Assistance for Community Scheme applicants

On 10/8/16, Administration Unit staff held an ‘Introduction to Procurement’ seminar in Coleraine for groups that had expressed an interest in the Rural Basic Services Scheme and had been informed that their proposal has potential to move on to submitting an application.

The session generated high interest with approximately 20 representatives of local community groups turning up to avail of the advice and guidance on offer from staff.

Attendees were provided with comprehensive procurement guidance documents and a useful checklist for them to decide if they were ‘’investment ready’’ to apply for assistance from the Scheme.

Staff delivered a presentation on the procurement process and highlighted various actions that applicants should undertake to ensure their application would not be rejected due to failure to implement the Scheme rules properly.

Attendees were also offered the opportunity to contact the Admin Unit personally and request a 1 to 1 consultation at their project location in advance of commencing the procurement process.

This proactive action by staff is designed to allay any fears community applicants may have regarding the procurement processes to be followed and give reassurance that support is available as and when required from the entire Admin Team.