Grant Funding

GUIDELINES FOR APPLYING FOR A GRANT FROM THE MERCHANT NAVY WELFARE BOARD (MNWB)

Thank you for your interest in applying for a grant from the Merchant Navy Welfare Board. The following guidelines will help you establish your eligibility for a grant and ensure that your application meets our criteria.

If you would like to discuss your proposed project/service with us or have any questions regarding the guidelines or grant application form, then please contact Hollie Harbinson hollie@mnwb.org.uk or telephone 02380 337799.

FUNDING CRITERIA

MNWB provides grants to its Constituent members to support the provision of quality welfare services for serving and retired UK seafarers, fishers and their dependants and those visiting UK ports, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands including projects to support:

• Repairs and refurbishment of existing port based welfare facilities, such as improvements to seafarer centres and seafarer accommodation
• Equipment for port based welfare facilities, such as laptops or safety devices e.g., lone working devices and MiFi units
• Non-capital project funding including leasing and subscription costs
• Port based services, such as health and mental health services
• Projects to support the welfare of serving and retired seafarers and their dependants including whilst they are at sea or at home
• Funding for feasibility studies such as research projects
• Revenue funding for short term pilot projects and start-ups for up to 1 year
• Grants that are for collaborative projects will carry a higher weighting than non-collaborative projects.

Project sustainability is of great importance to MNWB. Applications must demonstrate robust plans for future funding of the project/service. As such, all applications seeking support for projects/services lasting beyond 1 year will need to demonstrate how they will secure follow-on funding. MNWB shows preference towards projects that are funded from multiple sources.

Non-capital costs are only available for the delivery of projects/services. We are unable to accept applications for core funding and general revenue costs.

MNWB does not award grants to individuals.

APPLICATIONS

All grant applications should be made through our online application platform at https://grants.mnwb.org and submitted along with your organisation’s latest annual report, appropriate accounts and supporting documentation.

It is important that you outline clearly the amount that you are requesting, the total project cost and provide details of the project or service the grant would support.

Should a significant amount of funds be held in the charity’s reserve, applicants should explain why the cost of the project and/or service is not being met through existing funds. Where appropriate, three quotations will be required.

You are also required to include details of how many individuals will benefit from your project, specifically the number of seafarers, fishers and/or their dependants. Accommodation providers are asked to specify the number of MN/FF personnel currently at the accommodation and to specify the average proportion of MN/FF residents at the accommodation over the last 3 years. If you are applying for funding towards a new project, then please provide an estimate of the number of potential beneficiaries.

Applications for capital projects on leased buildings should address the security of tenure.

To ensure good governance, your organisation must upload its current Safeguarding, GDPR and EDI policies, and, for port-based projects, a copy of your lone working policy. Port-based projects also require the support of the appropriate Port Welfare Committee before submitting an application.

You will only be able to submit your grant application after you have completed the online form and uploaded the necessary supporting documentation. Once submitted you will be sent an acknowledgement email.

We are unable to award grants retrospectively.

VAT

MNWB will not fund any VAT element that can be reclaimed by a VAT registered organisation.

TIMELINES

There are no deadlines for applications as grants are awarded throughout the year. Grant applications over £10,000 are voted on by our Board of trustees and applications up to £10,000 are decided on by MNWB’s Chair and CEO.

We aim to advise organisations of the outcome of their application within 28 days of submission. Successful applicants will be asked to sign our Grant Agreement accepting the terms and conditions associated with the grant. MNWB reserves the right to request a business plan or review/evaluation of current welfare services for any major grant application.

GRANT PAYMENT

If your grant application is successful, we will ask you to complete our Grant Award form to provide us with the bank payment details for your organisation. Grants can only be paid upon proof of expenditure e.g. production of valid invoices. Payment cannot be made direct to any supplier.

REPORTING

Where appropriate, you will complete any reports we may request from time to time using the guidelines that we supply, so that we can satisfy ourselves that the terms of the Grant Agreement have been and continue to be met. This information will include project activities, the number of users and other beneficiaries and such other information relating to the project. We may use this information to monitor or publicise the project and/or evaluate our grants programme.