Get help with your workspace building or creative space
Are you a work-space operator, or leaseholder/tenant of a building providing creative workspace (eg photography studio, recording studio, print facilities, fabrication facilities, textiles or fashion studio)?
MCLT is taking applications for Margate based workspace operators, and leaseholders/tenants of buildings providing creative workspace, to support them with the provision of specialist and technical services.
The Trust can supply and cover costs for what can be prohibitive or uncertain expenditure to help improve the condition and operation of creative workspace buildings, or with costs associated with developing organisational resilience and sustainability. The intention is that the operators, occupiers and tenants will be the key beneficiaries of this funded pilot.
More details can be found in the sections below.
Margate Creative Land Trust was co-created by the community and local creative practitioners, and the organisation was established as an independent charity on behalf of the Margate Town Deal Board.
Seed funding has been secured from central Government through the Margate Town Deal to set up the operation of the organisation, purchase physical space in Margate and provide affordable rents, and deliver community programmes to support inclusive and sustainable practice in the creative industries, ensuring that Margate’s residents benefit from the town’s creative economy.
Our remit is to support the creative sector by providing affordable workspace, enterprise and business support, as well as delivering community programmes that build the capacity of the sector.
The Trust was set up with seed funding from the Margate Town Deal, which is split into a capital allocation (for the acquisition and development of buildings that remain affordable in perpetuity) and revenue allocation (for the delivery of projects and programmes to support the sector).
MCLT is not able to spend this fund on direct grants to other organisations, but can facilitate outcome specific financial assistance through support programmes and initiatives.
This programme is an initial pilot to provide support to workspace operators and creative tenants, based on our current knowledge of issues in buildings and the needs of those holding the leases and bearing responsibility for the sub-tenancies within them. It is intended that the impact and outcomes will feed into development of any further support programmes delivered by MCLT to the sector.
Each application will be treated individually, in confidence, and on a case-by-case basis.
Each application will be assessed for relevance and suitability and if successful will be able to draw down on funded support up to an agreed capped threshold. This will be subject to variables dependent on the type of professional expertise sought.
Due to the pilot nature of this programme, we may vary thresholds and specific professional services in future rounds or in expanded versions of the programme.
- MCLT will treat all requests in strict confidence and in compliance with GDPR regulations.
- Response time: MCLT will respond to your initial enquiry within 14 days.
- Step 1: The response will comprise of one the following:
- MCLT giving verbal advice, followed up by a written email or:
- Written advice signposting to professionals or advisors we feel may be able to help you or:
- MCLT agreeing to make formal referral to one of our professionals which will be funded by MCLT (on a capped basis, agreed at referral relating to the scope and extent of support you as a provider may require).
- Step 2: Follow up call and feedback form completed after 30 days to review and inform next steps as required.
- Please be aware that due to the nature of complicated requests, there may be further discussion and correspondence required beyond the initial 14 days response timeframe.
- Applicants will need to complete the form in full to enable the request to be considered, and ensure supporting detail is included to provide sufficient background and context.
- Applicants to respond to requests for further information in a timely manner and provide a clear update on how the support provided has helped/overall outcomes.
- Applicant to provide detailed feedback on support from any referred or signposted supplier, to allow for quality monitoring. This will be shared in confidence and anonymised when reporting onwards.
Services which can be supplied and paid for by MCLT:
- Surveying work – condition surveys, structural surveys, environmental and energy improvement, roofing surveys
- Architects and design services – feasibility studies, planning applications, building control applications
- Professional advice – legal advice (eg lease renewal, dispute resolution, constitution of organisational entities), property advice (eg valuation surveys, commercial advisory)
- Business development – business planning, bid writing for funding
- Financial advice (eg accountancy, VAT, commercial finance)
- Compliance and health & safety advice
- Recruitment, staffing and HR support