This report is for the City Executive Board to make decisions on the allocation of grants to the community and voluntary organisations for 2018/2019.

The Head of Community Services had submitted a report proposing the allocation of grants to community and voluntary organisations through the Community Grants Programme.

Cllr Sinclair, Board Member for Culture and Communities introduced the report which sought, among other things, to provide consistency and stability to the beneficiaries of grants through the move to three rather than annual allocations.

The Grant and External Funding Officer said that the annual open bidding process was in its final phase. The deadline for submission of bids was passed and those submitted would be reviewed the following week.

The Chair noted that Scrutiny Committee had welcomed the response to its recommendations about grant allocations.

Cllr Smith, Board Member for  Leisure, Parks and Sport, noted the importance of robust monitoring given the move to three year allocations. The Grant and External Funding Officer confirmed that such monitoring would be in place

The City Executive Board resolved to:

1.         Approve the recommendations for the commissioning programme as set out in Appendices 1 and 2;

2.         Delegate authority to the Head of Community Services, in consultation with the Executive Members for Customer and Corporate Services and Culture and Communities, to approve the recommendations for applications received to the grants open bidding programme for the period of 2018-21 and allocate funding to art and culture organisations that apply for funding through this theme from April 2019; and

3.         Delegate authority to the Executive Director for Organisational Development and Corporate Services in consultation with the Executive Members for Customer and Corporate Services and Culture and Communities to allocate the development fund in the Advice and Money Management commissioning theme for the period of 2018-21.