Issue - meetings

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Development and Economic Growth

The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update in regard to Round 3 Strategic Events and Festivals (SEF) Fund for 2021/22.  The report sought agreement to approve the award of SEF Grant to 8 strategic events planned to be held during the remainder of 2021/22.  In addition the report sought member approval of the process and timing for the call for SEF Round 4.

Decision

The Policy and Resources Committee –

1.    Agreed to the award of SEF Round 3 grants as detailed in table 2 with any grant offer only being formally issued upon confirmation from the individual event organisation that the event is formally confirmed and is definitely going ahead and still meets the SEF Round 3 criteria.

2.    Agreed to the delegation of powers to the Executive Director with responsibility for Development and Economic Growth to allow any subsequent amendment to existing grant requests to be made brought about as a consequence of COVID-19 restrictions regarding holding of events/mass gathering in 2021/22. Any amendment to a current grant request/offer would only be considered if the amendment met the SEF criteria and related to either the same level or a reduction in the request from SEF Round 3.

3.    Noted that at the February Council budget meeting the Council agreed funding of £90,000 for an SEF Round 4 (2022/23), to be augmented by any underspend in 2020/21.

4.    Agreed to recommend to Council that any underspend from SEF Round 3 (2021/22) is earmarked and used to augment future SEF round for 2023/24.

5.    Agreed that the SEF Round 4 is launched in October this year with a report to Policy and Resources Committee in February 2022. This follows the same time line for SEF Round 3 and will allow the position with regard to COVID-19 to hopefully be much clearer in regard to the holding of mass events in 2022/23.

6.    Agreed that the process for SEF Round 4 follows the same process for SEF Round 3 with an additional point being awarded to those events that had to cancel during 2021/22 and were unable to benefit from SEF grant.

(Reference:  Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Development and Economic Growth dated 9 April 2021, submitted)