Information from Lee Shepherd CLIF Coordinator.

As you may have seen from the latest press release https://www.wealden.gov.uk/news/funding-available-for-organisations-across-wealden-to-improve-local-needs/we are pleased to say that the Fund is now fully open for applications and you can locate all the relevant information on our website here Wealden Community Led Infrastructure Fund (CLIF) - Wealden District Council

There is an option to complete the form electronically online Community-Led Infrastructure Fund Application Pack - Eligibility Criteria Summary - My Wealden or alternatively download a Word version CLIF-App-Form-Word-Version-6-10-25.docx

Please do be aware that if you choose to complete and submit the electronic version online, you should save your responses regularly and after each section. It is advisable to save your responses on a Word document as you go along, to minimise the risk of losing any information you enter.

Whichever option you choose, it is also strongly advisable to read the Guidance Notes https://www.wealden.gov.uk/UploadedFiles/CLIF-Guidance-Notes-6-10-25-1.pdf carefully first to check that any project proposals are currently eligible – I can provide assistance with queries about eligibility, so please do contact me if you need any assistance with clarifying that.

Once you have submitted your application form, we will review the material and clarify whether any further information/clarification is needed in order to support your application. We will keep you up to date with timescales and funding assessment panel meetings as appropriate.

Should your application be successful, we will then send you a specific Funding Agreement and once that is signed by both parties (i.e. your organisation and WDC) you will be able to start on activity funded by the programme. You would then have a set period of time to complete the funded activity from the date of the signed Funding Agreement. Please be aware that because this is a new programme, these timings are currently approximate, but if your application in approved by the funding panel, we would hope to be able to have signed off the Funding Agreement with your organisation within 4-6 weeks.

Please do remember that this Fund is a rolling programme, meaning that there is no formal closing date until the Fund programme ends in 2028 or the total Fund is fully allocated. We recognise that some project proposals will be closer to being ready for submission than others and I would advise ensuring that you develop and submit a full application that meets the eligibility criteria and gives your organisation the best opportunity of success.