Grant application guidelines

Areas of Assistance

The Board will consider providing financial assistance to its Constituent Voluntary Societies towards capital projects, evaluation studies and start up costs within the UK. The Board does not award grants to individuals.

Application Procedures

The Board welcomes applications throughout the year; however, as a general policy the Board will agree its grant distribution towards the end of each calendar year. Applications should therefore be submitted no later than 1st September. In exceptional circumstances only, and subject to the Board’s financial situation, emergency grants maybe applied for at any time and will be considered throughout the year.

Applications should be made on the Board’s own application form (downloadable from MNWB website www.mnwb.org under Grants navigation bar) and submitted with the latest annual report and accounts. For any grant application exceeding £25,000 a five-year business plan must be included (and may in any case be requested).

The Board will accept unsigned, grant application forms which should be completed and sent via email to enquiries@mnwb.org.uk. Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged at the earliest opportunity and organisations can expect to be contacted by the Board if authentication is deemed necessary.

Port Welfare Committee/s (PWC)

Where applicable, grant applications requiring feedback at a local level will automatically be placed on the agenda, two weeks prior to the next relevant PWC meeting/s. The views of the local PWC may or may not affect the overall outcome of the application.

Reserves Policy

Applicants should summarise their reserves policy and state whether the charity’s policy is to reduce, maintain or increase reserves and why that policy is considered appropriate.

VAT

Applicants should indicate whether they are able to reclaim VAT. The Board will not fund any VAT element that can be reclaimed by a society that is VAT registered.

General

Societies should take up the grant within the agreed period of the grant offer. In exceptional circumstances an extension of time may be permitted subject to a written explanation.

Capital grants will only be paid on proof of expenditure or the submission of a valid invoice.

Start up costs will only be agreed on the basis of an independent evaluation study. They may be paid in total or by instalments, subject to the discretion of the Board. In the event that the organisation spends less than the entire grant on the project, the unspent amount must be returned to the Board

No expenditure entered into prior to the date of the grant offer letter will be paid.

The Board will consider funding, jointly funding (with another grant making charity) or part funding (with the applicant) evaluation and feasibility studies. The Board will usually, but not exclusively, wish to act as the principal in any such study and include its own questions. Enabling a feasibility study does not represent any commitment, by the Board, to fund any subsequent activity.

No significant change to any project, or its implementation, may be made without prior written consent of the Board.

In the case of a capital grant, the Board will require a written undertaking that, if the property is disposed of within a five year period, the grant will be repaid in full.

The Grant:

• can only be used exclusively for the purpose set out in the application form and it is not transferable to any other project or organisation.
• will only support actual expenditure as identified in the application form.
• will not be increased in the event of an overspend on the project.

The applicant society must:

• keep proper and up to date accounts and records, including invoices, to show how the grant has been used; these financial records must be copied to the Board.
• provide further financial or other information, if required, to help the Board monitor and evaluate the project and its grants programme.
• take steps to monitor the success of the project and provide progress reports at the request of the Board.
• automatically provide final reports of start-up projects to the Board, at agreed regular intervals.
• agree, when appropriate, to display plaques or stickers signifying the Board’s support.

Assistance with completing an application form:

• any organisation which does not have the administrative ability to process the application should contact the Board

Acceptance or Refusal of Grant Applications

• all organisations will be advised of the outcome of their application within a few days of the meeting of the MNWB Council, normally held in late November or early December. Thereafter, successful applicants will be asked to confirm, in writing, their acceptance of any terms and conditions associated with the grant.