Frequently Asked Questions

Q Who or what is ENTRUST?

A ENTRUST acts on behalf of HM Revenue and Customs as the sole regulator of the Landfill Communities Fund.  ENTRUST's prime responsibilities are to enrol qualifying organisations as Environmental Bodies, and to audit and inspect their activities to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Landfill Tax Regulations 1996.  More details can be found on http://entrust.org.uk/.

Q Does my organisation have to be enrolled with ENTRUST and does the project have to be registered before I can apply?

AThis depends on which scheme you are applying to:

Small Grants Scheme - enrolling with ENTRUST is not necessary as RSWT will act as the Environmental Body.  We will also register the project for you.

Main Grants Scheme - The applicant organisation and project must be eligible for enrolment and registration with the scheme's regulator Entrust. These will be conditions of any grant approved.

Flagship Grant Schemes -  The applicant organisation and project must be eligible for enrolment and registration with the scheme's regulator Entrust. Proof of enrolment and registration will be required with any final stage application invited forward.

Please note that organisations must be not for profit. Local authorities cannot apply or enrol. 

Q When is the next deadline for submitting an application?

A There are no deadlines for submitting an application to the Main Grants and Small Grants Schemes.  Completed application forms are processed on a rolling programme and will be considered at the next available board meeting. 

The Flagship Scheme does have deadlines.  The next one is always posted on the Flagship Scheme page.

Q How do I find out whether my project is within 10 miles of a Biffa operation and a landfill site?

A Click here to go to our proximity checker.  Simply enter the postcode of your project's location and the proximity checker will list any Biffa operations that are within 10 miles.  If the Biffa operation(s) within the 10 mile radius is not a landfill site, then you will also need to find out where the nearest landfill site is (and check that it is also within 10 miles of your project).  This information can be found from either your local council or the Environment Agency.

Q Why do I need to find a third party contributor for projects?

A Under the regulations of the Landfill Communities Fund, only 90 per cent of a grant can be provided from landfill tax - the remainder must come from another source.  You apply to Biffaward for 100 per cent of the grant and let us know on your application form who your third party contributor will be.  If your application is successful, the third party pays the contribution to Biffa Waste Services in order for us to release the full amount of the grant. Please note that third party contribution is completely separate from general matchfunding you may need to make up the total costs of your project alongside the grant; you cannot count and spend the same amount twice!

NB: Biffa Waste Services will contribute half of the third party contribution (ie five per cent) for successful Small Grant applications; you will still need to confirm a contributor for the other five per cent.

Third party funding is a tricky concept to explain and to grasp.  Some people prefer to think of it as leverage - finding a relatively small amount of money in order to release a much larger sum.

Q Who can be a third party contributor?

A

Any individual or organisation who is willing to make the required contribution. Third party funding can be supplied by the applicant. However, third party funding can not be made up of other LCF monies (you must be able to demonstrate this via your accounts/audit trail), and cannot be funded by anyone that is going to derive a unique benefit from the project going ahead, eg a contractor for the project works. 

Q Can Biffaward fund waste related projects such as recycling, research and development, and awareness raising schemes?

A Changes to the Landfill Communities Fund in 2003 mean that we can no longer fund these types of projects (Category C).

Q What do I do if I have difficulty in accessing any of the information on this website, or have a complaint to raise?

A If you have any difficulties whatsoever please contact us on 01636 670000 or e-mail biffaward@rswt.org.  We will happily assist you.  Please also contact us if you would like to discuss your project's eligibility prior to completing your application form.  If you have a complaint or other issue to raise, please refer to the [page:contact] page for our complaints procedure.

Q Where can I find out further information about my local landfill sites?

A

For further information on your local landfill sites please refer to the Environment Agency website www.environment-agency.gov.uk and click into their ‘At home & leisure' section, from which you can access landfill site maps. Or call their general enquires line on 08708 506 506.

Alternatively, you can call your local authority and ask for their waste department.

Q What is an 'active' landfill site?

A

An active landfill site is one that is still receiving waste and is therefore still paying Landfill Tax.  

Q Why do I need to provide letters of support?

A

Biffaward prefers to fund projects with wide community benefit. Letters of support allow us to see evidence that other organisations, groups or people, support your project. 

Q What is meant by 'community consultation'?

A

Community consultation means that you have consulted with the community (or user groups) on what they would like to happen to an amenity. We want to see that you have checked with the community that the project that you are asking for funding for is something that they want. Ideally you should include the end users in the planning stages of a project, for example, when designing a play area, you should ask the local children which types of play equipment they want to see.