Purpose

From 1 April 2026, the Council will receive Government funding to deliver Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) in Lincolnshire. Top up funding of £1,825,511 for Lincolnshire was announced on 17 March 2026. This is to be targeted to households reliant on heating oil who are facing financial hardship because of the increase in heating oil prices and as a result are at risk of losing immediate access to heating or hot water. This is not a universal offer for households that use oil.??

The government expects local authorities to provide immediate support.

The Lincolnshire Community Foundation (LCF) is experienced in distributing grant funding, with a focus on tackling issues which also align with the purpose of the CRF. LCF has been utilised by Lincolnshire district councils to distribute funding under the Household Support Fund, this includes a heating oil support scheme in one area.

Given the need to commence delivery urgently and the experience of LCF if delivering an existing scheme, it is considered that this can be mobilised at pace. The administration of the grant includes, establishing eligibility, assessing evidence and award of a prepaid off grid energy voucher alongside working with individuals to establish wider needs and supporting them to access resilience services where appropriate. The grant amount includes the pre-paid voucher provider fee.

Awarding a grant agreement to LCF will provide a single countywide mechanism to deliver the Crisis Payments for oil heating, meeting the requirements of the CRF guidance and intent of the additional funding.

Decision

The Director of Adult Care and Community Wellbeing approves the award of a grant agreement with a value of £238,110 to Lincolnshire Community Foundation for the period from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2027.

Alternative options considered

Consideration has been given to undertaking a competitive procurement process to identify a suitable provider to deliver the requirements under a contract for services, however, the conditions and proposed use of the funding are such that a Grant Funding Agreement is an appropriate and suitable mechanism through which to achieve the required funding outcomes. In addition, recognising to the requirement to commence immediate delivery, the undertaking of a competitive procurement process would result in delays to commencement that could negatively impact the achievement of planned outcomes