Please read this guidance before completing a grant application form. Please read our Privacy Notice prior to submitting your application. These guidance notes can be downloaded here. The ENCOMM Trustees will meet four times in a year and dates will be advertised on this site. The Grant Application form can be found on the publications page and downloaded here. GENERAL CONDITIONS Only applications which meet the charitable purposes as stated in our Constitution (here) are eligible. These are: o To advance citizenship or community development, including rural regeneration. o To improve the quality of life, health, well-being and independence and to reduce social isolation of people in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability or social circumstances. o To advance environmental protection or improvement, including maintenance, improvement or provision of environmental amenities, for the Community and the public. The following are NOT eligible for grant o Projects that are for the furtherance of political or religious objectives. o Projects deemed to be in furtherance of any initiative which is adverse to, or conflicts (directly or indirectly) with, the interests of renewable energy. o Projects deemed to be in furtherance of any initiative which is adverse to, or conflicts (directly or indirectly) with, the interests of the fund provider, Nanclach Limited. o Projects deemed to be in furtherance of any initiative which is adverse to, or conflicts (directly or indirectly) with, the interests of the Tom nan Clach Wind Farm, itself. o Projects deemed to support individuals which will not have the capacity to benefit the wider community within the East Nairnshire Community Area. o Projects designed to co-fund statutory activities carried out by the Local Authority. o Projects whose sole purpose is for promotion or speculative feasibility studies that do not form part of a larger project. o Projects which may endanger the natural or built environment. o For making speculative investments. For the payment of fines or penalties imposed on groups, organisations or individuals. o For purposes solely connected with the day-to-day business of Community Council. o For retrospective payment for events or services that have already taken place or been delivered. [This does not exclude the early expenses of organisations in arriving at a stage in their project where the application is ready to submit.] Applications must be submitted and approved before commencement of a project. See below re urgent applications. A project may receive one grant only in a calendar year. REQUIREMENTS • Large grant applications [seeking funding in excess of £1000] should seek three quotations for goods or services. Specific reasons must be given if this is not possible. • Applications from formalised groups must be accompanied by a copy of their constitution and the latest accounts together with a statement of membership numbers at the date of application. • Applications for small grants [£1000 and under] may come from non-formalised groups and in this case the application must be accompanied by a letter signed by a minimum of three residents from different households and unconnected by family (including by marriage). The criteria under General Conditions must still be met and they must demonstrate support from and impact on the wider community. • Applicants seeking funding for larger capital projects will agree stage payments as appropriate with the Trustees. APPLICATION PROCESS • Applications should be received by the Trustees before the closure date as advertised. Failure to meet this may delay consideration of an application. If an application between meeting dates is felt to be urgent please contact encommtrustees@gmail.com. • The Trustees are keen to help make projects happen. We would encourage early contact to discuss what any group may have in mind without giving any assurance of success. To this end the Trustee designated to assist any applicant shall not sit for consideration of the application. • Successful applicants will receive a Grant Agreement (in the general form given here) which will constitute a contract between the applicant and ENCOMM. As part of this agreement a timeline for reporting back to ENCOMM will be agreed with the Trustees. The level of reporting requirements will vary from project to project. • There is no obligation on the Trustees to explain the reasons behind any rejection. There is a finite sum of money available and the Fund may not be able to support, in whole or in part, every request it may wish to help. • In any publicity arising from the giving of a grant to a project the support of ENCOMM must be acknowledged. ENCOMM reserves the right to publish details of recipients and photos of the project on our website.