An overview of Connecting Carmarthenshire
Connecting Carmarthenshire is a support service that provides information, advice and help to people across the county.
It is run by a group of charities and community organisations working together. The service acts as a single point of contact so people can easily access support and information when and where they need it.
It can also be accessed in different ways: in person at community venues, in outdoor spaces, online or by phone. The service is preventative, meaning it aims to help people before problems become serious.
What is micro-commissioning?
All funded projects must:
- Focus on prevention.
- Follow Carmarthenshire County Council standards.
- Not replace services that the local authority is legally required to provide.
How the funding process works
- Organisations submit a micro-commissioning application.
- Applications are shared with the Connecting Carmarthenshire steering group.
- The group reviews the applications against specific criteria and discusses them at regular steering group meetings.
- A decision is made by majority vote.
- Applicants are informed within 2 days of the meeting.
If there is urgency, applications may be approved by electronic voting. Each steering group member has one vote.
How applications are assessed
Applications are assessed based on several key areas:
- Project summary: the proposal summary must explain the organisation, its aims and previous achievements, and provide a clear summary of the proposed project.
- Project details: each project is evaluated to ensure it aligns with Connecting Carmarthenshire’s goals, addresses a local need, introduces new ideas or innovations, does not duplicate existing services, shows evidence of effectiveness, is likely to improve wellbeing and quality of life and is realistic and achievable.
- Sustainability: Sustainability is considered by looking at whether the project can have a lasting impact in the community, build community capacity and involve collaboration with local people and partners.
- Funding: Funding is assessed to ensure it fits within the micro-commissioning rules, offers good value for money and has a justified budget.
- Fit: Projects are checked to see if they are connected to an approved Connecting Carmarthenshire specialist provider.
Reporting requirements
Funded projects must provide a report that includes:
- Summary of the activity or service.
- Number of people helped.
- Outcomes achieved.
- Reflections on what worked well and what didn’t.
- Feedback from participants.
The report format will be agreed before funding is released.
How to apply
The Connecting Carmarthenshire partnership has a small fund to support community groups and activities. The funding is for preventative work and cannot replace local authority services.
Click the Apply button below to submit an application.
