CAE - Introduction

CAE is a Sustainable Development Fund of £250,000 per annum which is administered by Snowdonia National Park Authority on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government. The fund’s purpose is to support projects which will improve the quality of life in the National Park.

The main purpose of CAE is to demonstrate at a local level the principles of sustainability that the National Assembly for Wales has a duty to promote under powers imposed on it by the Government of Wales Act 1998. It is a scheme that seeks innovation and a wide variety of projects will be encouraged.

A similar fund is also available for projects in the other Welsh National Parks and five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) of Wales.

Aims and Objectives:

The overall aim is: through partnership, to develop and test ways of achieving a more sustainable way of living in a countryside of great natural beauty and diversity, in which the local characteristics of culture, wildlife, landscape, land use and community are conserved and enhanced.  

The scheme has three primary objectives:

• to explore ways of pursuing concurrently the 4 principles of sustainability (see below) and of breaking down barriers that can act as obstacles to sustainability
• to develop models for the sustainable management of the countryside that could be applied more widely in Wales
• to generate greater awareness and understanding of sustainability

There are also three secondary objectives:

• to develop projects that address global problems at a local level in ways that enable the communities, culture and language of Snowdonia to grow and flourish in the 21st century.
• to develop projects that innovatively satisfy sustainability criteria.
• to develop lasting partnerships and community activity to deliver local sustainability beyond the lifetime of the CAE fund.

4 principles of sustainable development:

1. Effective protection of the environment
2. Social progress which recognises the needs of everyone;
3. Prudent use of natural resources
4. Maintenance of high & stable levels of economic growth & employment.

What Projects will be Funded?

A wide variety of projects can be funded. Although the National Park Authority is administering the fund, any group or organisation can submit projects; and whilst projects must not conflict with National Park purposes, they can have an economic, social or cultural emphasis rather than just an environmental one. Most projects will be in the National Park but some outside may be funded if they show clear benefit to the Park.

Successful projects are likely to include some or all of the following elements:

• Practical work – from the most local, to projects covering the whole of the Park.
• Project development such as officer costs, group development, partnership development  
• Research, which will include learning from good ideas from elsewhere
• Awareness raising and training about sustainability - at a philosophical or a practical level.

Eligibility

Projects will have to:

• Be sustainable – link social, environmental, cultural and economic issues through public participation;
• Demonstrate that they have genuine support or involvement of communities;
• Support one or more of the objectives of the scheme;
• Be complementary to key local and national strategies, e.g. Local Agenda 21;
• Bring organisations together in partnership to tackle problems;
• Be compliant with the principle of treating the English and Welsh languages on a basis of equality in dealings with the public (e.g. publicity literature and signage) as set out in the Welsh National Park Authority’s Welsh Language Scheme.

Priority will be given to projects that:

• Overcome institutional arrangements, relationships and cultures that may be creating barriers to sustainability;
• Demonstrate innovation or best practice;
• Involve young people;
• Support community based sustainable transport initiatives designed to reduce the carbon footprint;
• Support sustainable visitor transport initiatives, including access to visitor “hot spots”;    
• Support sustainable food marketing and the promotion and consumption of local produce;
• Promote the sustainable use of water resources, through the support of projects designed to promote access to water;  
• For which no other resources exist;
• Which lever in contributions from other sources (in cash or kind);
• Promote wider understanding of sustainability;
• Add value or new dimensions to existing sustainability projects;
• Support local disadvantaged and disabled groups;
• Derive support from and provide support to local businesses;  
• Encourage social inclusion

The emphasis is on innovation but this can mean ideas that are new to this area or a new venture for a particular group as well as totally untried ideas.

Projects must demonstrate that they fit in with higher strategies such as the Community Strategy, Environmental Strategy, WAG’s Sustainable Development Action Plan, Rural Development Plan etc. Further information can be found through your local county council or the Welsh Assembly Government (see useful links).

Who can Apply?

There are no restrictions on who can apply for funding. However, it is expected that most successful applications will be submitted by organisations, community groups and other partnerships. Individuals or individual businesses can only be beneficiaries where the project shows clear benefit to the wider community.

Assesment Process

A specially constituted Panel of representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors will assess all applications for grants over £1,000. This panel will meet as required – roughly around every two months depending on a sufficient amount of applications and funding available (to find out deadline dates for submitting applications please contact the CAE Project Officer). This Panel will be serviced by the CAE Project Officer who will also be available to discuss and develop project ideas with potential applicants. Grants of up to £1,000 will be assessed by the CAE Project Officer and subject to funding there are no deadlines for submission.

Monitoring Projects

Monitoring visits will be arranged between you and the CAE Project Officer if the application has been successful. A copy of any promotional material, press releases and/or other related documents produced as part of your project must also be sent to the CAE Project Officer as part of the monitoring process.