Renfrewshire Council

What the Community Food Fund is

The Community Food Fund is a £25,000 fund for organisations based in Renfrewshire that are developing or running projects to provide food to our local community.

The purpose of the fund is to support:

• organisations to adapt from emergency response to dignified access to food
• community resilience and recovery.

Any community or voluntary organisation with a constitution and a bank account can apply.

Grants of up to £4,000 are available. Please do not apply for more than you need for your project.

It is unlikely there will be further funding after this.

What the fund can be used for

The funding can be used to meet increased demands due to rises in the cost of living. 

This can include:

• improving quality, dignity, or sustainability - for example, linking with community gardens to provide fresh fruit and vegetables
• supporting recruiting and retaining volunteers
• providing relevant training
• transport
• equipment like refrigeration
• adapting a premises for accessibility or venue hire
• other support, like supporting cooking skills
• engaging and consulting service users to inform your work
• bulk purchasing of food (not individual food orders)

As this is one-off funding, you should be clear about the longer-term plans for sustaining your service after the funding has been used.  

The funding can't be used for:

• direct financial support for households - find more help with the cost of living
• free training for Food Hygiene, Food and Health and How to Run a Cooking Course - contact Renfrewshire HSCP at healthimprovement.renfrewshire@ggc.scot.nhs.uk about these courses.

How to apply

Applications for this fund closed at 12 noon on Monday 28 August 2023.

The details you needed to include were:

Section 1 - your organisation

Give us details about your organisation and what you do.

Section 2 - what you would like funding for

Use this section to explain:

• how you've identified the need for your project
• what exactly you will do with the funding
• who your project will support
• how many people it will help
• how you will know you are making a difference.

This information is used to evaluate your application, so it is important you explain how you meet the criteria for this fund.

Section 3 - supporting paperwork

You must include all these documents with your application:

• a bank statement dated within the last three months
• a copy of your most recent annual accounts or income and expenditure statement, no less than 15 months old, dated and signed as approved
• a signed and dated copy of your organisation's Constitution or Memorandum 
• signed and dated copies of your Articles of Association.

If you are a new organisation, you'll need to submit estimates of income and expenditure for the first 12 months. 

We can't evaluate applications if they don't have the correct paperwork. 

Contact us at tacklingpoverty@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you have any issues with completing or returning the form to us. 

Section 4 - signatures

If you are filling in a paper copy of the form, sign this section of the form. 

If you are applying online, you can submit your signature later.

How we decide who gets funding

We will evaluate your project based on how it:

• adheres to the dignity principles developed by Nourish Scotland and the Poverty Truth Commission
• shows an understanding of local needs
• targets people and households on low incomes
• connects people to other support, in particular income maximisation
• supports individual and community resilience
• demonstrates inclusivity and easy access to the service
• is compliant with food safety and environmental health standards where appropriate
• will contribute to a balanced diet through the food purchased.

We will also consider the geographical spread of applications in the allocation of funding.

What happens after you apply

We will submit our recommendations to the Council's Leadership Board, who will decide the funding allocations at its next board meeting on Wednesday 20 September 2023.

We'll let you know if your application has been successful after the board meeting.

If it is, you'll need to agree to the terms and conditions of the grant, which we'll send you when we confirm your grant award.

You must also follow the Fair Work First criteria to:

• pay at least the real Living Wage
• provide appropriate channels for effective workers' voice, such as trade union recognition

You are also encouraged to meet the other criteria of Fair Work First as outlined on the Scottish Government website.

We'll then arrange payment of the grant to your organisation.  

We will monitor the outcomes of your project and other initiatives supported through the fund. This is part of a wider evaluation of the local response to food insecurity in Renfrewshire.

More information

If you have any questions about the grant or your application, email us at tacklingpoverty@renfrewshire.gov.uk