Question: What Is the Hull CLLD Payment Model?

Hull CLLD FAQs

N.B. Some questions / responses are repeated if they come under more than one theme. We will add other FAQs once we have received guidance from the Managing Authorities.

Claims and Payments

Question: What is the Hull CLLD payment model?

Response: All projects will be paid monthly in arrears and only upon submission of an accurate claim to the Project Management Organisation (PMO). The words “accurate claim” are extremely important, because any errors on a claim (e.g. incorrect expenditure or participant evidence) will result in your organisation having to correct the errors and inevitably, delaypayment to you. Any evidence anomalies picked up at audit could result in financial penalties / clawback on your organisation. This is why it is vital to get claims 100% accurate.

Question Can Hull City Council make any CLLD payments in advance?

Response: No. Hull City Council is already committed to reducing the payment in arrears funding model from 3 months to 1 month. Organisations / partnerships must be willing and able to cash-flow their project.

Match Funding

Question: Can in-kind match be used for CLLD?

Response: On ERDF programmes only buildings or land can be used as match and only up to certain value thresholds. Please refer to page 3 in the ERDF Eligibility Guidance (November 2017). On ESF see the question / response below.

Questions: Can volunteer time be used as in-kind match on a CLLD programme?

Response: Volunteer in kind match cannot be used on ERDF programmes within CLLD.On ESF programmes within CLLD in-kind volunteer time match is technically allowed by the ESF rules, but only at the discretion of the managing authority (in this case, DWP). We are still awaiting definitive guidance from DWP. Until clarification is received from DWP, applicant organisations wishing to use in-kind volunteer time match on a Hull CLLD grant application would need to proceed at their own risk, or wait for the second grant round when, hopefully, we will have a definitive position from DWP.

Question: When does the match funding have to be confirmed and in place?

Response: Match funding will need to be confirmed and in place before an organisation signs a CLLD contract with Hull City Council. Applicants submitting bids with unsecured match would only receive a conditional offer, which would be withdrawn if the match was not subsequently confirmed.

Question: Can we use staff-time as match funding?

Response: Yes (please refer to ESIF rules for more details).

Question: Can vehicles be used as match funding?

Response: No for ESF funding. Motor vehicles can be used as eligible costs on ERDF funding providing that it is solely used for CLLD only.

The Grant Application Process

Question: Is there more than one stage to the Hull CLLD application process?

Response: No, at present the Hull CLLD is a one stage application process. However, this could change in future if,following a review, the Local Action Group decided to implement a multi-stage application process.

It is important to note that all successful organisations will receive a conditional funding offer and there will be further due diligence / post tender negotiation carried out on their application. This exercise will result in the funding offer being withdrawn if an applicant is unable to substantiate their proposal.

Question: I want to apply for more than one Priority Action, do I have to put in separate CLLD applications for each one?

Response: Not necessarily. If the project is broad enough in scope to cover more than one Priority Action (PA) it can be submitted as a single application. However, be aware that this approach will require your application to differentiate its budget, outputs, and results by each individual PA. This inevitably means more work on your bid. It will also add more complexity to your project management activities, especially the monitoring, reporting, and claims processes. It is simpler to apply for 1 Priority Action.

Question: Can I apply for a small grant in the first round and then apply for another one in the second round?

Response: Yes, but be aware of the likely over-subscription on the Hull CLLD programme.

Question: Will there be an additional weighting for partnership bids in the applications scoring process?

Response: No, but we do encourage high quality collaboration and partnership working where it demonstrates that a project can meet participants’ needs. Also bear in mind that the CLLD programme is likely to be heavily over-subscribed, so working in partnership could be beneficial in this regard.

Question: When does the first CLLD grant round open?

Response: The target date for the first grant call is 19TH March 2018.

Question: Are there any limitations about the type of organisations that can apply for CLLD?

Response: No.

Question: Can I apply for a small and large grant at the same time?

Response: Yes, but be aware of the likely over-subscription on the Hull CLLD programme.

Participant and Business Eligibility

Question: Are ex-offenders eligible for CLLD support?

Response: Yes, providing they meet CLLD eligibility criteria e.g. unemployed or economically inactive and resident in a Hub Area.

Question: Can CLLD participants be in part-time work or education before starting on a programme?

Response: No

Outputs and Results

Question: Is external space (for example a community garden) eligible for the ERDF 250 square meterage output?

Response: the ERDF output guidance describes eligible space as being WITHIN external walls. This would indicate that external space such as a community garden is not an eligible ERDF output

Question: If a participant is offered employment, does it have to be a job within one of the 4 hub areas?

Response: No.

Question: Can you provide concrete definitions for each output and result (ESF and ERDF), for example what is the definition of further training, enterprises supported, etc.

Response: We will be posting links to the ESF and ERDF outputs and results on the Hull CLLD webpage in time for the CLLD call We advise that applicants carefully check the latest ESF and ERDF output and results guidance (available by searching via to verify for themselves.

Hubs and Priority Actions

Question: If a participant is offered employment, does it have to be a job within one of the 4 hub areas?

Response: No.

Question: Can we run CLLD training and support in a venue that is not within one of the 4 Hub areas?

Response: Yes. However, you would need to demonstrate how the training and support is accessible to participants and ensure they are not put off or disadvantaged by having to travel to a venue

Question: When will the exact boundaries of the 4 Hub areas be known?

Response: The eligible CLLD postcodes are now available on the webpage

Question: Can we deliver a project across more than one Hub area?

Response: Yes. You need to be aware that your application will be more complex as it will need to break down the financial values and outputs/results by Hub Area. The delivery of the project, specifically the monitoring and reporting requirements will also be more onerous and your project management capacity and plans will need to account for this.

Question: My organisation is based in the centre of the city and supports people from across Hull. Does that affect what we can bid for?

Response: No. But you would need to demonstrate how your project would be accessible to participants and / or businesses being supported. For example, would you take services out to the Hub Areas?

Question: Do businesses have to be within one of the 4 hub areas to be eligible for CLLD support?

Response: Yes.

Question: Are applicants restricted to applying for one Priority Action, or can we apply for more than one?

Response:No, applicants are not restricted. You need to be aware that your application will be more complex as it will need to break down the financial values and outputs/results by each Priority Action. The delivery of the project, specifically the monitoring and reporting requirements will also be more onerous and your project management capacity and plans will need to account for this. If you are thinking of a project that combines ERDF and ESF funding there is added complexity in terms of match funding rates.

Question: Are applicants restricted to applying for one hub area, or can we apply for more than one?

Response: No, you are not restricted to one Hub Area. But you need to be aware that your application will be more complex as it will need to break down the financial values and outputs/results by each Hub Area you intend to cover. The delivery of the project, specifically the monitoring and reporting requirements will also be more onerous and your project management capacity and plans will need to reflect this.

Benefits System

Question: How will CLLD be affected by Universal Credit?

Response: We are currently working with DWP to clarify how Universal Credit could potentially affect the ability to prove a participant is eligible for CLLD support, i.e. verifying they are unemployed, or economically active. We hope to issue more guidance before the first Hull CLLD grant call.

Added Value, Innovation, and Duplication

Question: Can we continue an existing project using CLLD funding?

Response: CLLD will not fund the simple continuation of an existing project. Your CLLD project would need to be a clearly demonstrable development from an existing project, for example increasing access to new participant groups or Hub Areas that were not served before, or offering new services/training opportunities to participants.

Question: How will CLLD work with the new Work & Health Programme?

Response: We are awaiting more detail on the W&H programme and will advise in due course.

Quality, Inspection, and Audit

Question: Are CLLD training activities in scope for OFSTED inspection?

Response: No, but we expect all CLLD projects delivering training activities to provide high quality learning / skills opportunities and we will monitor and manage these organisations accordingly.

Types of CLLD Projects and Programmes

Question: Is there a minimum number of hours / weeks that a CLLD participant has to be supported for?

Response: No. There is no hard and fast rule because CLLD programmes need to be personalised and flexible to meet each participant’s needs. However, applicants will be expected to describe their programme and activities within a CLLD bid, including indicative duration and contact time. This will form the basis of a value for money judgement and subsequent quality and performance management arrangements.

Question: Are partnership bids being encouraged?

Response: Given the likely over-subscription of the Hull CLLD programme it could pay to be in a partnership. However, there is no specific requirement for partnership bids and these will not necessarily score more marks than a bid from a single applicant. However, high quality bids from particularly strong partnerships could potentially score well.

Question: My organisation is based in the centre of the city and supports people from across Hull. Does that affect what we can bid for?

Response: No, it doesn’t limit what you can bid for. As long as the participants or businesses being supported are eligible, i.e. they are from 1 of the 4 Hub Areas it doesn’t matter where the applicant organisation is based. Naturally, delivery would need to be accessible to participants / businesses.

Question: Are there minimum/maximum expectations in terms of the value for money of CLLD projects?

Response: There are no hard and fast rules as projects vary in what they deliver and to whom. However the assessment panel will receive guidance on value for money, which will be based on in-depth experience from / comparison with other similar programmes.

Question Is the capital spend (ERDF) specifically for commercial buildings or can it be used to renovate public building space?

Response: ERDF eligibility for this particular output applies to public and commercial space(internal space). We advise that applicants carefully check the ERDF guidance before proceeding.

CLLD Information and Support

Question: Will there be information sessions and training between the annual CLLD grant rounds?

Response: Yes.

Question: Where can I find out more information about Hull CLLD?

Response: Information will be held on the project webpage, currently

Question: Where and when will the Hull CLLD strategy be published?

Response: The strategy will be uploaded before the grant call on Monday 19th March 2018 and will be available at

Question: Who is on the CLLD Local Action Group?

Response: The composition of the LAG will be posted on the Hull CLLD webpage

Applicant Eligibility

Question: Are there any limitations about the type of organisations that can apply for CLLD?

Response: No