Tourism Development Fund ( TDF ) Guidelines for Grant Applicants

Transcription

1 Turism Develpment Fund ( TDF ) Guidelines fr Grant Applicants Cntents 1. Abut the TDF 2. Applicant Eligibility 3. Grant Assessment Criteria 4. Business Plans & Accunts 5. Applicatin Prcedures 6. Agreements with Successful Applicants 7. Pst Event Evaluatin Reprting 8. TDF Cntact & Applicatin Frms 1. Abut the TDF The TDF was established by the States f Jersey in 2004 t prvide grant funding twards prjects that will: Increase visitrs t Jersey; Be sustainable in years t cme; Be aligned with the Turism Strategy; and Attract and leverage ther surces f investment in turism. The TDF perates thrugh an Advisry Panel, appinted by the Minister fr Ecnmic Develpment, Turism, Sprt and Culture ( EDTSC ), fllwing a selectin prcess verseen by the Appintments Cmmissin. The Panel is tasked with encuraging, reviewing and assessing grant applicatins. The current members f the TDF Advisry Panel wh prvide their services n an hnrary basis and are independent frm the Ecnmic Develpment, Turism, Sprt and Culture Department are: Jhn Henwd (Interim Chairman) Natalie Duffy Stephen Law Daphne East Page 1 f 8

2 The TDF is funded by the States f Jersey via EDTSC. At present there is n set minimum r maximum t the amunt f the grants that may be awarded t applicants. Please refer t the TDF website fr further infrmatin n backgrund, plicy and prcedures, minutes f meetings and past grants awarded: 2. Applicant Eligibility A. General Guidelines In general grant applicatins will be cnsidered frm: Jersey based rganisatins; Private and vluntary sectr rganisatins including charitable and limited liability entities; Gvernmental rganisatins, will nly be cnsidered in exceptinal circumstances either where there is a clear explanatin as t why departmental budgets are unavailable and prjects wuld nly prceed with utside supprt; Applicants must be able t demnstrate in their applicatin: That the grant request is fr specific prjects r events ver and abve business as usual expenditure; That the prject r event will benefit the brader turism industry rather than ne individual rganisatin; That there is sufficient lead time fr the grant funding t make a difference. Requests fr retrspective funding will nt be cnsidered. B. Private Sectr Organisatins The States f Jersey apprved a prpsitin in 2012 which enables the TDF t cnsider grant applicatins frm the private sectr as well as nt fr prfit rganisatins. The first applicatins frm private sectr rganisatins were cnsidered in the Autumn applicatin rund f The TDF is cntinuing t develp guidelines fr cnsidering private sectr applicatins and the fllwing are indicative rather than prescriptive: In general the TDF is unlikely t cnsider applicatins fr mre than 50% f csts f asset purchases; The applicant will need t demnstrate the sustainability f the prject r enterprise; The TDF will lk t the wners and stakehlders t cntribute a significant element f the funding required fr a prject; Page 2 f 8

3 The TDF will cnsider supprting Exceptinal marketing spend, ver and abve business as usual Event led turism Infrastructure develpment C. Sprting rganisatins In general: The TDF is unlikely t cntribute t csts related t prjects cnsidered t be sprts develpment rather than turism develpment; The TDF will cnsider supprting activities that attract additinal visiting spectatrs t attend sprting events in additin t the participants; The TDF will als cnsider supprting sprting activities that have an internatinal marketing value fr the Island e.g. thse capable f attracting brad scale media cverage as well as visitrs. 3. Grant Assessment Criteria The Panel will cnsider the fllwing criteria when assessing applicatins: - T what extent will the prject increase visitr numbers ver and abve thse that are cming already? Fr example: If an event is already ging ahead, will the grant applied fr mean mre peple will cme as a result ver and abve thse cming already? Will it help t extend the length f the seasn? Will it enhance the visitrs experience t encurage a return visit and recmmendatins t thers? - T what extent will the prject bring sustainable returns? Fr example: Once established, will the prject/initiative be self-sustainable withut further TDF funding in years t cme? If funded, will the impact f the prject/initiative have a lng-lasting effect? Des the prject have detailed marketing and business plans that set ut hw the prject will attract visitrs and generate returns? Page 3 f 8

4 - T what extent is the prject aligned with the Island s verall Turism Strategy?* Fr example: Will it help develp Jersey int a year rund staying-leisure visitr ecnmy? Will it increase the value generated frm the staying leisure visitr ecnmy? Will it increase the number f lcals emplyed in the Turism sectr? Will it maximise the investment made int the staying leisure visitr ecnmy? - What wuld happen withut the TDF funding? Fr example: Wuld the prject still g ahead? Wuld the prject be substantially less successful in attracting visitrs? - Will the prject leverage ther surces f investment in Turism? Fr example: T what extent will the grant be supplemented by ther funds (frm the rganisatin/ther surces) which will increase the verall level f investment in turism? In general, prjects will be funded up t a maximum f 50% f the ttal cst f prject. 4. Business Plans and accunts All Applicatins shuld be accmpanied by the Financial Accunts f the applicant. If investment in the prject is supprted thrugh an assciated cmpany, partnership r jint venture, the accunts f these entities shuld be prvided as well. Applicatins fr funds must be accmpanied by a rbust Business Plan. The Plan shuld cntain (but nt be limited t): Objectives f the Prject; Backgrund t the rganisatin; A budget fr the prject and explanatin f ther funding streams; A clear explanatin n the level f funding being requested frm the TDF and the ratinale behind the request; Page 4 f 8

5 A prject plan as t hw it will be delivered; Illustratin f hw the prject meets the assessment criteria; An analysis f risks t the prject and mitigating strategies; Fr applicatins ver 25,000 an assessment f alternative financing ptins that have been cnsidered (e.g. ding nthing r ding smething less cstly). Applicatins shuld be accmpanied by financial infrmatin n the applicant. As a guideline: Fr new entities a list f the stakehlders, cmmitted funding surces, capital and s frth shuld be clearly set ut; Fr grants up t 100,000, audited r unaudited accunts fr the rganisatin including histrical prfit and lss and balance sheet issued within six mnths f the applicant s year end; Cpies f the accunts f the rganisatin shuld be included with all applicatins where pssible and will be requested in advance f grant apprval. 5. Applicatin Prcedures Advertisements are placed in the Jersey Evening Pst and n the TDF website. The clsing dates fr the receipt f applicatins are clearly set ut. All applicatins are reviewed by the staff supprting the TDF and then reviewed in the meetings f the Panel. Panel members and supprting staff may ask t meet with the applicants, visit sites and seek further infrmatin. Applicants may be invited t meet with the Panel. All minutes f Panel meetings are recrded and published n the website fllwing apprval. Page 5 f 8

6 A diagram utlining the review prcess fllws: Optin t appeal t the Minister Refuse nt eligible fr grant TDF Panel reject applicatin Submit t Minister r Treasury if required Applicatin submitted t TDF via EDTSC Submit t Panel fr Evaluatin TDF Panel agree t supprt applicatin EDTSC cmmunicates decisin, draw up cntract fr payments Review and evaluate prject Request further infrmatin TDF Panel Request infrmatin r a presentatin The recmmendatins f the Panel are cnveyed t the applicants within seven days f the decisin. 6. Agreements with Successful Applicatins Fllwing the apprval f an applicatin the nrmal prcedure is as fllws: A letter f agreement will be executed between the TDF/EDTSC and the applicant setting ut the details f the grant, delivery stages fr the prject r event, and payment dates. Details f publicity, and the use f the TDF lg if applicable will be agreed; TDF supprting staff will mnitr the prgress f the grant and prvide advice and assistance as required; A retentin payment will be set which will nt be paid until the event r prject has been cmpleted. Nrmally this cnstitutes 5% f the grant; Additinal financial infrmatin may be required; Grants and applicants will be reviewed t ensure they are cmpliant with the States f Jersey Financial Directive 5.5, Management f Grants. (See table belw). Page 6 f 8

7 Amunt f grant Greater than 100,000 Between 25,000 and 100,000 Less than 25,000 Financial accunts Audited, signed accunts must be prvided within 6 mnths f the rganisatin s year end. Unaudited, signed accunts must be prvided within 6 mnths f the rganisatin s year end. Unaudited, signed Incme and Expenditure Statement must be prvided within 6 mnths f the rganisatin s year end. Publicatin f accunts The signed Accunts will be published by the Treasury in a reprt t the States. The signed Accunts will be retained at departmental level and made available t individual States Members n request. The signed Statement will be retained at departmental level and made available t individual States Members n request. 7. Pst Event Evaluatin A Pst Event Evaluatin reprt will be required frm all rganisatins in receipt f a TDF grant. The reprt shuld be submitted n later than three mnths fllwing the cmpletin f the event r prject. The reprt shuld include, but nt be limited t, the fllwing infrmatin: An verview f the cmpleted prject; An Incme and Expenditure statement if applicable; A breakdwn shwing the use f the TDF grant; Attendance statistics including details n visitrs; An evaluatin f the prject cmpared with the applicatin bjectives. Any ther supprting dcumentatin which demnstrates the perfrmance f the Grant The retentin payment element f a grant will nt be settled until the Pst Event Evaluatin reprt is received and apprved. 8. Applicatin Frm, Further Infrmatin & Assistance All applicatins shuld be submitted using ur Applicatin Frm fund n the webpage. The frm is designed t prvide basic infrmatin and applicants are encuraged t prvide additinal infrmatin, and presentatins which enhance their applicatin. Fr further infrmatin and assistance please cntact: Page 7 f 8

8 Susie Gmes s.gmes@gv.je Tel: Turism Develpment Fund February 2016 Page 8 f 8