Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism
Print version of: http://www.nccri.ie/action-plan-conditions.html

Grants Scheme for Anti-Racism Initiatives - Conditions

The Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform in conjunction with the NCCRI wishes to announce a grant scheme in advance of the launch of the National Action Plan Against Racism (NPAR)

Purpose

Following a commitment made at the world Conference in September 2001 and in tandem with a commitment in Sustaining Progress the NPAR will be launched later this year.

The purpose of the grants scheme is to support the aims of the NPAR. The framework of the Plan includes the themes of Protection, Inclusion, Provision, Recognition and Participation. More details of the Plan can be found in a document entitled Diverse Voices available at www.justice.ie.


Grant Guidelines and Conditions

Applications are invited from public, voluntary and community/ non government sector for the development of actions, initiatives or projects which:

  • Promote Strategic alliances within the community & voluntary sector, particularly in relation to existing initiatives in community development partnerships and area development management initiatives.
  • Provide linkages between existing infrastructure and new developments, and encourage participation and networking of groups at both local and regional level.
  • Build the capacity of minority groups to participate and represent themselves in all aspects of Irish Social, political and cultural life.
  • Mainstream existing projects & work in this area to ensure effective and efficient use of resources, sharing information and learning across different sectors.
  • Provide for institutional change to tackle the potential issue of racism in the workplace and in service provision.

There are two types of grants available:

Scheme A will provide for amounts of between €3,000 and €7,000 which

  • Stimulate a public awareness of racism
  • Help to create the conditions that make it more difficult for racism to exist; and/or,
  • Promote an inclusive approach to minority ethnic groups.

Scheme B will provide for amounts of between €10,000 and €15,000 which are strategic projects involving a number of partners which offer the potential to assist in the development of an integrated and sustainable approach to anti-racism and which add value to existing initiatives or which develop new initiatives in this area.

Grants funds are not available under these schemes for

  • individuals;   
  • profit-driven initiatives;
  • salaries or wages (once-off fees may be admissible);
  • travel or subsistence expenses; or,
  • purchase of equipment or furniture.

ASSESSING APPLICATIONS

A panel comprising representatives of the NCCRI and the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform will decide the outcome of applications and will apply the following principles in judging applications:

  • The extent to which the initiative is consistent with at least one of the five key themes of the NPAR;
  • The active participation of minority groups in all stages of the development of the initiative;
  • potential impact;
  • value for money;
  • clarity and quality of the application; and,

In the case of Schemes B

  • added value to existing initiatives;
  • the potential sustainability of the initiative; and
  • reasonable guarantee of learning from the initiative;
  • evidence of innovation in the strategies, approach and methodologies proposed;
  • evidence of an active partnership between a number of relevant organisations, in the planning, design and evaluation of initiatives;

The right to refuse a grant or to provide only a part of a grant amount in particular cases is reserved. Where the full amount requested is not awarded, the grant recipient will be required to certify, prior to the issue of the grant amount, that the project will be able to proceed with the reduced funding and to identify other sources of funding for the project.

It is expected that decisions on successful applications will be finalised by the end of November 2004.

WHO CAN APPLY

The following groups are eligible to apply:

  • Local development partnerships, neighbourhood groups, sports groups, youth groups and youth organisations and, women’s groups;
  • Representatives of minority groups and organisations working with minority groups;
  • Community development organisations;
  • Individual trade unions and affiliated groupings
  • Voluntary public and private services organisations;
  • Church groups, including local parish organisations;
  • Education groups including: parent/teacher associations, student groups, pre-school groups, individual primary schools, secondary schools, universities, student unions, development education organisations and adult education groups;
  • Arts bodies at national, regional and local level including performance arts companies;
  • Media groups; community and local radio stations; and,
  • Not for profit organisations.

Applications will not be considered from groups/organisations which have not submitted the required evaluation and financial reports in respect of previous Know Racism grants by 29th October 2004.

HOW TO APPLY

More information on the grant scheme including application forms, grant guidelines and conditions, criteria etc. are available at www.nccri.ie or www.justice.ie or www.knowracism.ie, by phone 01-8588000 or by writing to:

NCCRI
20 Harcourt St
Dublin

Two signed hard copies of the completed application form should be submitted to the above address before the deadline of 5pm Friday 29th October 2004.  Applications by fax or e-mail will not be accepted.

Correspondence relating to the application will not be accepted after the deadline.

CONDITIONS FOR FUNDING

The following conditions apply to the grant of funds under this scheme:

  1. Groups / organisations must provide, as part of their application, a plan of their proposed project with estimated cost of the project, distinguishing between administrative costs and cost of activities.  Funding provided by other sources in respect of the relevant project or initiative must be identified.

  2. Grant funds must only be used to implement  the action, initiative or project specified in the grant application.

  3. In keeping with the requirement to ensure value for money in this grant scheme, which has a limited budget, funding will not be provided for projects which duplicate or do not add value to existing initiatives.

  4. Recipients of grants from Schemes A and B must comply with the Accounting Conditions (below) and with the requirement to provide an Evaluation Report. Scheme A recipients are required to provide a statement, (along with receipts where appropriate) and an Evaluation Report.

  5. The NCCRI should be notified of any changes in the details which may arise after the grant application has been submitted or of any difficulties which arise that threaten the successful execution of the grant proposal.

  6. The support of the Nation Action Plan Against Racism (NPAR) must be acknowledged in all publicity and publications relating to actions, initiatives or projects funded under the grant scheme.

  7. Appropriate  language / terminology should be used in any communication relating to the project. (Information, including definitions of racism, racial discrimination, etc. are available on the KNOW RACISM web site at: www.knowracism.ie.)

  8. As stated above, applications cannot be considered from groups / organisations that have not provided the required reports in respect of previous Know Racism grants by 29th October 2004.

Before you can receive a grant

ACCOUNTING CONDITIONS

  1. Recipients of grant amounts exceeding €2,000 must comply with the Financial Control Procedures for Grant Recipients, as per Appendix attached.

  2. Detailed accounts in respect of the expenditure on grant amounts exceeding € 2,000 must be submitted to the NCCRI as soon as possible and not later than four months from the date the grant amount was issued. The following is required:

    1. An Income and Expenditure Account, including receipts, certified by two authorised signatories of the group as evidence that the money was spent on the proposed project. The group’s / organisation’s auditors, should certify that the grant amount was used for the purpose for which it was provided.

    2. In cases where there are a number of funding sources, a detailed breakdown of the total expenditure of the project showing funding received from all sources, including receipts.

  3. In all cases, where a proposed action, initiative or project fails to materialise within six months from the receipt of the grant, the grant amount should be returned to the NCCRI with an explanation as to why the grant proposal was not undertaken.

  4. In cases where only part of the grant amount was used, the remaining portion of the grant amount must be returned to the NCCRI.   

TAX CLEARANCE PROCEDURES

Groups / organisations must provide

  • their Tax Reference Number, the name of the tax office dealing with their affairs, a certificate that their tax affairs are in order and where appropriate, for grants over  €6,500, a current tax clearance certificate issued by the Revenue Commissioners,

        or

  • in cases where they are recognised as charities by the Revenue Commissioners, their CHY number;

After the Project is completed

EVALUATION REPORT

A report on the grant-aided project describing any lessons learned and difficulties encountered along with, if possible, an assessment of outcomes, must be submitted to the NCCRI soon after the completion of the project. Copies or samples of any publications, resource materials, etc., developed as part of the project, should be included.

APPENDIX

NATIONAL ACTION PLAN AGAINST RACISM

FINANCIAL CONTROL PROCEDURES FOR GRANT RECIPIENTS

1. Financial Records

1.1    Groups / organisations must separately account for the funding received. This can be achieved by opening a separate bank account and by maintaining a separate analysis within their books and records in respect of funding.

1.2    The group / organisation committee should approve the opening of the bank account, together with the cheque signatories, and this should be recorded in the minutes. The bank mandate should provide for at least two cheque signatories in respect of all payments.

1.3     The cheque signatories should not sign cheques payable to themselves.

1.4    Bank reconciliations must be completed on a regular basis, i.e., monthly, and they must be reviewed at an appropriate level within the group / organisation.

1.5    The authorisation limits for payments must be clearly documented and the certification of same should be evidenced by means of cheque requisition forms. All moneys must be used exclusively for eligible expenditure.

1.6    Payments should only be made on the basis of original invoices, as opposed to copy invoices, quotations, supplier’s statements, etc., and all invoices should be cancelled following payment by means of a “date paid” stamp.

1.7     The following accounting records must be maintained:

  1. Cash book (record of the source of all moneys received, showing the destination bank account(s) where moneys were lodged).

  2. Cheque payments journal

  3. Invoices, delivery dockets and purchase orders in respect of issued cheques.

  4. Where applicable, payroll calculations, corresponding to net salary cheques, e.g., completed tax deduction cards.

  5.  Bank lodgement books.

1.8    An independent reconciliation between the audited accounts and the cumulative financial returns to NCCRI prepared by the group / organisation is required as an additional control. This should show no variances between the returns and the financial statements apart from the treatment of depreciation, fixed assets, etc.

1.9    There must be a transparent audit trail between the books and records of grant recipients and the financial returns submitted to NCCRI.

1.10    All accounting records must be retained for a minimum period of 6 years.

1.11     Three quotations must be obtained for all significant payments, i.e., in excess of € 635.

1.12    Written records of all group / organisation committee decisions relating to payments must be maintained.

1.13    All payments must be paid promptly, i.e., on a monthly basis.

1.14.    For all grants in excess of €5,000, groups / organisations must submit a copy of their Audited Annual Financial Statements to NCCRI before 31st December. In the event that the group is not incorporated, financial statements with an attached report from a Professional Accountant will suffice. The Statements should include a separate schedule, which provides details of income and expenditure pertaining solely to funds.

2. Drawdown Requests

2.1 Groups / organisations must submit the following information to NCCRI            prior to the payment of the initial grant instalments:

    • Letter of acceptance, including the group’s agreement to any additional requirements attached to the funding.

    • Budget analysis and profile of expenditure.

    • The group’s tax clearance certificate.

    • Details of the internal financial procedures of the group / organisation.

    • Bank account details.

    • Contact name in relation to the funding.

    • Copy of Certificate of Incorporation, (where a company is registered under the Companies Acts).


2.2    For subsequent draw downs, NCCRI requires the completion of cumulative quarterly returns in respect of all strands of funding, but may request more frequent returns in certain circumstances. The returns must be completed on a receipts and payments basis and linked to bank reconciliations. A copy bank statement covering the relevant date, together with an outstanding cheque listing, must support the closing balance per the bank reconciliations.


3. Procurement

3.1    Groups / organisations must ensure that value for money is obtained in the procurement of goods and services.     

3.2    Tax clearance certificates must be obtained for cumulative payments in excess of € 6,500 per annum. Tax reference numbers should be obtained for all payments in excess of €650 per annum.

3.3    When awarding contracts, competitive tendering should take place in accordance with recognised Public Service procedures. The criteria used to award the contract must be documented. Comprehensive contracts should be in place in respect of all services commissioned by the group / organisation, such as consultancy, facilitation, training, etc. The contracts should set out the tasks involved and provide for an all-inclusive fee for same.

4.    Audit

The records, referred to above, should be made available on request for audit by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Under the Comptroller and Auditor General Act, 1993, the Comptroller may audit the records of any organisation in receipt of State funds.