TDA on behalf of Torbay Council is seeking bids from organisations wishing to deliver activity as part of the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Please read the UK Community Renewal Fund Prospectus before registering an interest or starting work on a bid.

The Prospectus provides detailed information on the objectives of the Fund, the types of projects it intends to support and how it operates, including the process and selection criteria used to assess bids.

Successful UK Community Renewal Fund bids will be for 2021/22 only and activity must end by the end of March 2022.

Background

We are interested in bids that build on local insight and knowledge, and project proposals that align with long-term strategic plans for local growth, target people most in need and support community renewal.

In addition, projects should show how they complement other national and local provision. A focus for this Fund is to support innovation and new ideas in these areas, investing in pilots that draw on local insights and which will help places to prepare for the introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2022.

The Council is recognised as a lead authority by the UK Government. On behalf of Torbay Council, TDA is responsible for:

  • issuing this invitation;
  • receiving bids;
  • assessing and selecting the bids that will be sent to UK Government for consideration; and
  • paying grants to successful projects and managing their performance.

What Type of bids are we looking for?

Projects must deliver activity that is line with the UK Community Renewal Fund Prospectus and align with at least one of the following investment priorities:

  • Investment in skills
  • Investment for local business
  • Investment in communities and place
  • Supporting people into employment

The UK Government anticipates supporting a range of projects by theme and size, but applicants are encouraged to maximise impact and deliverability through larger projects (£500,000+) where this is possible. Torbay Council recognises that this is a high figure outlined by Government to be committed in such a short space of time. Torbay Council would therefore encourage bids for a minimum of £100,000 unless there is a very specific rationale for a lower value scheme which should be highlighted clearly in your submission.

As 90% of funding available through the UK Community Renewal Fund is revenue funding and only available in 2021/22, projects should be predominantly, or exclusively revenue-based. Projects that focus predominantly on the construction or major refurbishment of buildings, the purchase of land or the purchase of large pieces of equipment will not be supported.

Local priorities

Projects should align with the relevant national and local strategies. Torbay Council will prioritise bids that have the greatest potential to deliver against key local growth priorities. Relevant strategies and documents which should be considered by applicants include:

Geographic Coverage - projects should benefit the following places:

  • All of Torbay is eligible

How Bids will be assessed

On behalf of the lead authority, TDA will assess all bids submitted. Bids will be assessed against:

  • the gateway criteria set out in the UK Community Renewal Fund Prospectus – bids that fail to meet these criteria are ineligible support and will be rejected
  • the extent to which they meet the objectives of the UK Community Renewal Fund
  • the extent to which bids would support the delivery of local growth and employment support priorities

Following assessment TDA on behalf of Torbay Council will submit those eligible bids which most strongly meet the UK Community Renewal Fund and local priorities to the UK Government for consideration, up to a maximum of £3,000,000 per place.

The UK Government will assess all bids submitted by lead authorities against the criteria set out in the UK Community Renewal Fund Prospectus and will announce the outcome of the assessment process from late July 2021 onwards.

Torbay Council will enter into a funding agreement with successful bidders.

Submitting a Bid

Before submitting a bid, please read through the technical note for project applicants and deliverers below.

Bids must be submitted using the UK Community Renewal Fund Application Form.

Bids submitted in any other format will not be accepted.

Bids must be submitted to crf@torbay.gov.uk by 5 pm on 7 May 2021.

The UK Community Renewal Fund is a competitive process and Torbay Council and the UK Government will not enter into discussions with bidders.