West Dunbartonshire Council Community Choices

Criteria

Community Budgeting Phase 7 Criteria

Community Budgeting is West Dunbartonshires version of Participatory Budgeting (PB). PB is a form of budget allocation to community groups and voluntary organisations for projects where the final decision on who is funded is made by local residents. 

PB is part of a wider agenda for engaging communities, developing participatory democracy and public services reform. It also links to the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and helps to deliver the public sector equality duty by advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations between different groups. 

Previous rounds of Community Budgeting in West Dunbartonshire have seen local people attend voting events to decide how grants were allocated to groups and projects working in their local communities. 

How Community Budgeting Works

Community groups and voluntary organisations are invited to make applications for funding of up to £2500 to support activities taking place in communities across West Dunbartonshire. The voting will take place online in February 2025 where local people will have the opportunity to find out about what groups / organisations are proposing to do with the funding and to vote to decide which groups are funded. 

Who can be funded?

Community groups and voluntary organisations can apply to Community Budgeting if you can meet the following requirements:

  • Your project addresses food insecurity in West Dunbartonshire
  • Your group/organisation provides a service in, or of benefit to, communities in West Dunbartonshire
  • You have a constitution or governing document (or have a host organisation that has one)
  • You have a bank account in the name of your group (with at least 2 unrelated signatories)
  • You are a not-for-profit group/organisation
  • You hold public liability insurance should your activities require it.
  • You are not undertaking any physical works to buildings / assets without evidencing permission from the owner and/or planning department, if required.
  • Your group / organisation responded to monitoring & evaluation requests from Community Budgeting Phase 6.

Groups will not be asked to upload documentation relating to their organisation (e.g. constitution, bank account) at the time of completing an application, however by submitting an application to Community Budgeting 7 you are confirming that you meet all of the above criteria and will be able to provide evidence if asked by the screening panel.

What do we mean by food insecurity?

The increased cost of food combined with the other affects of the ongoing cost of living crisis, means many people regularly do not have enough money to buy sufficient food to feed them and their families – this is food insecurity.  Approximately, 15% of households regularly experience food insecurity. 

Communities across West Dunbartonshire have been organising and looking at ways to address this and provide assistance to people in their community facing food insecurity by:

  • Providing a hot meal in a community venue once or twice a week
  • Providing emergency food
  • Offering a warm place in the community where food is available
  • Setting up a Community Pantry.

What if my group doesn’t meet all of the requirements?

Community Budgeting is about funding ideas and projects that will have a positive impact on the lives of local people. Support is available to help your group develop its idea and look at the options available to you to meet the application requirements.

  • We can support your group to get a constitution and/ or bank account in place.

  • Groups who do not wish to have a constitution or bank account can apply for up to £500 by asking another, more established community group who does meet the criteria to act as a host for the funding. Your group will still decide how the money is spent, but the host group would look after it in their bank account. You’ll need to acknowledge that an agreement has been reached with a host organisation when making your application.  If you do not know an organisation that would act as a host, the Communities Team may be able to help match your group with a host group.

  • If you're not sure if your group meets the critera, help is available to develop your plan and complete your application form.

What can be funded?

  • Buying equipment
  • Training costs
  • Volunteer or sessional staff costs
  • Community events
  • Group running or start up costs

Food for distribution in the community can be purchased but this must amount to no more than 20% of the overall grant applied for. For example, if you apply for the maximum amount of £2500, only £500 of this can be for food purchase.

What can't be funded?

  • Projects which conflict with WDC policies
  • Applications from statutory bodies such as Council departments, schools etc.
  • Applications from companies
  • Retrospective spending
  • Physical works to assets not owned by the group, unless it has been approved by the owner and evidence of consent provided.

What should your project do?

Projects funded through Community Budgeting should have a positive impact on the lives of people living within your local community. We will ask you to describe how your project will have a positive influence on reducing food poverty and increasing awareness of food insecurity. Your project should also address some of the following;

  • Reducing social isolation

  • Encouraging more people to be active in their local community

  • Increasing skills and capacity within communities

  • Addressing inequalities in communities

  • Mental Health and Wellbeing

  • Addressing health & environment issues

  • Increasing awareness of mental health in all settings

How much can be applied for?

Groups who can meet all of the criteria before the application deadline can apply for any amount up to £2500.  Only one application per group / organisation is permitted.

Groups who do not have a constitution or bank account and have a host organisation to hold the funds can apply for any amount up to £500.

How long should the project last?

Successful groups need to be able to spend the funding received for the project within 12 months (before the end of March 2026). All groups must respond to monitoring and evaluation requests.