Application Process

Your Online Account

You can create an online account by simply registering an email address and creating a password. Once created, you can start a new application, continue a saved one or contact a member of the team. All messages and documents sent to Valencia Communities Fund should be made through this account by clicking “start a new conversation” on your application page.

Stage 1 Application Form

This short application allows us to ascertain the eligibility of your project and organisation for funding. You will be required to upload the following documents:

  • Constitution or equivalent
  • A copy of your environmental body registration certificate (if applicable)
  • Lease or proof of ownership of the project site. A lease must have at least ten years left to run without break clauses
  • Evidence of permissions for the project to go ahead, such as a faculty or planning permission
  • A copy of your membership scheme (if applicable)

All permissions relating to the project works, such as planning permission or faculty, must be in place prior to submission of the stage 1 to Valencia Communities Fund.

We aim to process stage 1 applications within three days of receipt. There is no set deadline by which stage 1 applications must be submitted, though they may not be processed for up to ten working days, if they are submitted near one of our four quarterly deadlines for stage 2 applications.

Stage 2 Application Form

You will be invited to complete the stage 2 application once we have processed your stage 1 and found it eligible. The stage 2 application is an in-depth look at your proposed project, and you will be required to provide further documentation:

  • Annual accounts
  • Insurance documents for the facility
  • Maintenance and management plan for the facility
  • Access statement for the facility
  • Evidence of permissions for the project to go ahead, such as a faculty or planning permission
  • Photographs of the proposed project site
  • Evidence of secured funding
  • Three comparable quotations for each element for which funding is requested
  • Evidence of public support

All Stage 2 applications must be submitted in full by the closing date to be assessed for the next available meeting. Incomplete applications may be deferred to a later quarter.

Any application that is not complete or that has any issues around the closing date will not be considered at the following meeting. You are strongly advised to submit your stage 2 application far in advance of the closing date to ensure that any issues with your application can be resolved before the closing date. 

VAT

VAT should be included within the total project cost of the application. Where the applicant is unable to recover the VAT, it must be included within the amount requested from Valencia Communities Fund. If the applicant is able to recover the VAT in part or in full, VAT should then be excluded from the amount requested from Valencia Communities Fund and shown as a funding shortfall. Valencia Communities Fund will not consider funding any VAT costs if any amount of it can be reclaimed.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to be aware of their position of reclaiming VAT. If the information provided proves to be incorrect or subject to change and VAT becomes non-reclaimable, Valencia Communities Fund is unable to consider any requests for additional funding to cover the unexpected VAT cost, or pay the VAT out of the existing award.

Other Important Information

Certain conditions must be met in order to qualify for funding:

  • Awards will be for capital expenditure only.
  • Applicants will have to secure a contribution from an independent Contributing Third Party, separate to any award from Valencia Communities Fund, payable within one month of any award (see below).
  • Valencia Communities Fund will register for approval all projects with ENTRUST. 
  • Funded project activities must be approved by ENTRUST before the commencement of any works. If ENTRUST approval is not given, for whatever reason, any offer of funding will be automatically withdrawn. Any works that take place prior to ENTRUST approval will not be funded. Valencia Communities Fund will only make payments to projects within ENTRUST’s approval window.
  • Environmental Bodies: If the applicant organisation is an enrolled Environmental Body, Valencia Communities Fund will register any project with ENTRUST and will release funds only to the contractor, not to the applicant Environmental Body.
  • The Funding Agreement, provided by Valencia Communities Fund, will need to be agreed by the applicant before the commencement of any works.

  • If successful, projects have a strict timescale to adhere to in terms of drawing down funding.

    The Applicant must not enter into any contract or obligation that incurs expenditure against the Project prior to consideration by the Funding Group and before approval of the Project activities by ENTRUST. This may affect any offer of funding.