By accepting a grant from Devon County Council (DCC) through the Re-imagined Library Spaces Fund, the applicant organisation agrees to these terms and conditions and any additional conditions set out in the grant offer letter.
1. Acceptance of the Grant
1.1 The organisation confirms that it is authorised to apply for, accept and manage the grant on behalf of the organisation.
1.2 The organisation confirms that all information provided during the Expression of Interest and full application process is accurate, complete and not misleading.
1.3 The organisation must accept the grant in the way and by the deadline stated in the grant offer letter. DCC may withdraw the offer if it is not accepted by that deadline.
1.4 Acceptance of a grant does not create any entitlement to future funding from DCC.
2. Use of the Grant
2.1 The grant must only be used for the project, library or related community space, activities and costs approved by DCC.
2.2 The grant must not be transferred to another organisation or used at another location without DCC’s prior written agreement.
2.3 All grant funding must be spent by Christmas 2027, unless DCC agrees a different deadline in writing.
2.4 The grant must not be used for retrospective costs, general running costs, routine maintenance with no wider community benefit, ongoing staffing costs not directly related to the project, another public body’s statutory responsibilities, or activity intended primarily to generate private profit.
2.5 Any equipment, resources, materials or improvements funded by the grant must be used primarily for community benefit and for the purposes described in the approved application.
2.6 Any significant change to the project, budget, timescale, location, activities, outputs or outcomes must be agreed by DCC in writing before it is made.
2.7 Any unspent funding, or funding no longer required for the approved project, must be returned to DCC if requested.
3. Library Agreement, Ownership and Permissions
3.1 The organisation must maintain the agreement of the relevant library throughout project planning and delivery.
3.2 Before work starts, the organisation must obtain all required permissions, approvals and consents. These may include the building owner’s or landlord’s consent, planning permission, listed building consent, building regulations approval and any licence or agreement required to use or alter the space.
3.3 The organisation must clarify responsibility for ownership, maintenance, insurance and replacement of any funded equipment, fixtures, alterations or improvements.
3.4 DCC may withhold payment or require repayment where ownership, permissions or responsibilities are unclear or where required approvals have not been obtained.
4. Project Management and Delivery
4.1 The organisation is responsible for the successful, safe and lawful delivery of the project.
4.2 The organisation must comply with all relevant legislation, regulations, professional standards and guidance, including health and safety requirements.
4.3 The organisation must maintain appropriate governance arrangements, financial controls and records.
4.4 The organisation must tell DCC as soon as reasonably practicable about any significant change to its governance, legal status, financial position or ability to deliver the project.
4.5 The organisation must maintain appropriate insurance for its activities, works, assets and legal responsibilities, and provide evidence if requested.
4.6 Where the project involves children, young people or adults at risk, the organisation must have appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures and comply with all relevant safeguarding requirements.
4.7 The organisation must manage contractors and suppliers appropriately and remains responsible for the quality and completion of funded work.
5. Procurement, Costs and Match Funding
5.1 The organisation must ensure that all project costs are reasonable, necessary and offer value for money.
5.2 The organisation must obtain and retain quotations or other evidence of value for money where appropriate, and provide them to DCC if requested.
5.3 Any match funding or in-kind support included in the approved application must be secured and used as described, unless DCC agrees a change in writing.
5.4 The organisation must notify DCC promptly if project costs increase, match funding is reduced or withdrawn, or the approved project can no longer be delivered within budget. DCC is not required to provide additional funding.
6. Monitoring and Reporting
6.1 The organisation must monitor delivery against the approved project, fund requirements and intended outcomes.
6.2 The organisation must submit a final project report no later than January 2028, using the format requested by DCC.
6.3 The final report must include evidence of the difference made by the funding, outcomes achieved, partnership working, challenges and how they were addressed, and photographs, videos, case studies or other evidence where available and appropriate.
6.4 The organisation must provide any additional information, reports, evidence or feedback reasonably requested by DCC and co-operate with monitoring, evaluation or audit activity.
7. Financial Records and Evidence
7.1 The organisation must keep sufficient financial records, invoices, receipts, quotations and other evidence to show how the grant and any declared match funding have been used.
7.2 Records and evidence must be retained for at least six years after the end of the project, unless a longer period is required by law or stated in the grant offer letter.
7.3 DCC may request copies of records and evidence demonstrating how the project was delivered and how funding was spent.
7.4 The organisation must promptly repay any grant funding paid in error.
8. Publicity and Acknowledgement
8.1 Where appropriate, the organisation must acknowledge DCC’s support in publicity, promotional materials and communications about the project.
8.2 DCC may use information about the project, including outcomes, photographs, videos, case studies and good practice examples, for publicity, reporting and promotional purposes, provided personal information is handled in accordance with data protection legislation.
8.3 The organisation must obtain appropriate permissions from people featured in photographs, videos or case studies before sharing these with DCC.
8.4 The organisation agrees to co-operate with reasonable requests for project information, photographs, case studies and updates.
9. Data Protection, Freedom of Information and Equalities
9.1 The organisation must comply with all applicable data protection legislation.
9.2 The organisation acknowledges that DCC may be required to disclose information relating to the application or grant award under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
9.3 The organisation must comply with relevant equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights legislation and must not unlawfully discriminate.
9.4 The organisation must take reasonable steps to ensure the funded space, activity or service is accessible and inclusive, in line with the approved application.
10. Fraud, Misrepresentation and Conflicts of Interest
10.1 The organisation must take all reasonable steps to prevent fraud, bribery, corruption, financial irregularity and conflicts of interest.
10.2 The organisation must declare any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest relating to the funded project.
10.3 The organisation must notify DCC immediately if it becomes aware of any fraud, attempted fraud or financial irregularity connected to the project or funding.
11. Recovery, Suspension or Withholding of Funding
11.1 DCC may suspend or withhold payment, or require repayment of all or part of the grant, where:
a) the grant has not been used for the approved purpose, location or period;
b) false, misleading or inaccurate information has been provided;
c) the organisation fails to comply with these terms, the grant offer letter or an agreed project condition;
d) required permissions, approvals, insurance or match funding are not in place;
e) the project changes significantly or cannot be completed as approved;
f) the organisation ceases operations, becomes insolvent or is unable to complete the project;
g) the organisation refuses to provide information or evidence reasonably requested by DCC;
h) funding remains unspent after the approved project period; or
i) DCC considers that there has been a serious breach of the grant conditions.
12. General Conditions
12.1 There is no automatic right to a grant and DCC reserves the right to make funding decisions at its discretion.
12.2 DCC accepts no responsibility for liabilities, losses, costs or claims arising from the organisation’s activities, project delivery, building works, contractors, equipment or use of the grant.
12.3 The organisation may not represent itself as an agent or representative of DCC.
12.4 DCC may apply additional project-specific conditions. These will be communicated through the grant offer letter or award process.
12.5 If there is any conflict between these terms and the grant offer letter, the grant offer letter will take precedence for project-specific matters.