From time to time the Fund outsources specific pieces of work to consultants. This is usually where either our part time Fund Manager does not have the capacity to take on additional work, or if a group needs help to develop a specific project where the Panel wish to avoid creating a conflict of interest for our Fund Manager who will need to assess the project at a later stage.

Examples of potential consultant work might include:

• Supporting existing funded projects to look at the cost and safety implications of reopening following the Covid lockdown restrictions, the impact of this on the fund and the funds area of benefit.
• Considering how to support the visitor economy or schools within the funds AOB
• Providing capacity building support to individual groups to enable them to make an application to the fund. This could include providing support around an asset transfer, legal structures, or putting together a complex application for a number of stakeholders.
• Supporting a project to work with multiple funders, providing support with marketing advice, enabling them to become funding fit, or to pull together a brief, contract or tender for their works.
• We have paid for electricians to support halls previously to understand what electrical upgrades are needed prior to receiving an application and to undertake energy audits of community facilities before considering a full capital application from a venue.
• Where the panel approve funding support from a consultant, the Fund Manager will allocate a set number of hours support with the appropriate professional. The consultants work directly for the grant recipient.