Causeway Coast and Glens councillors agree to make grant funding process more efficient
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough councillors have agreed to changes to the Grant Funding Programmes’ reporting process, in order to “improve grant efficiency”.
During a report at council’s November’s Leisure and Development Committee, members were told the current grant cycle involves council agreeing the annual grant programmes, 11 of which are rolling grant programmes which stay open throughout the year or until all funds are allocated.
Reports on these funds are taken into council for information purposes, while 14 other grant programmes have specific opening and closing dates and reports on these funds are taken to committee for decision, then to full council for ratification.
The report added: “In order to implement a consistent approach, it is proposed that all grant reports go to council for information rather than approval.This will considerably reduce the time applicants have to wait to receive letters of offer.”
Presently letters of offer for open/closed grant programmes are not issued until after the Leisure and Development Committee decision has been ratified by full council, plus five days [for a] call in period.
“This process can take 8 to12 weeks. The proposal would allow Letters of Offer to be issued immediately after the grant applications have been assessed.”
Members agreed that all future grant reports would go to council for information purposes.