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 or Flagship Schemes - you need to enrol your organisation with ENTRUST and register your project before applying.  The one exception is if you are making a Main Grants - Community application, when you may delay the project's registration until after you have sent in your application.  However this will still need to be done, and we may make it a condition of any funding agreement.

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 contributing third party for Main Grants 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 funder will be.  If your application is successful, the third party pays the 10 per cent to Biffa Waste Services in order for us to release the full amount of the grant.

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 Can the applicant provide the 10 per cent contribution?

A No, because in order to apply to the Main Grants Scheme you have to be an Enrolled Environmental Body and ENTRUST regulations do not permit EBs to donate the 10 per cent.  In addition, the third party providing the 10 per cent cannot be corporately associated with an Environmental Body (less than one third of membership in common) nor a contractor to the Enrolled Environmental Body.  The third party must not benefit uniquely from the contribution.

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.