Capital project delivery is often aligned with the Royal Institute of British Architects or RIBA Plan of Work 2020 (PDF, 75 KB), a way of progressively developing your proposals in logical steps with each being clearly defined in terms of inputs and expected outputs. There are eight RIBA Stages, as explained below.
For your 'Viability Proposal' we would expect you to have completed RIBA Stage 0 requirements (project viability work).
For your 'Developed Proposal,' we would expect you to have completed RIBA Stages 0 to 3 inclusive. By this time, the design of your project should be well advanced and submitted to the Local Planning Authority for approval where relevant[1].
You may not have completed the full technical designs, but you should have well determined costings that tell you what financial outcomes to expect when proposals are put out to tender.
We have prepared a Design Strategy to guide you and your project designers. Adherence to the Strategy is a requirement of any grant award, and its aim is to ensure that best-quality bids come forward that optimise social value outcomes for your project and wider Value for Money considerations.
You will also be expected to evidence that you have (or have assembled) the necessary knowledge, skills, capacity, and ability to design and deliver your project successfully.
5.2 Reviewing Progress During the Development Stage
Our Fund Management Team will review the progress of your project during the Development Phase to see how you are getting on and to assist you through the bid process. We will agree appropriate timings for progress discussions with you, but you might expect to have a monthly catch up with us as a minimum.
The main purpose of these reviews is to confirm:
the project is developing well and is continuing to address the Fund's objectives appropriately.
costs and partnership funding levels are up to date and continue to indicate your project to be viable.
project risks are manageable.
there is a clear Project Delivery Plan in place to steer further development of the bid.
The reviews will also provide the opportunity to look at any significant changes and highlight any areas where further work is needed. If there are serious concerns, we may recommend that you do not continue your bid preparation work.
Please choose when to submit your 'Developed Proposal' carefully. Do not rush to submit it before you are ready, and make sure you have fully thought through the impact of your proposal and how you are going to manage both during the Delivery Stage and when it is completed.
5.3 Evaluation and Reporting
Good quality evaluation helps you understand your impact and provides the opportunity for others to learn from your experience. In turn, this information helps us identify the difference our grants are making.
We recommend you build in evaluation from the beginning of your project. Our evidence shows that the more carefully projects budget for their evaluation, the higher the quality of the final product.
Please include a budget for evaluation and reporting costs within your 'Developed Proposal.'
[1] As a condition of any grant award you must commit to securing full Planning Approval for your project (if applicable) and confirm that you will comply with any imposed Planning Conditions in full.
