East Kent Partnership

Investment Priorities & Application Process 2006 - 2008

1.Introduction

East Kent Partnership (EKP) has agreed that projects will be commissioned to meet identified needs in the Partnership’s strategy 2005 - 2015 (available from The Partnership will not normally consider speculative proposals submitted by prospective delivery partners and therefore has set out its priority investment areas for the financial years 2006 - 2008, in order to ensure that the outcomes and outputs identified within the approved South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) Performance Plan 2005 - 2008 are achieved (available from website as above)

2.General Principles

This section describes the general principles which will underpin all of the East Kent Partnership’s activities and are fundamental to the success of any proposal received.

EKP has agreed a set of core principles, which support Strategic Added Value and underpin all of its activities. These are fundamental to the purpose of the partnership itself and should be evident in any project proposal received:

  • Catalytic - likely to promote further activity and lever additional funding contributions from the public sector and/or the private sector
  • Alignment - close alignment with strategic policies and strategies, in particular, the Regional Economic Strategy (RES) and Kent Prospects
  • Investment drive - focused on generating sustainable solutions that build capacity
  • Legacy - provide a long-term legacy beyond the funding period
  • Outputs and outcomes - have been clearly defined

All projects will have to demonstrate via their proposals, the following characteristics which will be assessed as part of the appraisal process.

EKP will consider for funding, projects which:

  • meet an identified need/proven demand with clearly defined outcomes
  • engage stakeholders and partnerships to ensure strategic fit in relation to other local and regional investment led regeneration/economic development strategies
  • seek to add value to existing activity with maximum impact
  • do not duplicate other activities
  • do not replicate mainstream service provision
  • can demonstrate value for money
  • have actively sought to benchmark against good practice elsewhere
  • have considered how the benefits of the project can be extended across the East Kent area and the rest of Kent

The EKP are keen to support partnership working across the East Kent area, and would therefore encourage Lead Organisations to work more closely with each other and with the voluntary and community sector based organisations.

3. Funding Priorities

Having considered the general principles as set out above; there are a number of distinct areas of work, which have been identified as priorities for funding in 2006 - 2008. This section describes these priority areas in order to assist partners to understand the outcomes sought in relation to proposals and clearly set out the criteria that will inform the decision making process for allocating funding

3.1 Cultural Initiatives

Over the next 15 years East Kent has the potential to become a location which people recognise as being vibrant and attractive with distinctive qualities which make it a good place to visit, to live or to locate a business. Culture could be a vital component in creating this compelling image, and in creating an environment, lifestyle and economy, which delivers on that image. Significant cultural infrastructure developments, associated with regeneration, are already planned or taking place in Margate and Canterbury, alongside those in neighbouring Folkestone.

EKP will seek a limited number of medium proposals that stimulate the communities’ cultural offer through initiatives, which result in:

  • A sense of cultural and economic vibrancy
  • A sense of place and a pride of place
  • A higher and more dynamic profile
  • Increased inward investment
  • Growth of the cultural and creative economy
  • Increased visitor numbers
  • A cohesive message and ongoing, collaborative action
  • A better quality of life

3.2Public Realm

Place making is about the creation, development and improvement of places in which people choose to live, work, study or visit. Although what makes such great places is a complex interaction of quality of life factors, the greatest impact can be achieved by improving the public realm and developing local ownership.

Public Realm is defined as ‘a shared public space in which residents and visitors conduct their daily activities’

EKP will seek collaborative proposals that are linked to the Local Strategic Partnership’s community strategies and that support the strategic building of small communities, enhance the environment and improve the experience of residents and visitors alike.

EKP will seek a number of small proposals which:

  • Focus on a defined community
  • Inspire and involve communities in order to ensure local ownership
  • Contribute to a sense of local pride
  • Are distinctive
  • Demonstrate a sustainable, high quality approach to place making
  • Have tangible enhanced public realm, rather than promotional activity or research
  • Are a catalyst for further investment
  • Improve public perceptions of place through practical projects
  • Promote the healthy living and safety of residents
  • Create crime free, clean safe environments
  • Secure private sector financial contributions
  • Improve local business confidence
  • Support the development of community enterprise initiatives to meet the recognised demand

3.3Coastal Regeneration Initiatives

The coastal areas of east Kent have had a mixed success in reinventing themselves. A number of significant regeneration initiatives are underway in urban areas, which are now transforming themselves to become major assets for east Kent.

In addition to the public realm projects in 3.2 above, the partnership will support a limited number of projects to improve the public realm. In particular, the initiatives should focus on the coastal urban areas and should be projects which will act as a catalyst to stimulate future investments and improve the local economy

EKP will support a limited number of larger proposals which:

  • Focus on the coastal urban areas
  • Are distinctive
  • Contribute to a sense of local pride
  • Demonstrate a sustainable, high quality approach to place making
  • Are a catalyst for further investment
  • Improve public perceptions of place through practical projects
  • Secure private sector financial contributions
  • Improve local business confidence
  • Stimulate the local economy

3.4Priority Sector Developments

The partnership has identified a number of priority sectors/industries that are significant for the growth of the east Kent economy and for targeted inward investment. In order to reach our aspirations EKP will focus on building the foundations for growth within these key sectors. The priority sectors are (in no particular order):

  • Marine and Aviation industries
  • Transport and Distribution
  • Green/Environmental Technologies
  • Contact Centre operations
  • ICT
  • Cultural Industries
  • Pharmaceuticals

EKP will support a limited number of medium proposals which:

  • Improving the availability of quality work experience linked directly to the priority sectors through focused provision at all levels of education
  • Support the development of a collaborative network of business support, which is linked to the SEEDA Joining Forces Initiative and the EK Enterprise Gateway

3.5Transport Infrastructure Improvements

The creation of a fast link to London via the CTRL has been a priority for the partnership for many years and with the recent announcement that Govia has been awarded the contract to run the Integrated Kent Franchise (IKF) from April 2006 it is anticipated that there will be a need to ensure that local communities are well connected.

EKP will support a proposal which:

  • Connects Communities: a technical study for the development of an integrated transport system for East Kent.

4.Notes for Guidance and Application Process

It is anticipated that potential projects submitted to the EKP will fall in to one of three categories, Small, Medium and Large. For guidance, these categories will represent the following financial brackets:

Small will represent £0 - £30,000,

Medium will represent £30,000 - £100,000 and

Large will represent £100,000 and Over.

To assist with the application process, attached is the SPAG Form 1 - Expressions of Interest. This form should be used to submit the potential project to the EKP for consideration, regardless of which financial bracket the potential project falls within. It is this Form and the content held within it, which will be used to appraise the project, to ensure it meets with the EKP criteria.

Detailed below is the proposed timetable for dealing with the SPAG Form 1 process and will be strictly adhered to at all time’s. Any late submission of forms will not be considered for any EKP funding.

4.1Proposed Timetable

  • SPAG Form 1 - Expression of Interest, issued 15th December 2005
  • SPAG Form 1 returned by 4pm on 18th January 2006 (Any late submissions will not be considered for funding)
  • Initial project appraisal by Officer Group - 25th January 2006
  • Further appraisal and Formal Approval by EKP Board - 10th February 2006

This timetable reflects the process (shown below), which is taken from the EKP Project Appraisal & Management Process Manual. The Manual can be viewed and downloaded from the EKP web site,

To assist any potential projects with development, the EKP will hold two half-day informal workshops. These will be held on the mornings of the 6th January 2006 and the 11th January 2006 and will be held at the Conference Room, Enterprise Zone, Whitecliffs Business Park, Whitfield, Dover.

The workshops will begin with a presentation that outlines the general principles that underpin all of the EKP’s activities and demonstrates the characteristics, as mentioned in section 2 of this document. This will then be followed by an opportunity to have an informal discussion about any potential projects, with EKP staff.

EKP staff can be contacted prior to the workshop events for informal discussions, at the details below.

4.2Realistic Forecasting of Outputs

It is imperative that whilst compiling a potential project proposal, Officers should, where possible, provide realistic forecasting of project outputs. SEEDA are taking a firmer stance on the achievement of outputs and the measure of project success against those outputs, whether it is under or over achievement. Either way, SEEDA may view this as a lack of thorough project management, which could potentially have consequences for the whole of East Kent's devolved funding.

SEEDA has also introduced the ‘New Tasking Framework’, which has superceded the previous Tier 3 outputs. The attached SPAG Form 1, reflects these changes and guidance notes on the New Tasking Framework are also attached to this document.

For assistance with the New Tasking Framework, please contact an EKP member of Staff.

4.3EKP Contact Details

Janet Waghorn

Executive Director

01304 820312

Shirley Leach

Executive Officer

01304 820312

Graeme Haggerty

Finance & Monitoring Officer

01304 820312