Pembrokeshire’s bids for a share of the £220 million UK community renewal fund (UK CRF) are being prepared for next week’s deadline.

An extraordinary cabinet meeting on Friday, June 11 went into private session to discuss the finer details, ranking and scoring process of 14 applications, from 11 applicants, before deciding which will be submitted to UK government by noon on June 18.

The UK CRF is designed to prepare the country to prepare for the introduction of the UK shared prosperity fund which replaces EU funding following Brexit.

A report to cabinet states that two applications did not score high enough against the government criteria and could not be recommended to cabinet.

Gwyn Evans, external funding manager and Brexit lead officer, told cabinet that each local authority area had the potential to receive up to £3 million worth of grants, with Pembrokeshire being classed as a priority one area, of which there are 100 around the UK.

The budget is not sufficient to provide £3 million in each priority one area, he added, and other authorities can make bids for schemes operating in Pembrokeshire so “competition is fierce” and quality applications need to be put forward.

The final decision will be taken by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

An open bidding process was held and strict MHCLG guidelines adhered to, which also have to be evidenced in applications submitted, added Mr Evans.

Two applications were from council departments, involving external organisations, and 12 were from outside applicants, two of which involved the council as a ‘delivery partner’ but led by other bodies.

The fund is revenue based and aims to support investment in skills, local business, communities and place and increasing employment.