How to Apply
An application to any programme of the Grants Office of the Velocity Interoperability Network is made by writing to the Office, which issues the application papers for the programme concerned. There is no charge for applying and no limit on the number of applications an eligible body may make, provided each seeks funds for different work.
Who may apply. Eligibility differs between programmes. The classes of body below may apply to the programmes named against each.
- Member organisations
- The 42 member organisations of the Network may apply to the Interoperability Development, Skills and Training, Shared Facilities and Small Project Grants. An application under the Shared Facilities Grants must be made jointly by at least two members.
- Research and education bodies
- Bodies whose principal work is research or education may apply to the Research and Measurement Grants and to the Small Project Grants. An applicant need not be a member organisation, but the work funded must concern the standards, performance or measurement of the Network.
- Community bodies
- Bodies constituted to serve a community, and not for profit, may apply to the Community Connectivity Grants and to the Small Project Grants for work that gives the public access to the services of the Network.
- Who may not apply
- Departments and services of the Network may not apply to their own programmes or to those of another department; their work is funded through the estimates. An applicant in breach of the conditions of an earlier grant may not apply until the breach is remedied.
The steps of an application. The seven steps below apply to every programme. Under the Community Connectivity Grants and the Small Project Grants applications are assessed as they are received, and the periods allowed run from the day of receipt rather than from a closing date.
Step 1: Check that you are eligible and that the programme fits
Read the purpose and award range of the programme on the Programmes page. An application that falls outside the purpose of every programme is refused at the eligibility check.
Step 2: Register your intention to apply
Write to the Office naming the programme and describing the intended work in no more than 200 words. The Office replies within five working days, issues the application papers and says whether the work appears to fall within the programme.
Step 3: Prepare the application
The application states the work to be done, the outcome sought, the period of the work, the total cost, the amount of grant sought and the contribution the applicant will make. It names the person responsible for the work and the person responsible for the accounts.
Step 4: Prepare the budget
Costs are set out by category: staff time, equipment, premises, materials and other costs. Each figure is supported by a quotation, a rate or a stated basis of estimate. Costs already incurred are not eligible and should not be included.
Step 5: Submit the application by the closing date
Applications are sent to the Office by email. An application received after the closing date is not assessed, and the applicant is told so within five working days. The Office acknowledges every application within five working days of receipt.
Step 6: Answer any questions from the assessors
Assessors may put questions to an applicant during the technical assessment. Questions are sent by email and normally allow ten working days for a reply. An application is assessed on the papers if no reply is received.
Step 7: Receive the decision and accept the award
Every applicant is notified within thirty working days of the closing date, whether or not an award is made, and unsuccessful applicants are given the reasons. An award is accepted by returning the signed award agreement within twenty working days.
Assessment. Every application passes through six stages between receipt and decision. The periods below are the longest the Office allows itself; most applications are decided sooner.
| Stage | Carried out by | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt and acknowledgement | Grants Office | Within 5 working days of receipt |
| Check for completeness | Grants Office | Within 5 working days of the closing date |
| Eligibility check | Grants Office | Within 10 working days of the closing date |
| Technical assessment | Assessors drawn from member organisations | Within 20 working days of the closing date |
| Grants Panel | Grants Panel | Meets within 25 working days of the closing date |
| Decision and notification | Director of the Grants Office | Within 30 working days of the closing date |
| Award agreement and first payment | Grants Office | Within 15 working days of acceptance |
Criteria. Applications are scored out of one hundred against five published criteria. An application scoring less than fifty is not put before the Grants Panel.
| Criterion | Marks | What is assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Value to the Network | 30 | The benefit the work brings to the Network and to members other than the applicant. |
| Fitness of the proposal | 25 | Whether the work described is likely to achieve the outcome sought, and whether the period allowed is realistic. |
| Capacity to carry out the work | 20 | The applicant's people, equipment and record of completing comparable work. |
| Value for money | 15 | The relation between the cost of the work, the grant sought and the contribution the applicant makes. |
| Durability of the result | 10 | Whether the result remains useful, and remains available to others, after the funded period ends. |
Questions from applicants. The answers below apply to all six programmes unless a programme is named.
The purpose, award range and closing date of each programme are set out on the Programmes page, and the obligations that follow an award on the Conditions of Grant page. Further answers are given in the frequently asked questions. To register an intention to apply, or with any question about an application, write to contact@grants.gov.vin.