Cycle Access Fund strand 1: Individual Bike Ownership FAQs
- Who can benefit from this strand of the Cycle Access Fund?
- Who is eligible to apply for this strand of the Cycle Access Fund?
- What can these grants be used for?
- How can my organisation apply for this strand of Cycle Access Fund funding?
- What is expected of potential bike recipients?
- What kind of bikes can the grant be used to buy?
- Can the grant be used to buy new or secondhand bikes?
- What is the maximum amount that can be applied for?
- How much can be spent per bike?
- Is there a maximum limit on the number of bikes that can be applied for?
- Can the same household be given more than one bike?
- Is proof of income or benefit status required for bike recipients?
- Can Cycle Access Fund offer support to help grant applicants buy the right bikes?
- Will the bikes be delivered to our premises?
- Who is responsible for storing the bikes?
- Who is liable if the bike recipient has an accident on the road?
- What happens if a bike gets stolen?
- Is funding guaranteed?
- What is the deadline for applying?
1. Who can benefit from this strand of the Cycle Access Fund?
Grants are available to organisations working with adults who would otherwise be unable to afford the upfront costs of a cycle. We expect grant recipient organisations to already be providing ongoing support to adults who are financially struggling in the communities hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis, to ensure that this funding reaches those who really need it.
To demonstrate that your organisation is an appropriate partner, we would like you to describe the profile of the individuals or communities you already work with. Data or statistics are helpful for us to confirm and justify our selection of grant recipients. This might include data from the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD); data on levels of participants receiving Universal Credit or equivalent; information on households struggling to manage financially (whether receiving or not receiving benefits), and so on.
2. Who is eligible to apply for this strand of the Cycle Access Fund?
The funding is not available to individuals, only organisations. In 2024-25 we are funded by Regional Transport Partnerships to work in specific regions of Scotland, not the whole country. You can check your local authority here.
Organisations whose registered address is in one of the following local authorities are eligible to apply:
- Aberdeen City
- Aberdeenshire
- Argyll and Bute (only Helensburgh and Lomond District)
- City of Edinburgh
- Clackmannanshire
- East Ayrshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Lothian
- East Renfrewshire
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Glasgow
- Inverclyde
- Midlothian
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- Scottish Borders
- Shetland Islands
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
- West Lothian
3. What can these grants be used for?
The funding can be used to buy cycles and necessary accessories such as helmets, locks and lights – everything that people will need to cycle. Bikes can be used for both transport and leisure journeys and the type of bike will depend on the needs of the individuals who will be receiving the bike.
4. How can my organisation apply for this strand of Cycle Access Fund funding?
We have a two-stage application process. You will first need to complete an expression of interest form. If you are successful at that stage, we will require you to complete an application form, which will include the rationale for your bike choices for each bike recipient as well as a detailed budget form. We also need you to support data collection from up to three email surveys throughout the first year of ownership.
You will need to identify potential participants, so please think carefully about who from your community would benefit most from having a bike. Consider factors such as the person’s ability to store a cycle safely and the ongoing monitoring and evaluation requirement. Someone’s suitability will also depend on their ability to use the cycle – you will need to ascertain whether they have the necessary physical and technical skills to ride it.
5. What is expected of potential bike recipients?
Bike recipients must:
- Be aged 18+
- Provide contact details and consent to their details being shared with Cycling UK
- Complete a baseline survey at the time of bike collection and up to three further surveys throughout the first year of ownership
- Have somewhere safe to store the bike indoors
- Use the bike regularly for transport and leisure purposes
6. What kind of bikes can the grant be used to buy?
Funding can be used to buy standard upright two-wheel cycles for individuals and non-standard cycles, including e-bikes, for people with health conditions or particular mobility needs. The grant application form will ask you for the reasoning behind your bike choice.
We will fund bikes suitable for short local journeys and leisure cycling. Hybrid, folding and, if the terrain requires it, a mountain bike. We will not fund full suspension mountain bikes, BMX and other bikes that are not practical for everyday journeys.
If you are considering purchasing non-standard cycles for individuals, you will need to identify potential participants, so please think carefully about who from your community would benefit most from having a cycle; consider factors such as the person’s ability to store a cycle and the ongoing monitoring and evaluation requirement. Someone’s suitability will also depend on their ability to use the cycle independently – you will need to ascertain whether they have the necessary physical and technical skills to ride it without specialist support.
Please bear in mind that our funding for bikes for individuals is extremely limited and we are only going to be able to fund non-standard cycles for individuals in very exceptional cases.
If you’d like to purchase non-standard cycle(s) for use within a fleet of cycles, rather than for individual ownership, we have another strand of funding specifically for purchases of cycles for shared use.
7. Can the grant be used to buy new or secondhand bikes?
The grant can be used to buy either new or refurbished secondhand bikes from a bike shop or bike recycler. Please note that bikes must be purchased from an established supplier so cannot be purchased from individuals on Gumtree, Facebook, Amazon or eBay.
When you make your grant application, we can introduce you to cycle suppliers who will be happy to help you through the selection and purchase process if you do not have a particular supplier in mind.
8. What is the maximum amount that can be applied for?
Each application will be different depending on the people you are working with. The maximum amount that you can apply for will depend on the specific requirements of the bike recipients.
We require you to provide a quote from a supplier with detailed costings for the specific bikes and accessories required at the time of application. You must also consider the needs of individuals, bike suppliers and best value for money.
9. How much can be spent per bike?
We want to make sure that all bikes provided through the Cycle Access Fund are good-quality bikes from reputable brands that will last and be suitable for everyday use. We would recommend that you research the market and avoid purchases based purely on low costs.
The cheapest bikes rarely provide value for money and will likely not stand up to regular use. We want each bike to be for long-term use by the recipient. You should aim to spend between £300-£600 for each standard bike.
10. Is there a maximum limit on the number of bikes that can be applied for?
Applications should be for a maximum of 10 standard cycles.
11. Can the same household be given more than one bike?
We know that people are more likely to cycle if they have company so we would support multiple adults from the same household to get a bike. We will leave the specific decisions about who gets a bike to your professional judgement.
12. Is proof of income or benefit status required for bike recipients?
No. There is no need for people to present proof of income or benefits. You will know your community better than we will and we trust your professional judgement of their needs.
13. Can Cycle Access Fund offer support to help grant applicants buy the right bikes?
Yes. Every grant applicant will be offered support to help identify and choose a bike supplier. If required, we can provide introductions to local bike retailers and manufacturers who will be happy to guide you through the purchasing options and help you to get the best bikes for your people.
14. Will the bikes be delivered to our premises?
Depending on the supplier and your location, bikes could either be delivered to your premises or collected instore. This will be up to you and whatever works best for you and your bike recipients. The choice of bikes and suppliers will be up to you.
15. Who is responsible for storing the bikes?
If you get the bikes delivered to your premises, then you would need to store them until the recipients can come and collect them. With a bit of coordination, this shouldn’t be for too long. Please remember that if the bikes are to be stored at your premises while waiting for their new owner to collect them, they will need to be covered by your insurance in case of theft.
If you do not have access to storage space, then choosing to collect bikes instore or buying from a local retailer would be the best option for you.
16. Who is liable if the bike recipient has an accident on the road?
We recommend that you make it clear to bike recipients that they are the new owner of that bike and ensure that they understand the risks, as well as benefits, of cycling.
17. What happens if a bike gets stolen?
Once a bike has been transferred to a new owner it will be their responsibility to look after the bike. Please be assured that Cycle Access Fund would never expect a bike recipient to replace a stolen bike and firmly believe that prevention is much better than any cure.
Grant funding can be used to buy bike accessories so all new owners can also be issued with a lock – please give careful thought to the type of lock purchased. New bike owners will be signposted to the Cycling UK website where they can access information on bike security.
18. Is funding guaranteed?
No applicant is guaranteed funding; we expect that this will be a very popular fund and applications will be assessed on a number of criteria including impact, location and demographics. Applicants should demonstrate how you will meet a particular need in your community, promoting inclusivity and supporting those who are least likely to have access to a cycle of their own.
19. What is the deadline for applying?
We will be accepting and processing expression of interest forms from the project’s launch. We will hold three grant panels to assess second-stage application forms and allocate funding in July, September and November. The fund will close, either when the funds have all been allocated, or on 31 March 2025, whichever occurs soonest.
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