NCIL Programme FAQs

Application Process for Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) Funding

What is NCIL and what are the Community priorities for NCIL?

NCIL refers to a portion of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) awarded to initiate and support community-led projects. The funding is collated by the Council from development projects.

Between the 22nd May and 3rd July 2024 we sought feedback from residents regarding priority areas to guide the allocation of NCIL funding. The following six community priorities were established:

1. Greening the Borough– examples can include projects for improving local public gardens and open spaces, planting projects, or support for existing greening projects.
2. Health and Wellbeing – projects that promote walking, sports and general health and fitness for all ages.
3. Environmental Sustainability – for example projects that support the council’s climate change action plan through local initiatives and help reduce carbon emissions.
4. Sustainable Transport – can include support for projects relating to walking and cycling or improving infrastructure for sustainable transport.
5. Community Safety – projects that help guard against crime, or support road safety around schools etc.
6. Empowering young people – projects that encourage youth representation, provide mentoring, and help young people explore their interests and potential.

All Redbridge wards are eligible to access NCIL funding regardless of the level of funding raised locally. Spend can be allocated anywhere within the borough provided that the infrastructure funded supports growth in Redbridge.

Who can apply?

Applications will be accepted from the following:

• Constituted voluntary organisations and resident associations.
• Constituted business organisations and associations.
• Registered charities.
• Charitable branch of Schools.
• Registered community interest companies.
• Charitable companies (incorporated as not for profit.)
• Registered charitable incorporated organisations.
• Exempt or excepted charities.
• Registered charitable community benefit societies.
• Redbridge Council departments which demonstrate community support.
• Individuals on behalf of a community group falling into the one of the above definitions.
• Ward Members on behalf of a community group falling into one of the above definitions.

Applicants must ensure that:

• They have the support of the organisation that they represent.
• They have the approval of all parties with legal interest in the land or asset that is the subject of the proposal.
• The organisation applying for the funding must be situated within the boundaries of Redbridge and the beneficiaries must include Redbridge residents. However, exceptions will be considered for organisations based outside of Redbridge, where all the beneficiaries of the project are Redbridge residents. Such projects will need to demonstrate how they will support residents to build capacity to deliver the project themselves in future. If your organisation is based outside Redbridge, please contact dpd@redbridge.gov.uk to discuss your application prior to submission.
• They do not conflict with statutory, regulatory or policy requirements of the Council or other organisations.

The Council is unlikely to support proposals that:

• Do not, in any way, mitigate the impacts of development.
• Exclude any groups in society or those with protected characteristics.
• Would only support private interests, or
• Have little or no public benefit.

The Council will not accept proposals from political groups, projects that are part of a campaign or promote religions, faith or political ideologies.

How can I apply?

You will need to complete an application form and supporting documentation. The funding must be spent within the financial year in which you apply. The project must align with one of the top priority areas as voted for by the community, and empower local people to support:

1. the provision, improvement, replacement, operation, or maintenance of infrastructure; or
2. anything else that is concerned with addressing the demands that development places on an area.

There will be two application rounds per financial year, one in Spring and one in Summer. Provided that you meet the application criteria, you can apply for up to £20,000 towards your project. This can be used to support existing projects or to fund new initiatives. The funding panel reserve the right to offer part funding where it is deemed in the best interests of the project.

To ensure a fair distribution of funding only one application can be accepted from any group each year.

What support can I get with an application?

Please read the guidance notes which accompanied the application form. Should you have further queries, please email dpd@redbridge.gov.uk.

You may arrange to discuss your ideas with a Council officer prior to applying. This is an opportunity to hear about your wider ambitions for the neighbourhood, and to ensure that your project will effectively achieve these, alongside national and local requirements. Council support will be a factor in deciding whether the project is funded.

You can arrange to meet with a Redbridge Council officer to discuss your project and application at the following dates. Please visit the NCIL Programme webpage to arrange an appointment:

• Week commencing 5 August
• Week commencing 19 August
• Week commencing 2 September

Can I apply for the same project as another group?

Should there be a project with similar themes/outcomes being run concurrently in Redbridge, you may be asked to collaborate on an application with those existing groups to add value.

By way of example, Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure (RCL) - the Council’s current leisure and culture provider - and the Redbridge Institute provide a significant number of community-based and employment-led opportunities. If you are bidding to undertake similar projects, there may be an opportunity to work with those providers to enhance the current offer rather than replicating the activity.

If there is more than one application for a similar project, you will be encouraged to work together to submit a joint application.

You may seek funding for new projects or for the upscaling of existing projects.

Is there a requirement for match funding or volunteer time

While there is no requirement to match-fund or fund raise it is strongly encouraged, and will be viewed favourably when assessing the application. All projects will be required to show that they have the support of their local community. Volunteer support is not required but it is strongly encouraged, and this will be a factor in assessing the application as it will demonstrate community support and the ability of the project to sustain itself into the future.

How will an application be assessed?

Applications are initially reviewed by officers from the Council's Planning Policy team to ensure alignment with the assessment criteria. Any application that does not meet the assessment criteria or does not have all the required documentation will not be considered by the Panel for funding.

You will need to demonstrate the extent to which the application meets the requirements in Table 1 below. The information provided will be commensurate with the amount of the funding being sought.

The Funding Panel is chaired by the Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources and includes the Operational Director of Planning & Building Control, and the Planning Policy Manager. The Chair and one other member of the panel will be sufficient for the panel to meet for business.

The final decision to fund projects rests with the Chair of the Funding Panel following consultation with the other member(s) of the panel.

Assessment Criteria

In order to successfully apply for NCIL funding all community-led projects must meet the following assessment criteria:

• All projects must accord with the CIL Regulations and government guidance on CIL.
• All projects must demonstrate how the project meets one or more of the six priorities.
• Evidence of how the project addresses local needs must be included in the application.
• The number of local people supported within the community by the project should be stated.
• It is expected that projects will run for a maximum 12-month period beginning within a month of being awarded funding. However, in some cases projects can be delivered over a longer period, such as greening projects that may need maintenance for more than one year and could take longer to be delivered.
• Evidence of support from Councillors and/or Internal Departments from Redbridge Council must be provided with every application.
• If a project is linked to other projects in Redbridge, it must demonstrate how and show that it adds value to existing programmes.
• All projects must demonstrate how they will be sustained following the ending of the funding and the ongoing benefits of the project to the community and this includes ongoing maintenance of any physical interventions.
• The Council will consider the number of existing similar projects within the area.
• The Council will consider financial and/or volunteer support for projects. This is not required, however where groups hold existing funding/are seeking to raise additional funding and/or have volunteer support for their project this will be considered positively by the funding panel when assessing the application.
• The Council will consider the extent to which the project publicises the financial support given by the Council through the NCIL fund.

How will projects be monitored?

All projects awarded funding must agree to sign the standard terms and conditions.

The project manager (usually the applicant) is expected to practise monitoring throughout the period of the project’s delivery.

For projects delivered over a typical one-year period, three quarterly reports and one final close of delivery report will be required. For smaller projects and those of a shorter timeframe, less monitoring reports will be required, and this will be agreed at the time of award of funding. The minimum requirement would be one monitoring report in these cases.

A standard template is provided by the Council for reporting purposes.

Expenditure of NCIL funds awarded must also be accounted for and evidence is required. This will involve the submission of receipts for money spent on the project and invoices received.

Project managers are advised to retain ALL receipts for money spent on the project. Where receipts are not made available, Redbridge Council will request that spending not accounted for with receipts is returned to the Council.

Where awarded funding is not fully spent within the financial year of the project’s implementation, all underspent residual funds must be returned to Redbridge Council after the project has been delivered.

If a project has not been delivered on time by the end of each financial year, any unspent money should be returned to Redbridge Council as soon as possible. An exception to this is if an extension of time to the project has been agreed by the Council.

The Council reserves the right to terminate, claw back money or withdraw its offer of funding from the Neighbourhood CIL fund if the applicant or project is found to be from a political group, part of a political campaign, to promote religion/faith/political ideology, actively discriminates against people with protected characteristics; or if the awarded money is spent on items not originally agreed.