Sancton Hill Wind Farm Community Fund

What is the Sancton Hill Wind Farm Community Fund?

Sancton Hill Farm is operated by REG Windpower.  As part of the developments planning permission granted in 2011, a commitment was made by the company to create a community fund.

The Sancton Hill Wind Farm Community Fund receives an annual donation from REG Windpower of £35,000 per annum. The first donation was made in July 2013.

What is the area of benefit for the Fund?

The Fund supports initiatives for the benefit of the community within a three-mile radius of Sancton Village which includes the parishes of Sancton, Newbald, South Cliffe, Market Weighton and Hotham.

What type of activities will the Fund support?

The purpose of the fund is to promote community, charitable, educational, and not for profit activities for the benefit of the communities within the area of benefit and for activities prioritised in the parish plans of the parishes within the area of benefit.

Who can make an application?

Applications are welcomed from community groups, community organisations, societies, charities, parish councils, schools and churches.

Are there any activities that cannot be funded?

The following activities cannot be supported by the fund:

• any campaigns (e.g. political, religious or other campaigns)
• statutory duties of public bodies including parish council, local authority, police, health, fire, coastguard and national government
• activities detrimental to the commercial operation of the wind farm.

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 commisioning, loans, donations) can be considered by the fund panel.  For further details contact the fund administrator at:

Email: ruralfunding@eastriding.gov.uk

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

How much money can be applied for?

There are no upper limits on the amount of money that can be requested, however applications over £7,500 will be considered by the fund panel as exceptional.  

Applications for over £500 should be made, online, to the main fund (please see 'deadlines and timescales' section below).

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

Please also see section below 'How do I submit an application?'

Will the Fund support 100% of the project costs? 

Although the fund panel has not set a specific level of match funding from applicants, the panel will wish to see evidence of the applicants own contribution to the project costs. This could include cash from fundraising, donations and/or volunteer time.

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 Sancton Hill Wind Farm Community Fund Panel. The Panel is made up of representatives of Sancton and Newbald parishes, the landowner, the operator and a representative from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

The Fund is open to receive application for funding during a three-month window each year. 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 though the Council’s Rural Policy and Partnerships Team.

What are the deadlines and timescales?

The Fund's timetable for 2021 is as follows:

• Fund opens for applications from: 16 September 2021 
  
• Fund closed to applications: 1 November 2021 
  
• Fund Panel Decision making meeting: 30 November 2021.

What is the outline process from start to finish?

Applications can either be made to the main fund or, for smaller amounts there is a small grant option.

For the small grant option the applicant completes a paper based application using the forms and guidance that can be downloaded from the bottom of this page. The applicant completes the form and returns it to the administrator via email. The application is then circulated to the panel for a decision and if the application is approved by a majority the applicant is informed and the grant is paid directly into the group/organisations account without the need for an invoice.  In most cases this process should only take approximately 14 days from application to decision.

For applications to the main fund:

1. 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 the ability 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. The fund panel meet and make a decision (full award, part award or decline).  Panel members are required at meetings to declare any interests that they have in particular applications and, where this is the case, take no part in decisions relating to that application (they leave the room whilst this application is discussed)
   
6. The administrator emails unsuccessful applicants stating decision and the reasons
7. The administrator sends an offer letter electronically to successful applicants offering funding and detailing how payments will be made and any conditions that may apply to the award
   
8. Successful applicants accept the offer by sending back a signed and scanned copy electronically via a link supplied by the administrator
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 (again electronically using a link supplied) plus supporting evidence along with any final invoice as appropriate
12. The administrator includes a report on the project in the fund's annual report.  The annual report is a document that records the awards made during that year and profiles all the projects supported.

Subject to Government instructions at the time, the Annual Review Meeting, to which members of the public are invited, will be held on 18 June at 6pm in the Methodist Chapel in Sancton.

How do I submit an application for funding?

Applications to the main fund (over £500) should be made online within the Flexi-Grant system.

To access this system visit the Flexi-Grant website:

Flexi-Grant System (external council website)

There are two 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.  
  

 Both forms have Guidance Notes to help you complete the form.

Smaller applications for up to £500 should be made on the Small Grant Fund Application Form which, along with Guidance Notes, can be downloaded below

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

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