WARNING - By their nature, text files cannot include scanned images and tables. The process of converting documents to text only, can cause formatting changes and misinterpretation of the contents can sometimes result. Wherever possible you should refer to the pdf version of this document. CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY Finance Committee Paper 2 16/05/08 CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR DECISION Title: APPROVAL OF EXPENDITURE to 2010 (Land Based Business Training Project and Cairngorms Awareness and Pride project) Prepared by: Claire Ross, Education and Inclusion Manager Purpose To formally approve commitment of expenditure on Land Based Business Training and Cairngorms Awareness and Pride projects for the period April 2008 to December 2010. Recommendations That the Committee formally approve the expenditure detailed in para. 8 for Land Based Business Training Project (‘LBBTP’) and for the Cairngorms Awareness and Pride Project (‘CAP’). Executive Summary a) At its August 2007 meeting, the Board confirmed support for both the LBBT and CAP projects continuing over the next three financial years from April 2008 subject to the Finance Committee agreeing the specific funding provisions. b) A paper was brought to the Finance Committee in November 2007, building on the financial information which was presented in the August Board paper and presenting a best and worst case scenario. c) Subsequent to that paper, external funding has been secured for the LBBT and CAP projects for 2008, and for part of the projects until 2010. APPROVAL OF EXPENDITURE to 2010 (LAND BASED BUSINESS TRAINING PROJECT AND CAIRNGORMS AWARENESS AND PRIDE PROJECT) - FOR DECISION Expenditure Previously Presented to the CNPA Board 1. At its meeting on 10 August 2007, the CNPA Board confirmed its support for both the Land Based Business training (LBBT) and Cairngorms Awareness and Pride (CAP) projects for the next three financial years, starting from April 2008, subject to Finance Committee agreeing the specific funding provisions. Details of the financial implications, as known at the time, were presented in Board Paper 3, para. 30 to 38. 2. A paper was brought to the Finance Committee in November 2007, building on the financial information which was presented in the August Board paper and presenting a best and worst case scenario. At that meeting, the decision was taken to approve CNPA funding to June 2008 to allow the project to continue in the short term, on the basis that this would be revisited once the corporate and operational plans had been approved. 3. Changes to the funding landscape mean that it is not possible to present a definitive three year business case at present as the some of the external funders offer funding on an annual basis which has to be applied for each year. However, since the last finance paper, external funding has been secured until December 2008 for all projects; external funding for part of the projects has been secured to December 2010, and we are therefore seeking approval from the Finance Committee for funding until December 2010. External funding 4. New LEADER has awarded funding to the LBBTP in the area of the Park excluding the Highlands and Islands region, henceforth referred to as LBBTP (east). This funding is from May 2008 to December 2010. 5. New Leader has awarded funding to the pan-Park CAP project from May 2008 to December 2010. 6. The European Social Fund Convergence (Highlands and Islands) Programme has awarded match funding for the 2008 calendar year project. This covers land based businesses located in the Highlands and Islands -henceforth referred to as LBBTP (west). In addition, the two Local Enterprise Companies for this region (HIE IEH and HIE Moray) also contributed funding for the same period. 7. There is a presumption that the LBBTP (west) will continue to get funding from the ESF until December 2010, but this can only be applied for on an annual basis. Early indications are that the LECs will NOT be in a position to fund future years of the LBBTP. Although other funders will be approached for the 2009 and 2010 calendar years, for the purpose of this paper, it is assumed that there are no other external funders for LBBTP (west). 8. The following table shows the LBBTP and CAP forecasts to December 2010 (from 01 April 2008) CNPA / LEADER / ESF / Revenue / LECs / Project Total CAP 2008 9820 8035 - 1425 - 19280 CAP 2009 12400 10146 - 1725 - 24271 CAP 2010 13279 10864 - 1725 - 25868 LBBTP (east) 2008 28151 19596 - 27008 - 74755 LBBTP (east) 2009 30273 24767 - 24833 - 79873 LBBTP (east) 2010 28849 23602 - 20956 - 73407 LBBTP (west) 2008 14306 - 29454 25546 15148 84454 LBBTP (west) 2009 42511 - 42511 38617 123639 LBBTP (west) 2010 40116 - 40115 33624 - 113855 TOTAL 219705 97010 112080 175459 15148 612402 9. Match funding for the LBBTP (west) for 2009 and 2010 (highlighted above) has not been secured, and can only be done so on an annual basis. All other match funding for the other projects has been secured, on the assumption of the forecast spend for each year. CNPA Commitment 10. From 01 April 2008 – 31 December 2010, the CNPA commitment will be £219 705 (this is on the basis of the presumptions in para. 7 above i.e. we secure ESF funding, but not LEC funding). This represents 35% of the total project commitment over the next two and a half years. Recommendation 11. It is recommended that the Finance Committee approve funding to December 2010 as follows: - a) £35 499 for the CAP project b) £87 273 for LBBTP (East) c) £96 933 for LBBTP (West) subject to securing ESF funding in 2009 and 2010 Provision has been made in the Corporate and Operational Plans. Claire Ross April 2008 claireross@cairngorms.co.uk