Communities and safety

Community use and asset transfer programme

Community Asset Transfer (CAT) allows a community organisation to take over publicly-owned land or buildings in a way that recognises the public benefits that the transfer will bring to our local communities.

Our third-party sector plays a crucial role in providing services for the city’s most vulnerable, mobilising community action, enriching the places we live and give a voice to those who need it most – and community transfers can support the sustainability and capacity of the sector to deliver this work.

We will soon be releasing six assets under phase two of the programme so that eligible third sector organisations can apply to obtain a lease interest in an asset.

Eligibility

Each organisation wishing to apply for CAT must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a voluntary or community organisation, social enterprise or other not-for-profit group.
  • Deliver services that generate social, economic or environmental benefits to local communities in Liverpool.
  • Have robust systems, governance and policies and meet the basic requirements set out in the CAT guidance and business plan template (see below).
  • Have the capacity to manage the asset and have directors or committee members who have the necessary experience and skills.
  • Contribute towards the Council Plan and its aim to create ‘thriving empowered and compassionate communities for all’ across the city.

Submit an expression of interest (EOI)

Before you start, please have the following documents or scanned files to hand. You will be prompted to upload them with your application:

  • Organisation mission statement and objectives
  • Written constitution or memorandum and articles of association
  • Annual report (most recent copy)
  • Turnover information for the last two years

Please make sure you read the following policy and scoring documents before you submit your expression of interest.

If you are confident you meet the eligibility criteria, you can submit an EOI online below:

Applications closed: We are not accepting applications until further notice whilst the CAT policy is under review. The online form will be reinstated after the review.

Read our privacy notice which tells you how we use your data.

What happens next?

We aim to review expressions of interest within 4 to 6 weeks of receipt to decide if we can take it forward to the next stage.

If the EOI is rejected

If rejected, we will provide feedback in writing and invite you to resubmit your expression of interest. You will only have the opportunity to resubmit your application once.

If the EOI is successful

If successful and we endorse your expression of interest, we will invite you to submit a full business plan and discuss our expectations with you.

We have produced a business plan example template, which details all the information we need and you can use this to form your plan.

Along with the business plan, you will also need to submit the following documents when we ask for them:

  • Audited accounts for the last 3 years, pre-covid and post-covid (March 2019 to March 2022)
  • Budget for your organisation for the current financial year
  • Company Business Plan
  • Confirmation of receipt of any furlough payments for employees during the covid pandemic.
  • List of current trustees and members of your management committee
  • Governance document
  • Equality and inclusion policy
  • Environmental and climate change commitment policy
  • Any relevant safeguarding policies.

If your full business plan is successful, you will enter into negotiations with us in respect of acquiring a lease (terms to be discussed) in exchange for robust social value activities and outputs for the local area outlined in your business plan, and how the transfer will result in clear community benefits and social impact.

If you require further information on the CAT programme, email CAT@liverpool.gov.uk