Streamlining Community Grants Processing with Low-Code: A Case Study on Newcastle City Council

Newcastle City Council (NCC), the local government authority for the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne, faced a significant challenge in making community grants more accessible to its citizens. The council needed a digital-first case management solution that could integrate multiple technologies, automate processes, and deliver accurate reporting for compliance. The ultimate goal was to provide a streamlined and transparent end-to-end application process for a range of grants, including the Clear Air Zone (CAZ) grant. The council team was burdened with handling numerous unstructured emails and telephone calls, leading to manual re-keying of customer data and reliance on spreadsheets for payment processing. With limited validation capability, the risk of claim fraud, error, and audit failure was high. Additionally, NCC was legally required to reduce traffic-related pollution levels, necessitating a simple way for owners of specific vehicles to check eligibility and apply for grants.

The customer in this case study is Newcastle City Council (NCC), the local government authority for the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne. NCC is responsible for providing a range of public services to its citizens, including the administration of community grants. The council was seeking a solution to streamline its grant application process, reduce manual work, improve accuracy, and enhance the customer experience. The council also needed to comply with a legal directive to reduce traffic-related pollution levels, which involved providing a simple way for vehicle owners to check eligibility and apply for grants.