Vehicle Grants - application notes

To apply electronically, you must have a valid email address.

Organisation Details (Questions 1-6)

Question 1 Department

You should enter Economy, Transport & Environment Department, Vehicle Grant.

Question 2 Organisation details

This is the main organisation that would be responsible for the grant.

Your project/activity (Questions 7-10)

Applications will only be accepted from the organisation that will operate the minibus.  

Question 7 Title of project/activity/service

Please write ‘new’ or ‘replacement vehicle’ here.

Question 8a Summary of project

Please use this section to briefly describe how you intend to use the vehicle if you are successful in obtaining a grant.

Question 8b Details of project

Please include detailed information on why this vehicle is needed and what services it will be used to provide e.g. hires by local groups, provide local bus services, provide school and social care journeys, provide local shopping trips, other uses etc. It is important that you show how the vehicle will serve the wider community rather than a specific activity or group. Preference will be given to applications from organisations that have a proven track record of hiring their vehicles to a wide range of groups and for a wide range of activities.  

We also require the following information regarding your organisation, so please use this section to include :

• Whether your organisation operates under a Section 19 small bus permit or Section 22 permit?
• Is your organisation a member of the Minibus Drivers Awareness Scheme (MiDAS)?
• Are only drivers trained and assessed under MiDAS permitted to drive your vehicle(s)?

Question 8c Project outcomes

Please show here how the new vehicle will provide a service for the wider community. It is important to show that the vehicle will not be used just for a specific group or activity, and that it is available for use by the whole community. Please give an indication of the different types of groups/individuals that use your transport e.g. older people, disabled people etc. You should also use this section to tell us about any improvements that you hope to make – this could be offering additional transport services to the community, helping more elderly / disabled / young / disadvantaged people access social, retail services or improving individual quality of life.

Question 8d How you involve service users in the development of your project

Please tell us briefly how you have achieved this. You could also tell us about any local feedback you have received about the need for your service or surveys that you have carried out.

Question 9 Dates of project

Not applicable

Finance (Questions 11 – 15)

Question 12 Project costs

Please detail all costs associated with purchasing this vehicle, you should also set out how you intend to cover the running expenses of this vehicle? – This could be through passenger fares/contributions, group hire charges, fundraising, other funds, donations.

Question 14 Income

Use the table to identify where the funds will come from to buy the vehicle (exclude the funding being requested from Hampshire County Council Vehicle Grant as part of this application). Make sure to include applications to other grant funders where you are still awaiting a response.

Question 20 Equalities

Please answer all three parts as best you can. We are not looking for comprehensive policies – just some bullet points, for example: thorough training; information sessions, staff guidebook etc. In addition to information about your policies and procedures please outline how the aims of your project will contribute towards a, b and c.

Examples of things which may be relevant to include are:

• We have an equality and diversity policy. We ensure our staff receive equalities and diversity training. We actively encourage and support all sectors of the community including those having protected characteristics to take part in this project.
• We have an open and transparent recruitment and promotion policy.
• The organisation’s culture fully embraces diversity.
• Our constitution/ this project focuses on fostering good community relations across all sectors of society by...
• This project will advance equality of opportunity for everyone by…

Supplementary questions

What will the total cost of the vehicle be?

Please complete and provide a copy of the estimate of the total cost of the vehicle and indicate if this includes VAT. If you will have to pay VAT, please also state whether you can reclaim this. A copy of the vehicle specification should also be included. You should also provide evidence that you have obtained a minimum of 3 quotes from different suppliers for this vehicle

When will the vehicle be used?

Please complete the table or provide documentation to show when the vehicle will be used. We would like to see a daily list of the groups that use the vehicle on a regular basis during the week i.e. lunch club, scout group.

Will the vehicle be available for group hire?

Please state whether the vehicle will be available for hire by other voluntary and community groups. If your answer is Yes, please also state approximately how much of the weekly use of the vehicle will be by hirers, and in a typical month how many different groups will make use of the vehicle. If you have not owned such a vehicle before or this is an additional vehicle, please give your best estimates.

What do you estimate the average mileage of this vehicle to be?

Please complete as either weekly or annual mileage.

Is this vehicle replacing an existing vehicle?

If YES please answer the next question, What type of vehicle do you currently have?

Documentation to be submitted

You only need to send same document once over 12 month period. If you have sent us your documents in the last 12 months please tell us the grant reference number to which they were attached if possible.

We would appreciate electronic document attachments. If, however, you only have a paper copy please write this in the documentation section and send a paper copy in to the Grants Officer (details at the end of these notes).

• Applications under £5,000 – Estimate of vehicle cost and vehicle specification.
• Applications £5,000 and £24,999 – All of the above and the latest annual accounts, adults safeguarding policy, child protection policy.,
• Applications £25,000 and over – All of the above and equal opportunities policy, health & safety policy, public liability insurance, employers liability insurance and vehicle insurance.

Monitoring Information (Questions 21-22)

This information will help us to plan and fund areas of work where there are significant gaps and needs. If you need to collect this information from your staff or service users then it is important that you give them a choice as to whether they choose to give this personal information.