It is proposed that rather than the traditional grant scheme that operates in Brentwood, officers will look at developing a civic crowdfunding scheme for the Brentwood and Rochford Strategic Partnership to maximise funds raised for community-based initiatives. The platform gives the local authority sight of all projects in their area, automatically matches projects to their grants, runs due diligence checks on the projects, distributes funds and collects impact data on the projects. It can provide real time data on the crowdfunding projects, detailed reports and can bring multiple funds into one place. The platform will also work with the Council to set the criteria, timeframes, application questions and assess, aggregate, shortlist, review projects

and their impacts into one report. The initial set up costs is £30,000 pa based on a two-year contract and the proposal is that these costs will be split between Brentwood Borough Council and Rochford District Council. The funding pot that will be available will also need to be agreed by both authorities to promote projects within each of their geographical areas. It is proposed that the Brentwood Scheme will be utilising £56,300 from the Community Fund. Other funds that become available can also be added in later once they become available.

Mrs Anderson summarised the report. 

Cllr Russell MOVED and Cllr Gelderbloem SECONDED the recommendations in the report with the addition in recommendation 3 to read:

R3 Delegated Authority is given to the Chief Executive, in consultation

with the relevant Chairs and Portfolio Holders across the Partnership, to agree final arrangements for the Civic Crowdfund Scheme, including process, criteria and the awarding of grants.

Following debate a vote was taken and Members RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY to:

1. Agree that Officers from Brentwood Borough Council work with

Rochford District Council to establish a civic crowdfunding scheme

across both geographical areas.

2. Agree that Brentwood Borough Council will contract ‘Spacehive’ to

provide external management of the scheme on behalf of both

Councils, subject to agreement by Rochford District Council.

3 Delegated Authority is given to the Chief Executive, in consultation

with the relevant Chairs and Portfolio Holders across the Partnership, to agree final arrangements for the Civic Crowdfund Scheme, including process, criteria and the awarding of grants.

4. A review of the benefits of the scheme is undertaken after an initial

period of (2) years and that this is reported back to the relevant

Committee/Cabinet at Brentwood and Rochford.

Reasons for Recommendation

Brentwood Borough Council is committed to empowering communities and

increasing engagement and involvement across the whole borough as it

recovers from the effects of Covid-19. The civic crowdfunding platform aims to

give residents and community groups the ability to attract funding from their

communities, local authority and local businesses in an increasingly challenging financial environment. Civic crowdfunding allows local groups to develop a community project via an online public platform and then seek additional financial support through online pledges. The scheme will build on the successful Brentwood Community Fund, Mental Health Small Grants Scheme, Active Brentwood and Health and Wellbeing Board grant allocations in Brentwood It will allow projects to gain further contributions from a larger pool of people and businesses from match funding.

The aim of the scheme is to support local projects and make communities

stronger, more connected and more empowered by supporting projects that

matter to them. The scheme will enable the Brentwood and Rochford Strategic Partnership to support the priorities of the local communities in their own geographical areas.

Allows both the public and businesses to pledge alongside the Council to

support projects or initiatives.

Recognised by NESTA (UK’s innovation agency for social good) as delivering

high impact empowered communities and the funding of projects that otherwise would not have happened.

The platform also provides good opportunities to create greater community

cohesion across the Borough.