Agenda item

With reference to article 14 of the minute of the previous meeting of 30 January 2024, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Commissioning which sought approval for the proposed allocation of grant funding of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

UKSPF Communities and Place

(a)      award up to £60,000 to Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations LTD (ACVO) for Aberdeen Third Sector Hub feasibility Study;

(b)      award up to £99,200 to Aberdeen City Council for the Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 Culture Programme 24/25;

(c)      award up to £26,447 to Growing2gether for the Strengthening Communities by Building Local Skills, Wellbeing and Resilience project;

(d)      award up to £63,000 to Look Again in partnership with Culture Aberdeen and northeast based freelancers for the Aberdeen Independents project;

(e)      award up to £37,000 to Soundfestival for the Soundcommunities project;

(f)       award up to £45,228 to St Georges Community Centre for the Saint Georges Community Centre project;

(g)      award up to £108,000 to the Port of Aberdeen Trust Port to support Tall Ships Community Promotion, which includes volunteer recruitment and engaging young people with sail traineeships;

(h)      award up to £116,777 to Avenue for Mental Health and Relationship Support for Families and Individuals in Aberdeen;

UKSPF Local Business Support

(i)       award up to £562,680 to Aberdeen City Council to enable delivery of Business Start-up grants;

(j)       award up to £45,000 to Aberdeen City Council for the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Groups (AREG)’s Enhancing Offshore Wind Renewables through Digital Innovation project;

(k)      instruct the Chief Officer – City Development and Regeneration to develop applications within Local Business Support which will deliver priority activities for approval by Finance and Resources Committee on 8th May 2024;

UKSPF Multiply

(l)       award up to £827,773.44 to ABZ Works for the Core Numeracy Project; and

(m)     approve up to £133,885.36 of revenue funding from the Local Business Support, People & Skills and Multiply strands only be retained by Aberdeen City Council, as per UKSPF regulations which details that 4% of revenue funds can be retained by Local Authorities to ensure robust delivery and monitoring of the UKSPF Programme.

The Convener, seconded by Councillor Greig, moved:-

that the Committee approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Malik, seconded by Councillor Watson, moved as an amendment:-

          that the Committee –

(1)    note the recommendations contained within the report;

(2)    agree that the Council are using the UK shared prosperity fund to deliver on projects formerly paid for by the General Fund; and

(3)    agree to encourage an application from VSA Aberdeen to cover the money the administration failed to give them at the Council budget meeting on 6 March 2024.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener and Councillors Allard, Cooke, Greig and Radley; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Brooks, Farquhar, Malik and Watson.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to adopt the motion; and

(ii)      to instruct the Chief Officer - City Development and Regeneration to email the Committee members the names of the applicants which were declined to receive an award and to consider how best this information could be included within future reports.