Companies awarded Council contracts above a certain value can offer social, environmental, and employability support, helping them to give back directly to the people of Falkirk. As part of its commitment to Community Wealth Building, Falkirk Council considers the inclusion of such supports, or Community Benefits (CBs), across procurement exercises valued at £50,000 and above.

Delivery of CBs is monitored and managed through close working with relevant Falkirk Council Contract Managers, the Employment Training Unit, the Corporate Procurement Unit, and Communities Services. Further information can be found on our Community Benefits webpage.

Falkirk Council's Community Benefit Request process gives local community groups, charities, and the voluntary sector the opportunity to receive practical support from Contractors who deliver Council-awarded contracts.

The Community Benefit Request process ensures that social, environmental, and employability benefits provided through contracts, contribute meaningfully to Falkirk’s communities. It aligns with key themes in the Falkirk Plan 2021-2030 – such as poverty, mental health and wellbeing, and economic recovery. We therefore strongly encourage applications from groups/organisations who aim to address these issues.

Groups and organisations can request a range of support up to a value of £500, including:

• Financial donations
• Material donations
• Specialist services
• Volunteering hours

Every Request is reviewed by Falkirk Council's Communities Team to ensure that it follows eligibility criteria, and where applications are not successful, guidance can be provided.

We cannot guarantee that every Request will be selected and fulfilled, however we will encourage contractors to consult the list whenever possible.

This process is open to any community group, organisation, association or charity/third sector organisation which operates within the Falkirk area, with a maximum annual income level of £250,000.

Each organisation can make one Request per financial year, and all requests are reviewed annually to ensure that they remain current and relevant.

Please note as part of the assessment process, Falkirk Council will consider any successful funding awards your group has received from the Council in the previous and current financial year. This consideration will influence the decision-making process.

Groups whose Request has been fulfilled within a given financial year, will not be eligible to submit a further Request in the subsequent year.

Additional restrictions do apply, with these listed in the document attached below.

The Community Benefit Requests process involves seven steps:

1. Complete the Submission Form: Groups outline their Request using Participate+ or via a paper form.
2. Eligibility Assessment: The Council's Communities Team reviews each submission against eligibility criteria and may contact applicants for further clarification.
3. Recording Eligible Requests: Approved Requests are logged by the Communities Team.
4. Contractor Matching: The Council’s Communities Team match Requests to appropriate Contractors.
5. Agreement and Delivery: The Council facilitates Request delivery with the relevant organisations.
6. Evidence of Completion: Groups must provide proof of the benefit delivered (e.g. receipts or photographs).
7. Evaluation: Groups complete a short evaluation form to understand impact and potential improvements which could be made to the process.

The Community Benefit Request process will open to applications on Monday June 8 at 12:30pm.

To aid your application, please see the following Guidance document, which also includes a copy of the required Submission Form: