The Vision Fund offers grants over £6,500 (capital and/or revenue) to support activities that help to deliver one or more of the priorities set out in the Fund Prospectus. New and developing businesses, voluntary sector and community groups can all apply. Although public sector bodies are not eligible, we welcome partnership working.

Applicants will need to show how their proposal:

• is visionary, bold and ambitious – a bit out of the ordinary
• involves partnership working with others to deliver more really benefits people and communities and supports regeneration (if the applicant is a business, it’s expected that job creation and skills development benefiting those in the Fund area will be a key element of the proposal).
• is sustainable in the longer term – maximising local value and benefits
• represents value for money

You may have received a Micro Fund grant to help start the work you’re doing, and now wish to take that further with a Vision Fund grant. If that’s the case, you’ll need to have completed the initial project and be able to demonstrate the results and achievements before a further application can be considered.

Application Process

Depending on how much you are asking for there are different application processes.

Between £6501 – £26,000

This is a one stage online application with two rounds per year – one opens on June 1st and closes on the first Wednesday in August and one opens on December 1st and closes on the first Wednesday in February.

Between £26,001 and £149,999

This is a two-stage process, an Expression of Interest, which will be considered by Board and then if it is potentially supportable you will be invited to move to a second stage application. Please talk to us about your planned project timetable and essential deadlines and dependencies.

Over £150,000

This is also a two-stage process as above but you may also be asked to meet with and present your proposal to the Board of Directors.

Before you submit any Vision Fund application or Expression of Interest, you must get in touch with us to discuss your plans. If appropriate, we will then send you a link to apply online.

If you have any questions at all, give us a call on 01685 878785 or send us an email:

enquiries@penycymoeddcic.cymru

Top Tips for drafting your Vision Fund proposal:

• Give your project / activity a brief and catchy name! Sounds trivial, but it really makes a difference.
• Make sure you explain what you’d like to do as clearly and concisely as you can. Ask someone unconnected with it to read it and feedback.
• Tell us exactly who will benefit and how – what difference will the project make to people and communities, the local economy, and the environment?
• Make sure that it’s clear how your funding request relates to your aims and plan.
• Provide realistic and researched cost estimates or quotes.
• Explain how the project or activity will be sustainable in the longer-term.

WHAT THE COMMUNITY FUND CANNOT SUPPORT

• activities that don’t deliver clear benefits to communities within the Fund’s Area of Benefit
• applications for activities or projects which exclude certain groups of people without very clear and legally defensible reasons
• applications from public sector bodies
• activities which are the statutory responsibility of public sector bodies
• pplications from individuals other than those wishing to set up or develop a business
• activities which are exclusively party political or religious
• past expenditure / costs incurred for activities that have already taken place
• VAT that can be recovered
• projects which promote, provide, develop, operate or otherwise support any non-renewable energy scheme or associated resource.