FAQ

General

What is the Outer London Fund? And what is the Mayor trying to achieve?

• The objective of the Outer London Fund is to strengthen the vibrancy and growth of high streets and their environs. These are the parts of London where the public life and the everyday economy is focused. These places can range from local parades of shops to major town centres. At the centre of the initiative is funding of up to £50 million over three years, supported by the offer of advice that can be targeted at improving the character, quality and economic vitality of selected high street places.

Who is administering the Fund?

• The Mayor’s Outer London Fund is a GLA project, supported by Design for London.

Applying

Who could apply?

• In Round One, only boroughs were eligible to apply, though with as much support from, and partnership with, others as possible. Round Two applications could be made by a range of organisations including community, creative, cultural and business groups. All bids must have the agreement of a local authority to act as the accountable body.

How many projects or places could each organisation apply for?

• Each organisation could propose as many high street places with as many projects in each as they see fit. A separate bid should have been submitted for each place.

When were the application deadlines?

• The Round One deadline was 18th July 2011. The Round Two deadline was 14th November 2011.

Funding & Support

How much funding is available in Round One?

• Up to £10 million in total will be allocated in Round One.

How much funding is available in Round Two?

• Up to £40 million in total will be allocated in Round Two.

What can the money be spent on?

• There is flexibility about what actions and projects the initiative can support, as long as they are part of a coherent package focused on the uplift of high street places that are most deserving and will clearly benefit from this initiative; helping their self-confidence, vibrancy and economic growth. Please refer to the prospectus for a list of the types of actions we have in mind, which range from modest awareness and enthusiasm-raising efforts, to more substantial built works and development-enabling projects. It is anticipated that Round One projects will generally focus more on the lighter-touch actions, whereas Round Two projects are expected to have a higher proportion of more substantial actions with a focus on physical projects. No type of action, however, is exclusive to either round. 

Could project management costs be included in bids?

• There is room to include resourcing costs in the bid, so long as all posts that use OLF funding are directly related to proposed projects and only last for the duration of the project i.e. up to three years. Project management costs can be for up to a maximum of 10% of the project value. Boroughs will need to demonstrate additionality with regard to these costs. OLF funding cannot be used to support existing funded posts.

Could funding for new internal resources be included in bids?

• Funding may be used to establish new internal resources to meet the wider aims of your proposal. You will need to demonstrate that the resource is discrete and adds value beyond project administration. Additionally, you will be required to provide evidence that the resource is supported by the local business community.

What if my Round One project starts but doesn't finish by March 2012?

• The Outer London Fund can contribute to a larger project which extends beyond the funding period. However, all OLF eligible spend for Round One must be achieved before March 2012. Eligible spend for Round Two will need to be achieved by March 2014.

Is the funding capital or revenue?

• The funding is predominately capital, however, revenue funding can be made available, particularly in the first round of the initiative. Applicants should clearly articulate the capital/revenue split within each application.

What do the grant conditions look like?

• Each grant award is composed of a series of standard grant conditions (see the Funding Agreement State Aid Provisions Template which can be downloaded from the Outer London Fund web page) and sets out the objectives, milestones and funding schedule alongside a detailed description of the proposal to be agreed as part of project tailoring. 

What kind of specialist assistance will be offered?

• This assistance will include a pre-procured team that specialises in economic development, place shaping and public realm projects, special event planning, community engagement and marketing to assist winning organisations in getting confirmed grant agreements. Additionally, Design for London will offer advice to applying and winning organisation, as resources allow and coordinate input from across the GLA group.

Selection Process

What are the selection criteria?

• The process of selecting places to receive support included review by a panel and a decision taken by the Mayor. The panel utilised the criteria below to assess suitability for funding and support. Proposals should describe the place and proposed actions, and explain how the following criteria are met. For a full list of criteria, please refer to the Outer London Fund prospectus.

1. Geographic Suitability: The place should be one that will likely benefit less directly than other places from Crossrail, the 2012 Olympic investment and other strategic infrastructure and regeneration projects.
2. Deliverability: Proposed actions should be ready for immediate delivery with all Round One grants spent by March 2012.
3. Vibrancy and Growth: The proposed actions should promote the place as a business location, site for residential growth and a focus for the local community, in a way that enhances the place and can be achieved at modest public cost.
4. Place-Shaping: The proposed actions should help shape a better place and be coordinated with other change taking place there. The process of shaping a place should carefully enhance assets, take advantage of opportunities for well-designed developments and overcome site-specific challenges.
5. Collaboration and Support:  There should be a good level of political and community momentum behind enhancing the place and the proposed actions should aim to cater for and provide benefits to various segments of the community.

How will geographic eligibility be determined?

• No organisation was excluded from bidding based on geography. Places that best meet the Geographic Suitability criterion were those that have benefited less or are likely to benefit less directly from recent and forthcoming major infrastructure investments across London, including: Crossrail, the DLR extension, and the new rail extension on the Overground, as well as the Olympic Park infrastructure.  The assessment of the likely benefit of Crossrail to a proposed Outer London Fund place will include referencing the Crossrail Distribution of Benefits Paper (2010). 

Who determines the winning bids?

• The process of selecting places to receive support included review by a panel and a decision taken by the Mayor.