Guidelines for applicants to the SRA Community Flood Action Fund (CFAF)
The Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) partnership is now offering grants to reduce the risks and impacts of flooding in Somerset through a new Community Flood Action Fund (CFAF).
You can apply for a grant of between £3,000 and £20,000.
Below are some general guidelines about SRA objectives and what grants can and cannot be used for; some information about other funding opportunities and catchment and sub-catchment resources; important advice about saving your online application form; and specific CFAF application form guidelines, cross-referenced to that form.
General guidelines
SRA objectives
Works should accord with the first of the SRA’s objectives, in its Strategy 2024-34, ideally more. The five objectives are:
- Reduce the risks and impacts of flooding across Somerset
- Maintain access and connections during times of flood for communities and businesses across Somerset
- Increase the resilience of people, places and the environment to flooding, while adapting to climate change
- Protecting Somerset’s economy from the impacts of flooding, promote business confidence and encourage new opportunities
- Conserve and enhance Somerset’s special environment (natural, built, social, cultural) for all who live and work in Somerset and visit
What CFAF grants can be used for
- Maintenance or improvement works that meet one or more of our objectives
- Flood risk reduction works that meet one or more of our objectives
- Surveys, permits or permissions that are directly linked to delivery as part of your project
- Projects that can be completed within nine months of the date of the grant being awarded
What CFAF grants cannot be used for
- Works costing more than £20,000
- Actions that only benefit a single household, landowner or business
- Feasibility studies or investigation reports
- Community or training events
- Flood recovery support
Other funding opportunities
There are further opportunities for SRA funding through the following schemes:
Hills to Levels advice and capital grants via the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group SouthWest (FWAG SW)
Trees for Water Action Fund via Reimagining The Levels
Grants for flood-related equipment and training through Somerset Prepared
See also (non SRA-funded): Somerset Community Foundation grants for Somerset organisations
Catchment and sub-catchment information
To help with understanding your local context, you can view information about which catchment and sub-catchment your project will take place in by accessing an interactive map here: Map of Somerset river catchments and sub-catchments
On the map you will also be able to check if a river near to you is a Main River or an Ordinary Watercourse. This may be important if you need to apply for permissions such as a Flood Risk Activity Permit or Land Drainage Consent.
Saving and returning to your online application form
Follow the steps outlined below to firstly save your online form, and then to save a link to it, so that you can return to your form at any time until you are ready to submit your final application.
If you are working on your application, and want to go back to an earlier section, use the back button in the bottom left hand corner of the form, not your browser’s back function. Do this to avoid a potential problem with the form freezing.
Specific CFAF application form guidelines
The guidelines below are cross-referenced to the CFAF application form, and numbered in the same way.
Applicant details
1.1 Contact details
Please complete all fields. If you are not the first point of contact for the delivery of this project, please provide their contact details too.
1.2 Type of Organisation
The programme is open to not-for-profit organisations. Examples:
- Registered charities
- Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
- Charitable companies
- Companies limited by guarantee without share capital
- Community Interest Companies (CICs) limited by guarantee without share capital
- Local Authorities including Town and Parish Councils, Parish Meetings, Community Benefit Societies, Co-operatives, Industrial and Provident Societies
If you are a community group or local flood group, to apply, we would encourage you to work with your local parish or town council.
If you are a Parish Meeting, please contact us before you submit your application.
1.3 Local Community Networks (LCNs)
Somerset Council’s LCN’s are the ‘voice’ of Somerset communities. They’re about engagement and improving outcomes for residents through establishing strong connections between Somerset Council, communities, businesses and partners. If you have not already engaged with yours, you may wish to seek its support for your project. You can find out more here: Somerset Local Community Networks
1.4 Eligibility
For registered charities, charitable companies and CIOs we expect there to be:
- a minimum of three Trustees who are unrelated
- a bank account in the name of the organisation with a minimum of two bank signatories who are unrelated
- an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy, or similar document
- a safeguarding policy
For social enterprise structures including companies limited by guarantee and CICs, we expect there to be:
- a full asset lock
- a dissolution clause
- a minimum of three Directors who are unrelated, and where no Director has significant control
- a bank account in the name of the organisation with a minimum of two bank signatories who are unrelated
- An Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy, or similar document
- A safeguarding Policy
Project information
2.1 Need
What is the problem that your project is seeking to address? (Up to 300 words)
Please provide a detailed rationale to justify the support of public funding.
Tell us why your project is needed. For example, what is the history of flooding in this area?
If known, please include data on past incidents or statistics on the frequency or the severity of flooding in the area.
Have there been any previous feasibility studies or investigations which have identified the need?
2.2 Project description
Your answer here will help us understand the nature of the project. (Up to 300 words). It should include details of:
What the project is – a summary of the key activities and methodology.
How will the project change flood risk, positively and negatively, in the area? You must consider any negative impacts as well as the positive impacts.
A timeline for delivery with key milestones.
At the SRA, we think about flooding across a whole catchment. How does, or could, your project be contributing to reducing flooding in the wider catchment e.g. upstream or downstream?
2.3 Project partners
(Up to 250 words) We welcome projects which demonstrate working together and deliver multiple benefits.
Please tell us about which organisations will be involved in the delivery of the project.
Please list the names and contact details of any partners – also stating which is the lead partner and what their roles are. Contractors are not partners.
2.4 Project outputs and benefits
(Up to 250 words)
Project outputs
Tell us what the outputs will be and when you expect each of these to be delivered.
Examples of project outputs in a flood risk project might include constructed flood banks, drainage systems, tons of silt removed, length of river desilted, number of trees planted, number of attenuation features.
Project benefits
What benefits/improvements will the project make, and when do you expect these to happen?
Examples of project benefits would be the reduced flood risk, fewer flood-related damages, and increased community safety.
2.5 Project start and completion date
Tell us when you estimate that the project will start and finish. Please note we expect projects to start within three months of a grant being awarded and be completed within nine months.
Please note that you will be notified of the outcome of your application between 6 – 8 weeks after each quarterly deadline date. Your start date should not be before this time period.
2.6 Location
Tell us where the project will take place. If your project is site-specific, please provide a grid reference (Grid Reference Finder). If there will be benefit to a wider geographical area, please tell us about this. (Up to 150 words)
Please tell us what level and type of flood risk is known at your location. The following link will show you the risk of flooding at your location: Check your long-term flood risk
Please upload a document / map showing your project location(s). Remember that on this website there is this map of Somerset river catchments and sub-catchments, which could be useful (for example, you might be able to get screenshots of your project location and use those as a base for annotation).
We welcome applications that:
- Foster a catchment-based approach
- Encourage connection between communities within the same catchment
2.7 Consents, licencing and land ownership
Do you own the land where the project will take place, or do you have consent from the landowner? If not, please state the owner’s name and address. Please attach a copy of an agreement letter from the landowner.
Does this location involve a riparian owner, and are the necessary permissions in place? See HM Government – Owning a Watercourse
You must find out which permissions and licences you need to maintain, repair, build or remove anything in or around a watercourse or on the floodplain: i.e., is this a main river, ordinary water course etc? See Flood Risk Activities – environmental permits
It is your responsibility as the applicant to secure all necessary permits and permissions required to deliver the project.
2.8 Project Risk
How have you considered the risks associated with the project?
Tell us about any key risks linked to the delivery of the project. e.g financial, project timescale, reputation, environmental and what mitigation actions have been identified?
Where you have identified a risk, please explain how you plan to mitigate it. (Maximum 250 words)
2.9 Monitoring
Please explain how you will oversee delivery of the project.
Please also explain how you will know that the project has achieved what you set out to achieve. (Maximum 250 words)
Project costs
3.1 Project costs
Please provide the total project cost and the total grant amount being applied for.
Please download and complete the Budget Breakdown spreadsheet: CFAF Project Cost Budget Breakdown spreadsheet
Tell us whether these costs include VAT. If you are VAT-registered, we expect the costs to be net of VAT.
Don’t forget to upload the spreadsheet when completing this section.
In the ‘Total cost’ column of the Budget Breakdown spreadsheet, please include the full cost for each description of cost related to the project.
In the ‘Amount requested’ column, indicate how much of this cost you are asking the SRA to fund. This will help us to understand which elements of the project your other / match funding will be used to support.
3.2 Other / Match Funding
The SRA will encourage projects that lever in additional / match funding from other sources. For example, £5,000 from CFAF and £5,000 from another source. Please tell us about other funders who have been approached, funds that have been secured and planned grant applications, together with when you expect to hear the outcome. Your budget breakdown spreadsheet must balance.
Please note that the Community Flood Action Fund (CFAF) can only be used for projects up to a maximum cost of £20,000.
3.3 Ongoing / whole life costs
Who is going to meet any ongoing/whole life costs? Please tell us about what will be involved in ongoing maintenance, who will undertake this work and who will fund it.
The SRA will not take ownership of assets created using SRA funds or fund ongoing maintenance costs. Where a new asset is created, please confirm who will own the asset. Where there will be ongoing costs as a result of the project, please confirm who will be responsible for those costs.
Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA)
4 EIA
Does your organisation, and/or any sub-contractors you will use, have policies and processes in place for undertaking an Equalities Impact Assessment where one is required for this project?
If not, please use the template provided: Equalities Impact Assessment Template
The template also includes guidance on how to complete the form.
Don’t forget to upload your assessment.
Skills and experience
5.1 Skills and experience
Use this section to provide information about the skills and experience of the people within your organisation who will be involved in the delivery of the project.
Give examples of people who might be involved with the project, such as: Clerk, Director, Trustee, Councillor, officer, Flood Co-ordinator or Flood Warden.
Tell us about your / their experience of managing previous projects, particularly those delivered using external funding.
Those skills do not need be related to flood risk.
No CVs please.
5.2 Experience in project delivery
We would like to know more about your organisation’s experience of delivering other grant-funded projects.
5.3 Previous projects summary
Please give us up to three brief examples of projects, who was involved in delivering the work, the budget and timescales.
Declaration
6 Additional information and Declaration
You can provide additional information to support your application. For example, you may wish to send a flood risk map or photos of flooding. Please email any additional information directly to sra@somerset.gov.uk
IMPORTANT: Include your application reference number in the subject line of the email. You will receive the application reference number in your confirmation email after you submit your application.
When completing your declaration please confirm that you have read and understood the points listed.
Please sign and date the application form and confirm that you are authorised to make this application on behalf of your organisation.
Do not forget to submit your application. You will receive an email acknowledgment. The email will provide you with your reference number and inform you about next steps in the application process.