, skills and experience when making funding decisions. Representatives from East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the operating company (non-voting) also sit on the panel.

The fund is open to receive applications year-round. The fund has finite resources that can be over-subscribed. Applications go through a technical assessment process and the fund panel makes decisions using a scorecard approach based on the fund criteria. 

East Riding of Yorkshire Council is the Accountable Body for the fund and provides the secretariat and administration service through the council’s Rural Policy and Partnerships Team.

What are the deadlines and timescales?

The fund is open to receive applications year-round. The fund panel is planning to meet 5 times in 2022 to make funding decisions. Consequently, applications will be grouped into “batches” through the year as follows:

2022 Timetable:

• Applications received up to and including 29 August will be considered at the September meeting
  
• Applications received up to and including 14 November will be considered at the December meeting.

Applicants will be advised promptly of the outcome of decisions made by the Panel.

What is the outline process from start to finish?

Applications to the Main Fund

1. For the main fund the applicant completes an online application form and submits it electronically with supporting evidence (including quotes, permissions, accounts and bank statements).  These forms can be accessed using the link in the  How do I submit an application for funding? answer below
2. The online system acknowledges receipt of application
3. The administrator carries out a technical appraisal (does the applicant have power and permissions to carry out the project, does the project meet the fund criteria, has all the necessary information been supplied?)
4. The application is sent to fund panel for scoring
5. Fund panel meet and make a decision (full award, part award or decline).  
6. Administrator emails unsuccessful applicants stating decision and the reasons
7. Administrator emails successful applicants offering funding and detailing how payments will be made and any conditions that may apply 
8. Successful applicants email back accepting the offer of money and conditions
9. Awards up to £10,000 are payable by invoice supplied on return of the signed offer letter.  For awards over £10,000 an initial invoice for £10,000 can be submitted with a copy of the signed offer letter with the balance being payable on a second invoice which can be submitted with the end of grant form.  For awards over £20,000, an individual payment plan will be approved by the panel when the award is made.  Please note: normal payment terms are 30 days
10. Successful applicants complete the project
11. Successful applicants submit an End of Grant report plus supporting evidence along with any final invoice as appropriate
12. Successful applicants submit any final receipts and bank statements
13. Administrator includes a report on the project in the Fund Annual report
14. Fund Annual report presented at an annual review meeting.

Applications to the Quick Fix Fund

1. The applicant completes an online or paper application form and submits it electronically with supporting evidence.  Both these options can be accessed using the How do I submit an application for funding? section below
2. The online system acknowledges receipt of application 
3. The administrator carries out  technical appraisal (e.g. does the project meet the fund criteria, has all the necessary information been supplied?)
4. The application is either approved or declined by the fund panel
5. Administrator emails successful applicants with an offer letter and explaining any conditions that may apply.  Administrator emails unsuccessful applicants stating decision.
6. Subsequent steps similar to main grants (see above) with full payment in advance.

How do I submit an application for funding?

Applications to the main fund should be made online within the Flexi-Grant system. Applications to the Quick Fix fund can be made online or by downloading and completing the application form below:

To access this system visit the Flexi-Grant website:

Flexi-Grant System (external council website)

There are three options on the system to choose from:

• For medium sized grant applications – select up to £10k form
  
• For larger grant applications - select over £10k form
  
• For Quick Fix applications - select the up to £2.5K form.
  

All forms have Guidance Notes to help you complete the form (these can also be previewed by downloading the documents below).

Goole Fields guidance notes under £10K (pdf 60kb)

Goole Fields guidance notes over £10K (pdf 64kb)

Quick Fix Fund Guidance Notes (PDF 68kb)

Applications to the Quick Fix Fund ( up to £2,500) can also be made on the Quick Fix Fund Application Form which, can be downloaded below: 

Quick Fix Fund Application form (24kb) 

If you have any queries please contact the fund by email: ruralfunding@eastriding.gov.uk 

What was the Goole Fields 1 Wind Farm Community Fund? 

As previously identified, the Goole Fields 1 Wind Farm Community Fund closed in September 2017. All unspent money from this fund has been transferred to the new Goole Fields Wind Farms Community Fund.

During the lifetime of the Goole Fields 1 Fund it supported many important local community projects and these are recorded in two annual review reports included here for reference: