Local Action in Cornwall

Why isn't my area covered?

Local action is being delivered in three areas of Cornwall – Clay Country (covers xxx parishes), East Cornwall (former districts of North Cornwall & Caradon excluding Saltash and Bodmin) and West (former districts of Penwith and Kerrier). Therefore not all of Cornwall is covered, as local action funding is targeting specific areas.

If you are a community group or social enterprise with an idea for a project, but are based outside the local action group’s areas, the Community and Social Enterprise Fund is a good place to start.

Businesses based outside the local action group areas should contact the South West Rural Enterprise Gateway to see what support is available to them.

What's been funded already?

To see a list of projects in each area, follow the links below

For clay click here
For east click here
For west click here

How much money is available?

Each of the local action group areas in Cornwall has been awarded £1.8m to spend – which makes a total of £5.4m overall.

Local action funding originates from the European Union, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (ERDF), Defra, and the South West Regional Development Agency

Will we have to fill in forms?

Yes you will! And probably more than one, but we will try and limit the administrative burden on you whenever we can. Each form has accompanying guidance notes, and we recommend you follow these as they give an indication of what we expect to be answered by each question. 

Will we receive funds in advance?

No – funds are only paid out after evidence of payment has been received. This means that it is important to work out how you will cash flow any project.

We understand this may cause concern, and are working behind the scenes reviewing other options with the Accountable Body.

Can we run cross-Cornwall projects?

If you have an idea for a county wide project, it would be advisable to take a look at the Community and Social Enterprise Fund.

Are there other local action groups?

Local action is operating across the UK, in fact across Europe. There are 15 groups in the South West – the closest being LEADER4 North Devon and Torridge, Greater Dartmoor LEAF, South Devon Coastal and the Isles of Scilly. To find out more visit the RDA web site

How long is the process?

How long is a piece of string? As a rough guide, the main programme project applications are taking roughly 5 – 6 months to complete the process – from submitting an expression of interest, to completing a full application and then hearing a decision. This does sound like a long time, but time does go by very quickly. Most of the time is spent pulling the application together, especially demonstrating need and local support.

The Small Grants schemes (for funding requests under £10,000) will be quicker - from submitting an expression of interest, to completing an application and then hearing a decision could be under two months. But it is essential that the forms are completed rigorously.

But these are rough estimates – it depends on how far advanced the project is when you write your expression of interest, and what resources you have to complete your application.

Why are Bodmin and Saltash excluded from the East Cornwall local action group area?

Bodmin and Saltash are excluded due to their population size – if they were included then the population of the east area would’ve meant east Cornwall being ineligible for the funding.

Our project is right on the border of an area, what should we do?

If your project is close to the border of the local action group, and you think that part of the delivery will be outside the local action group area, then we recommend you speaking to the local action group manager before you start completing any forms.

It is possible to develop projects across local action group borders, but it can get complicated and we suggest seeking advice before you start. 

How long does the funding last?

The RDPE programme runs until the end of 2013, but we expect all projects to end by the end of Sep 2013.

What can't be funded?

The Local Action Group cannot fund continuation of existing activities or services, statutory services or work to meet statutory requirements, routine repairs or maintenance work, general motor vehicles, any expenditure defrayed before the agreed project start, recoverable VAT, costs not directly attributable to project delivery, gifts.

This list is not exhaustive – contact the Local Action Group Manager if you are unsure if elements of your project are eligible.

What is in-kind funding?

In-kind funding is often used as match funding. In-kind funding is for goods/services given ‘in-kind’ to a project, rather than actual hard cash. In-kind can cover time directly attributable to project delivery or donations of goods and services costed at market value. Detailed records will need to be retained, and you will need to tell us how you will document the in-kind funding. A project should ideally have no more than 10% as in-kind funding.

How can I get help?

Your first point of call will be the Local Action Group Manager

Other useful organisations are listed on the links page

Where can I find out about other funders?

Our links page gives details of some different funding bodies.

Grant searches can be performed by the localism team of the Council, or from Voluntary Sector organisations. It may also be worth searching Grantnet which is available on the Cornwall Council web site, or reviewing the Directory of Grant Making Trusts in the library.

If you’ve not found the answer to your question, please email us your question using the feedback page.