Projects supported from Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF): FOI release

Information requested

You referred to our announcement on 17th December 2021 of 22 projects that will be supported from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) in financial year 2022/23.

With regards to all those projects that were included in the announcement, you asked:

1. Can you tell me whether or not there was anything about delivering services in an accessible and inclusive manner, following the Principles of Inclusive Communication, built into the application process and then into the contracts drawn up to deliver the work?

2. What, if anything, the independent Investment Panel will be doing to ensure that all projects will be fully accessible and inclusive to everyone in their communities of interest?

3. Will the reports back to the Scottish Government be published and will reporting on progress on Inclusive Communication be part of this reporting process?

Response

1. The enclosed guidance documents were issued to the applicants (Local Authorities and Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company) for the most recent round of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund. Those documents show that accessibility and inclusivity were built into the guidance and application process, but that the Principles of Inclusive Communication were not primarily highlighted to applicants.

We are yet to issue formal offers of grant to the projects you referred to in your request. You might find it helpful to know that our grant offer conditions will refer back to the project deliverables and anticipated outcomes that were set out in the successful funding applications. We do not hold any of the projectlevel contracts for delivery of the capital funded works or other services provided.

2. The role of the RCGF Investment Panel is summarised in the enclosed guidance documentation. With respect to the projects announced on 17th December 2021, the Investment Panel had assessed all relevant applications over two stages and agreed recommendations to Ministers and COSLA on grant support for the upcoming financial year. The Investment Panel gave due consideration to what was presented around accessibility and inclusivity when assessing each application. The Investment Panel will reconvene later this year, again supporting the two stage application process and to agree recommendations for financial year 2023/24.

3. We are yet to issue reporting templates to the projects that are due to receive an offer of grant for financial year 2022/23, however we do not plan to routinely publish any returns that we receive. You might find it helpful to know that in previous years the reporting templates did not contain any specific questions about progress on Inclusive Communication, however there will continue to be space for that sort of information to be covered by those who submit their reports to us.

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FOI202100266124 - Information released

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