[comradio-l] Community Radio Fund: award of grants for 2014/15 Round 1

[CMA-L]

Ofcom's Community Radio Fund Panel met on Tuesday 17 June 2014 to consider
applications in the first round of grant awards for 2014/15.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has confirmed the
Community Radio Fund for 2014/15 but the total amount has not yet been
announced.

In summary, at the meeting:

   - 34 applications for grants were considered
   - The total amount of funding requested in these applications was
   £578,605
   - 11 applicants were awarded grants which totalled £140,340
   - 23 applicants were not awarded a grant

 The Panel reviewed each application and awarded funding based on the
information provided, and with reference to the Community Radio Fund
guidance notes. The Panel's decisions were to make a full award, a partial
award or not to award any funding.

The average grant in this round was £12,758; the size of award ranged from
£3,150 to £17,006. A table setting out the awards is below.
 *Summary of grants awarded in June 2014 (first round for 2014/15) *  Station
nameLocationPurposeAward  East Coast FM Haddington, East LothianFundraising
and Partnership Administrator£15,000  Unity 101SouthamptonProject
Administrator£5,278  Wythenshawe FMWythenshaweFinance and administrative
support£10,680  Salford City RadioSalfordCommercial Campaign Co-ordinator
£3,150  Gloucester FMGloucester Project Trainer (part of a sustainable
revenue stream)£15,000  Radio ReverbBrighton Training Manager (part of an
income-generating project)£17,000  Phoenix FMBrentwood Sales and Promotions
Manager£14,966  Halton Community RadioHalton, Runcorn Business Development
Manager£17,006  Radio TircoedTircoed Village, SwanseaStation Director and a
Fundraiser (two posts)£17,000  Bolton FMBoltonBusiness Development Manager
£14,560  Seahaven FMSeafordFundraising Manager £10,700   Issues of note
arising from the Panel meeting

In the current financial climate the Panel felt strongly that, as much as
possible, grants from the Community Radio Fund should help further a
station's financial stability and future sustainability. Therefore
proposals for posts to promote long-term financial security and which could
become self-sustaining were favoured by the Panel over applications for
other support posts, even if they were considered core station functions.

With regard to the applications considered in this funding round, the Panel
would like to make the following points:

   - The Panel has a* limited amount of funding available*, and so it
   cannot make grants to all applicant stations.
   - The panel would like to emphasise* the importance of section 2 of the
   application form which gives the panel members an insight into the
   station's output and its target community*. Applicants should also aim
   to quantify their impact, for example, by supplying numbers of volunteers,
   people trained, awards won etc.
   - With regard to roles specifically to raise funds for stations the
   Panel considers that *as an absolute minimum the post holder should aim
   to raise the equivalent of their own salary in the course of the grant
   spend,* as well as securing funding towards station costs. This makes
   the role self-sustaining and likely to continue once the grant has been
   spent. The Panel *likes to see clear financial targets set for such
   posts*. When a station reports back on how the grant was spent, the
   Panel would like to know how much money the postholder raised.
   - Applicants should explain how the role or project that is the subject
   of a grant application will contribute to the *financial sustainability*
   of the station.
   - Some applicants *did not include sufficient information*, job
   descriptions and/or work plans in their submissions for staff funding.
   - It is also important to provide up-to-date and accurate *financial
   information*. At the very minimum applicants should supply their most
   recent accounts. The panel would also welcome a summary of forecast income
   and expenditure for the current year.
   - The panel would like to draw applicants' attention to HMRC's guidance
   on determining the *employment status* of workers, when they are
   preparing (and costing) job descriptions. (This has implications for the
   way tax and National Insurance contributions are calculated and whether or
   not PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is operated on their earnings.)

*Information for future applicants *

   - The Panel considers promoting long-term sustainability a critical,
   core activity.

   - Applicants should try to quantify the impact of the post (for which
   they are applying for funding) on the future sustainability of the station.

   - The panel recognises that, in the current economic climate, grant
   funding has declined. The panel would therefore encourage innovative
   fundraising ideas which may offer future funding models for the community
   radio sector.

   - The Panel continues to believe there is scope for collaborative
   working or joint applications from stations, where appropriate.

 Applications for the second round of funding in 2014/15

   - Applications will be invited on* 7 October 2014 with a closing date of
   4 November 2014*.
   - The Panel will meet to make decisions on these applications in January
   2015.

Source
<http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/radio/community-radio-fund/2014-15>

\\

Community Media Association
-- 
http://www.commedia.org.uk/
http://twitter.com/community_media
https://www.facebook.com/CommunityMediaAssociation

Canstream Internet Radio & Video
http://www.canstream.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/canstream
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