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Rural Funding Digest - July 2023
A monthly bulletin facilitated by your membership of the Rural Services Network highlighting a selection of current funding opportunities
- Download a printable version of the Funding Digest here
Species Survival Fund – The National Lottery Heritage Fund (on behalf of Defra)
The Species Survival Fund will support the creation and restoration of wildlife-rich habitats in England. It is open to individuals and organisations working to recover nature.
Projects must deliver against the fund theme of habitat creation and restoration, including ecosystem restoration, to support species abundance at a landscape, catchment or local scale, either within or outside of protected sites.
This can include targeted actions taken as part of wider habitat creation or restoration projects.
The Fund are offering grants of £250,000 to £3m for projects of maximum two years’ duration. You are encouraged to contribute at least 5% of your project costs in cash (partnership funding).
Priority will be given to projects that can provide partnership funding from non-government sources such as private investment.
The deadline for expressions of interest is 24 July 2023.
Species Survival Fund | The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Places to Ride Fund – British Cycling
British Cycling’s Places to Ride programme is funding the development of new or the improvement of existing cycling facilities and activities in communities across England.
Teaming up with Crowdfunder UK, British Cycling wants to invest in innovative and exciting projects that perhaps would not traditionally see British Cycling as a source of funding or indeed consider sport to be their main area of work.
They are keen to hear from any sports club or community organisation with a great idea that will make a difference. They believe that investment in community-based, accessible cycling facilities and equipment will drive increased participation, encouraging existing cyclists to cycle more regularly and encouraging new cyclists to take part.
Grants up to £15,000 are available to improve cycling facilities and activities.
British Cycling - Places to Ride | Crowdfunder UK
Small Grants Programme – Sport England
The Small Grants Programme seeks to develop opportunities for communities to get more people physically active. New projects from not-for-profit organisations will be supported through providing National Lottery funding of between £300 and £15,000.
They want to support projects that bring communities together and provide sport and physical activities for people who may be less physically active.
They also particularly want to support projects focusing on environmental sustainability.
They believe that communities that work together and share resources provide a stronger and more sustainable impact. Therefore, Sport England want applications from projects that demonstrate how they connect with their communities, make best use of the existing skills and assets in an area, and will provide the biggest possible impact to those who need it most.
The closing date for applications is 31 March 2024.
Small Grants Programme | Sport England
d/Deaf and Disabled people's organisations – Lloyds Bank Foundation
This programme is for small and local charities with an income between £25,000 to £500,000 which are led by and working with d/Deaf and Disabled people who are experiencing poverty. Organisations can apply for a three year unrestricted grant of £75,000.
The deadline for applications is 31 August 2023.
Apply for our d/Deaf and Disabled People's organisations Programme (lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk)
New Stories, New Audiences – Association of Independent Museums (AIM)
AIM know that all museums need to increase and widen their audiences to enhance their sustainability, and to widen participation to groups that are currently under-represented. They want New Stories New Audiences to inspire museums to stay relevant to their audiences and to increase their impact.
Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, New Stories New Audiences is open to all AIM members in the small museum category (up to 20,000 visitors).
They will fund projects up to £15,000 that result in a wider range of people being involved in heritage at your organisation. They expect you to have identified a new story that you wish to tell and undertaken some initial research to identify who the new audience will be. They also expect you to work with a new partner, to work differently and to try something new.
Successful projects will be allocated an experienced project mentor and will take part in the New Stories New Audiences network with other successful applicants. At the end of your project, you will be brought together to share learning, contribute to the evaluation of the experience and inform the creation of new resources.
The deadline for applications is 31 October 2023.
New Stories New Audiences - AIM - Association of Independent Museums (aim-museums.co.uk)
Eat it up Fund – Hubbub & Starbucks
Hubbub has launched a £200,000 fund to support innovative ideas to tackle food waste. Supported by Starbucks, they’re offering grants of up to £40,000.
They're ready to back initiatives that do one or more of the following:
- Address pre-farmgate waste
- Prevent food from being wasted at the manufacturing and processing stage
- Minimise food waste from retailers
- Find creative ways to use surplus food in communities or at home
They can support ideas that are ready to test, or concepts that have been tested and are ready to progress further.
Their wider aims are to make a positive impact on our environment and communities.
The fund is open to a wide range of organisations including charities, local authorities, schools, universities and small businesses.
The closing date for expressions of interest is 21 July 2023.
Eat It Up Fund | Hubbub x Starbucks
Community Ownership Fund – Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities
The government is providing £150 million over 4 years to support community groups in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets and amenities at risk of being lost.
Voluntary and community groups can bid for funding to acquire important assets and run them for the benefit of the local community.
The Fund will run until March 2025 with regular bidding windows for applicants to submit a full application to the Fund.
An updated prospectus for the Fund was launched on 12 May and the current bidding window closes on 12 July 2023.
Community Ownership Fund: prospectus - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Protective security scheme for places of worship – Home Office
In 2023 and 2024, the Home Office is continuing to provide protective security measures to places of worship in England and Wales under two schemes:
- Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme
- Protective Security for Mosques Scheme
The schemes provide funding for places of worship and associated faith community centres that are vulnerable to hate crime. These schemes aim to reduce hate crime happening at places of worship so that people can feel safe to attend worship and practise their religion freely.
Through these schemes, vulnerable places of worship can apply for physical protective security measures, such as CCTV, secure fencing, and intruder alarms.
The application process is open from 21 June 2023 until 15 August 2023.
Protective security schemes for places of worship - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Maths Excellence Fund
The Maths Excellence Fund is a collaboration between XTX Markets, The Hg Foundation and Ark Ventures, which will be managing the Fund and the delivery of its activities
The Funding Round focuses on evidence-led programmes that will provide wide?ranging support to small groups of schools. It has two principal objectives:
- To support schools to improve student attainment and progression in maths from ages 11 to 16 and 16 to 18, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- To trial and evaluate programmes in order to better understand which activities can support student attainment and progression in maths, and to establish models to replicate these beyond the Fund.
The Fund aims to support multiple, long-term programmes:
- There will be up to £7.0mn total funding for programme delivery.
- Programmes will run for five years, starting September 2024.
- Three to six programmes will be funded.
- Each programme will work with a group of 10+ schools.
- Funding for each programme will be between £1.0mn and £3.0mn.
Expressions of interest must be submitted by 14 July 2023.
Forces for Change Programme – Armed Forces Covenant
This programme will award grants of up to £15,000 for community projects that reduce isolation and promote integration in local Armed Forces communities.
Under this programme, they want to make a big difference to Armed Forces communities that are facing particular challenges due to cost-of-living challenges, or where there are hidden or complex needs within local Armed Forces communities and a local project could help address problems that vulnerable people are facing.
There will be two application deadlines this year: 17 July and 13 December 2023.
Force for Change programme (covenantfund.org.uk)
Reaching and Supporting Armed Forces Communities programme – Armed Forces Covenant Fund
This programme will award grants of up to £100,000 over a period of up to three years.
This is a programme that will fund projects that will deliver significant changes or improvements for Armed Forces communities where there are hidden or compelling needs. They want to hear from those who know the most about what is needed and that’s why this year we are running such a broad programme.
If you apply for a grant, you need to show how this would help to address hidden, compelling and complex needs, particularly those of vulnerable Armed Forces communities who are most impacted by cost-of-living challenges, and where evidence has highlighted gaps in support and provision.
There will be two application deadlines this year: 3 July and 13 November 2023.
Reaching and Supporting Armed Forces Communities (covenantfund.org.uk)
UK Community Tree Planting Grants – International Tree Foundation
The UK Community Tree Planting Programme aims to support community projects that will:
- Conserve, restore and protect indigenous trees and woodlands, forests, habitats and associated biodiversity.
- Support community engagement in tree planting to promote reforestation and to increase awareness of the importance of trees and forests to environmental and human well-being.
- Encourage social cohesion and inclusion.
To be eligible, your organisation must be community-based e.g. a school, community group or non-governmental organisation.
There are two tiers of funding available:
- Small scale: A maximum of £1,000 is available for projects of up to 1 year in duration. This could be small community woodland, orchards, hedging projects, etc.
- Larger scale: Projects to range from 1000 – 10,000 trees, with a maximum price equivalent to £1.50/tree (inclusive of tree protection). Most suitable for community woodland or hedging projects.
Applications can be submitted from June onwards with a final deadline of 15 December 2023.
UK Community Tree Planting Grant — International Tree Foundation
Big Bike Revival Programme
The Big Bike Revival programme is for people returning to cycling, or those starting as a complete beginner. In other words, it’s for people who do not cycle on a regular basis. Generally, regular means cycling once every two weeks and non-regular means cycling less than that.
It’s all about engaging the programme’s target audience: people with social, economic and health needs; people from diverse backgrounds; people facing multiple challenges.
The Big Bike Revival 2023 is focusing on teaching skills and leading bike rides. If your organisation is able to deliver events that meet those criteria, you can apply for a grant of up to £2,000. Grants can be spent on equipment to expand capacity; venue hire for learn events or instructors to lead bike rides.
Delivery partners are typically volunteer-led groups, not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises that are rooted in local communities and working to address a range of local needs.
The delivery period for the 2023 programme began on 15 May and lasts until 30 September 2023.
Big Bike Revival 2023 | Cycling UK
Theatre Improvement Scheme – Theatres Trust & The Wolfson Foundation
Theatres Trust's Theatre Improvement Scheme, in association with the Wolfson Foundation, offers capital funding for theatres.
The theme for the fund for the current three-year partnership is Improving Environmental Sustainability as this is an urgent priority for the sector. Theatre operators can apply for grants of up to £20,000 towards their building or equipment as part of the scheme.
It is hoped that these grants will support a range of projects that consider different ways theatre buildings can reduce their environmental impact. From sedum roofs to new windows, building management systems to more efficient water heaters, funding will be given to projects that demonstrate how a small intervention can have a big impact.
The deadline for applications is 5 September 2023.
Wolfson/Theatres Trust Theatre Improvement Scheme | How We Help | Theatres Trust
Landscape Recovery Scheme – Dept for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
The Landscape Recovery scheme provides funding for long-term and large-scale projects in England.
This year’s application round will fund projects that support net zero, protected sites and habitat creation. You could apply if you are planning a project to:
- create, improve or sustainably manage woodland
- restore and maintain peatland
- improve the conditions of protected sites and link them so they’re better connected
A maximum value of £750,000 is available and you can apply for Landscape Recovery funding until midday on 21 September 2023.
Landscape Recovery: apply for funding - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Project Viability Grants – the Architectural Heritage Fund
The Fund is offering grants of up to £10,000 to support early-stage feasibility work on historic building projects.
You may be thinking about forming an organisation, have been recently constituted, or be a longstanding organisation tackling a new project. You have identified a building - either already in your ownership or one you have a reasonable prospect of acquiring. You may have some ideas about how the building could be restored and used but want to explore the options and test whether these will work.
In 2023/24, we will prioritise projects that meet the following criteria:
- Involve new use of a vacant historic building.
- Help revive high streets.
- Are in the top 30% most deprived areas (according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation).
- Involve and support diverse communities.
- Have a strong focus on environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.
- Contribute to local regeneration schemes.
These grants should help you to establish whether a project is feasible. Work will probably focus on understanding the condition of the building, how it might be used, and whether that intended use is appropriate for the building and likely to be sustainable.
This grant programme is supported by funding from Historic England.
England | The Architectural Heritage Fund (ahfund.org.uk)
Funding for Places – The Wolfson Foundation
The Trust’s main grants programme provides support for places. These grants are for capital initiatives, i.e. buildings (new build or refurbishment) and equipment.
They fund a broad range of organisations working across the fields of education, science & medicine, health & disability, heritage, humanities & the arts.
The Foundation accepts applications from the following types of organisation:
- Charities working with disability.
- Charities working in mental health.
- Charities working with older people.
- Historic buildings and landscapes.
- Hospices and palliative care organisations.
- Places of worship.
- Libraries and archives.
- Museums and galleries.
- Performing arts organisations.
- Public engagement with science organisations.
- Secondary schools and sixth form colleges.
- Special needs schools and colleges.
- Universities and research institutions.
Specific funding criteria apply to each.
Decision dates are in June and December annually. Corresponding application deadlines are 5 January and 1 September each year.
Funding for places - The Wolfson Foundation
The Steel Charitable Trust
The Trust makes discretionary grants where they believe that their contribution will make a real difference.
Applications must be for charitable purposes that fall into one of the five core categories below:
- Arts and Heritage
- Education
- Environment
- Health
- Social or Economic Disadvantage
The minimum grant size is £10,000. Awards of more than £25,000 are rare.
Rolling grants programme – The Steel Charitable Trust
Trust Capacity Fund – Department for Education
The Trust Capacity Fund (TCaF) aims to help trusts develop their capacity and take on underperforming schools, particularly in education investment areas (EIAs).
The Fund is open to academy trusts and local authority-maintained schools forming a multi-academy trust (MAT).
From 3 April 2023 the department will accept applications for a new TCaF for 2023 to 2025. This fund will be for growth projects approved by a regional director from 1 January 2023.
Funding will be available over 2 financial years, where appropriate. Larger tariffs will be available for trust growth projects which involve underperforming schools in EIAs. They will also welcome applications for projects which involve groups of schools.
Grants will range from £50,000 to £750,000. There are five windows for applications through until 30 September 2024.
Trust Capacity Fund (TCaF) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Building Improvement Grants – Benefact Trust
Benefact Trust’s Building Improvement Grants programme provides essential support to protect and enhance churches and Christian charity buildings, ensuring their continued use, viability, and the safeguarding of their heritage.
The programme is open to applications from churches, cathedrals, denominational bodies and Christian charities.
Under Building Improvement Grants, they are able to support direct capital costs relating to the following types of work:
- Essential, one-off repairs or other capital works to ensure the continued use or viability of a building (capital work must be considered urgent or necessary within 12 months)
- Minor capital works or equipment purchases to meet operational or accessibility requirements (e.g. essential operational equipment, AV equipment, hearing loops, ramps, etc)
- Conservation or restoration of historic features (e.g. stained glass, carvings, interior furnishings, clocks, tower bells, organs etc) which contribute to preservation and appreciation of a building’s heritage
- Other aesthetic enhancements (e.g. interior decoration, furnishings or public realm improvements) to improve indoor or outdoor spaces for users
- Energy efficiency/renewable energy measures (e.g. heating/lighting upgrades, solar panels, etc) which improve the sustainability of church buildings/facilities and enable their continued use
All applicants will be expected to have secured funding for at least 30% of their total project costs before making an application.
New - Building Improvement Grants | Benefact Trust
Magic Little Grants – localgiving & People’s Postcode Lottery
After successfully distributing £500 grants to 2,650 charitable organisations in 2022, applications are now open for 2023. The deadline for applications is 31st October 2023.
With a simple 20-minute application process for a £500 grant and an outcome within six weeks, the Magic Little Grants fund reduces the work required for grass-roots organisations to access the funding they need to launch or strengthen their services. The following criteria apply:
- Organisations must either be in their first year of operation or have an annual income under £250,000.
- Funding can be used to launch new projects, support existing ones, or cover core costs associated with ongoing work.
- Organisations and the projects for which they apply must be located within England, Scotland, or Wales,
Please note that schools are eligible to apply if they are a registered charity. Groups may only apply once in 2023 for a grant.
Magic Little Grants | Localgiving
Small grants programme – Theatres Trust
Theatres Trust's Small Grants Programme, supported by The Linbury Trust, funds small projects that make a big impact to a theatre’s resilience, sustainability, accessibility or improving the diversity of audiences.
This scheme provides grants of up to £5,000 for essential works to enable not-for-profit theatres across the UK to be viable and thrive in the future.
Eligible projects include small capital works, the installation of key plant and machinery and works which make theatre buildings digital-ready.
This scheme will prioritise improvements to buildings that protect theatre use and remove barriers to participation and attendance.
The deadline for applications is 12 January 2024.
Small Grants Programme supported by The Linbury Trust (theatrestrust.org.uk)
Urban Tree Challenge Fund – Forestry Commission
The Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) is open for new applications, there is no application deadline, but it takes three to five months from submitting a valid and complete application to an agreement being offered.
The fund provides 80% of published standard costs for the planting and establishment of trees in urban and peri-urban areas. In 2023 payments for trial pits have been introduced to check for the presence of services. The remaining costs of planting and establishing trees supported under the UTCF must be met through match funding, either in the form of money or labour. Agreement holders can complete tree planting over two planting seasons: winter 2023/2024 and winter 2024/25. There is a minimum application value of £10,000.
Urban Tree Challenge Fund - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) – Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities
The objective of SHAP is to increase the supply of high-quality accommodation with accompanying support to address gaps in homelessness pathway provision. SHAP will be targeted at two groups: those with the longest histories of rough sleeping or the most complex needs, to help them recover from rough sleeping and its associated traumas; and vulnerable young people (age 18-25) at risk of or experiencing homelessness or rough sleeping. The focus will be on longer-term accommodation. Given the likely support needs of these target groups, supported housing, Housing First and housing-led schemes will be within scope.
Councils will play a key role in framing the need for SHAP funding at a local strategic level. Councils will be supported through co-production to submit a Strategic Gap Analysis identifying gaps in local housing pathway provision relating to SHAP’s target groups. Councils can deliver directly, or work with housing associations, charities and other organisations in the subsequent development of specific Bids.
To receive SHAP capital funding via Homes England the landlord of the homes to be delivered is required by law to be registered with the Regulator of Social Housing as a registered provider (RP). Where organisations wishing to submit a capital Bid are unable to meet this requirement, Bids may in limited circumstances be submitted directly to DLUHC.
Bidding opened in January 2023 and will remain open through a period of continuous market engagement (CME). The CME period will last for up to twelve months, subject to available funds. Applications will be considered on quarterly assessment dates within the CME period (or more regularly as necessary). The next cut off date for applications is 8 September 2023.
Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Big Energy Saving Loans – Big Issue Invest
Big Issue Invest is offering loan finance between £20,000 to £150,000 to social enterprises and charities in England, for energy efficiency and renewable energy installation.
This lending programme is aimed at enabling social enterprises and charities to access loan funding to help save money on energy during the unprecedented cost of living crisis. Investment can be used for a variety of projects, including:
- Insulation
- Buying and installing renewable energy equipment
- Heat exchangers and heat pumps
- LED light installations
- Replacing old gas fired boiler systems with new efficient ones
- Property improvements, such as extra single glazing on existing windows, double glazing improvements, systematic draught improvements
- Energy efficiency survey and technical assistance costs
The loans can be structured to your individual needs. They can be unsecured which means they will not require you to put any personal guarantees in place, or interfere with other financing arrangements that require security.
Big Energy Saving Loans - The Big Issue
Small Grant Programme (older people) – Charles Hayward Foundation
Grants are available up to £7000 for charities with an annual income of less than £350,000.
This programme wishes to fund preventative and early intervention programmes being delivered at the community level which allow older people to stay in their own homes and remain independent. They are particularly interested in seeking out programmes which show some creativity in improving the quality of life of older people.
- Programmes aiming to alleviate isolation and depression in older people, including informal day care or social, physical and recreational activities.
- Programmes which give practical help, assistance and support for older people living in their own homes.
- Programmes addressing the emotional and practical needs of older carers.
- Programmes designed to meet the specific needs of people with dementia.
Applications will be considered every three months (March, June, September and December).
Older People - Charles Hayward Foundation
CLA Charitable Trust
The CLA Charitable Trust is dedicated to helping those who are disabled or disadvantaged to visit and participate in learning experiences about the countryside.
Priority areas for funding are children and young people, disadvantaged financially, physically, mentally, or from areas of deprivation.
There is one grant-making meeting remaining in 2023. Please apply by 31st August for your application to be considered at the October meeting.
UnLtd
UnLtd have funding available to get your social business started, or progress to the next stage of your journey.
Up to £18,000 is available to fund organisational costs of businesses less than four years old, including a dedicated support manager, expert mentors, workshops and learning opportunities.
The next deadline for applications is 30 September 2023.
UnLtd - Awards | Funding and support to grow your impact |
Project Cost and Core Cost grants – BBC Children in Need
Children in Need often have several funding programmes open at any one time. These include:
- Project Costs grants – support the aims and delivery of a specific piece of work. This work will usually be time-limited and based on a defined set of activities.
- Core Costs grants – can be spent on an organisation’s central running and operational costs.
Charities and not-for-profit organisations can apply for these grants for up to three years. They aim to give quicker decisions for grants of £15,000 or less per year. There is no application deadline.
Apply For A Grant - BBC Children in Need
Defibrillator grants – London Hearts
Grants are available to fund Public Access Defibrillators in communities all over the country.
London Hearts is a charity aiming to help and support communities with the provision of heart defibrillators and teaching CPR/defibrillator skills. They can provide a grant of £300 towards the cost of a defibrillator and storage as well as a free online training video.
When someone has a cardiac arrest, timely intervention is the key to survival. By making more defibrillators available, and by training more people to use them, the better the chance of survival for a cardiac arrest victim.
Climate Action Fund – The National Lottery Community Fund
This funding aims to help communities across the UK to address climate change.
They want to fund projects that:
- encourage communities to use energy in an environmentally friendly way
- bring communities together so that they can explore ways to promote energy efficiency
- enable communities to understand and engage with opportunities for clean energy generation, which do not use fossil fuels.
Projects can apply for up to £1.5 million over 2 to 5 years, with most projects over £500,000. Minimum grant £500,000. They aim to fund around 8-12 projects. They expect the programme to remain open until at least December 2023 but it will depend on when and how many others apply for our funding.
Climate Action Fund | The National Lottery Community Fund (tnlcommunityfund.org.uk)
Biffa Award – Main Grant Scheme
Biffa Award’s Main Grants Scheme is aimed at community and cultural groups and organisations, situated in the vicinity of landfill sites, that are in need of funding to improve the quality of life in their community or to conserve wildlife.
There are four themes - Community Buildings, Recreation, Cultural Facilities and Rebuilding Biodiversity. Under these themes we provide funding to create or improve community amenities. For example, upgrading kitchens, meeting rooms and toilets in village halls and community facilities; creating new playparks; installing new seating, lighting and exhibitions within theatres and museums; or establishing, protecting and enhancing habitats for biodiversity.
Between £10,000 and £75,000 can be awarded to projects that have a total cost of less than £200,000 including VAT.
Project sites must be within 5 miles of a significant Biffa Operation or active Biffa Landfill Site (15 miles for Rebuilding Biodiversity projects) and within 10 miles of
any licenced landfill site in England and Northern Ireland.
This is a rolling programme and as such there are no deadlines to submit an Expression of Interest in the Main Grants Scheme.
Home Page - Biffa Award (biffa-award.org)
Neighbourhood Planning Grant Funding – Locality
The programme offers grants and Technical Support packages. If you're working on a neighbourhood plan or neighbourhood development order, you can apply for grant funding of up to £10,000. Further grant funding up to an additional £8000 is available to groups meeting certain criteria.
The Neighbourhood Planning Support Programme run by Locality on behalf of DLUHC commenced in April 2018, and is currently funded until the end of March 2023. Applications closed at the end of January 2023.
DLUHC are actively exploring the allocation of funds for a further year, until March 2024. As soon as there is confirmation of a further year’s funding, this will be notified on the following website.
Home - Locality Neighbourhood Planning
Community Transport Grants – Motability
Through this new grant programme Motability aim to help charities and organisations to make an immediate impact for disabled people, by awarding funding to develop, expand and improve community transport options. The programme is focussed on:
- Funding support for staff or volunteer training and costs.
- Funding to increase the number of vehicles available in the community to help organisations support disabled people.
- Funding local, regional, or national initiatives to increase awareness of community transport and influence its inclusion in transport strategy and policy.
- Funding to schemes, programmes and initiatives that already exist, and who provide best practice solutions, but need further support to remain operational or scale up the service they can provide to help more disabled people.
Charities and organisations working in the community transport sector can apply for grants from £100,000 to £4 million at any point over the next three years until March 2025.
Charitable Grants | Community Transport Grant | Motability
Sustainable Farming Incentive – Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) is?the first of 3 new environmental schemes being introduced under the Agricultural Transition Plan. The other 2 schemes are Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery.
SFI aims to help farmers manage land in a way that improves food production and is more environmentally sustainable.
Farmers will be paid to provide public goods, such as:
- improved water quality
- biodiversity
- climate change mitigation
- animal health and welfare
In 2022, SFI aims to:
- encourage actions that improve soil health
- recognise how moorland provides benefits to the public (public goods)
- improve animal health and welfare by helping farmers with the costs of veterinary advice for livestock
You’ll be eligible to apply for an SFI standards agreement if you’re a farmer who is eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), with land in England. The scheme opened to applications to all BPS eligible farmers on 30 June 2022.
Sustainable Farming Incentive: full guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
NFU Mutual Charitable Trust grants
The Trust focuses on providing funding to larger initiatives, which would have a significant impact on the rural community. The Trustees are particularly interested in initiatives in the areas of education of young people in rural areas and relief of poverty within rural areas.
The Trustees meet twice a year to consider applications received. These meetings are currently held in June and November.
The deadline for applications for the November 2023 meeting is 27 October 2023.
Applications for Funding | Charitable Trust | NFU Mutual
Grant schemes for electric vehicle charging infrastructure – Office for Low Emission Vehicles
The government offers grants to support the wider use of electric and hybrid vehicles via the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). This includes:
- The EV chargepoint grant provides funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle smart chargepoints at domestic properties across the UK. It replaced the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) from 1 April 2022. The grant is open to flat owner-occupiers and people living in rented properties. Private landlords and social housing providers can also apply. The grant is not open to homeowners (including people with mortgages) who live in single-unit properties such as bungalows and detached, semi-detached or terraced housing.
- The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a voucher-based scheme that provides support towards the up-front costs of the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charge-points, for eligible businesses, charities and public sector organisations.
- The On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) provides grant funding for local authorities towards the cost of installing on-street residential chargepoints for plug-in electric vehicles.
For more information visit the website below.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-grants-for-low-emission-vehicles
Listed Places of Worship grant scheme – Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
The Listed Places of Worship (LPW) Grant Scheme gives grants that cover the VAT incurred in making repairs to listed buildings in use as places of worship. The scheme covers repairs to the fabric of the building, along with associated professional fees, plus repairs to turret clocks, pews, bells and pipe organs.
The Scheme has been run by DCMS with a focus on preserving heritage in the fabric of UK listed places of worship. Since its establishment in 2001, the Scheme has adapted to changes while continuing to support places of worship by delivering the fairest possible system of making grants and ensuring that all faiths and areas of the UK are equally able to make use of scheme.
The scheme only accepts applications where the minimum value of eligible work carried out on any one claim to the scheme is £1,000 (excluding VAT).
The Government has confirmed funding is available for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme until 31 March 2025.
Listed Places of Worship - Home page (lpwscheme.org.uk)
Masonic Charitable Foundation
The Foundation now has rolling grant programmes with no deadlines as follows:
- Children and young people: This programme is open to national and local charities helping disadvantaged children and young people to overcome the challenges they face. Small grants are for charities whose annual income does not exceed £500,000. These grants are unrestricted. Small grants range from £1,000-£5,000 per year, for up to three years.
Large grants are for larger charities whose annual income exceeds £500,000. They must be restricted to a project. Large grants usually range from £10,000 to £60,000. They can be awarded over one to three years.
- Later life: This programme is open to local and national charities that are working to reduce loneliness and isolation in later life. Small grants are for smaller charities whose annual income does not exceed £500,000. They are to fund overhead costs. Small grants range from £1,000-£5,000 per year, for up to three years.
Large grants are for larger charities whose annual income exceeds £500,000. They must be restricted to a project. Large grants usually range from £10,000 to £60,000. They can be awarded over one to three years.
Grants to charities - The Masonic Charitable Foundation (mcf.org.uk)
Community Shares Booster – Power to Change
Delivered by the Community Shares Unit and funded by Power to Change, Community Shares Booster supports community businesses in the process of setting up and launching a community share offer that can demonstrate high levels of community impact, innovation and engagement. The programme provides:
- Development grantsaveraging £5,000 to prepare a community share offer; financial planning, governance support, marketing costs and being awarded the Community Shares Standard Mark
- Match equity investment– typically matching pound for pound up to £25,000 providing that the minimum share offer target is achieved
- Ongoing support and adviceas an active investor in community businesses
Community Shares Booster - Power to Change
Forestry England Woodland Partnership
The Forestry England Woodland Partnership offers long-term leases with guaranteed income for public and private landowners to create new woodlands. The partnership scheme supports government plans for woodland creation, nature recovery and progress towards net zero targets.
Forestry England are looking for sites of at least 50 hectares suitable for woodland creation for leases of between 60 and 120 years, and landowners will receive a guaranteed annual rent throughout the lease period. Forestry England will design, plant and manage every woodland created, ensuring each is resilient to a changing climate, supports wildlife, and provides wider ecosystem services.
All woodlands created through the partnership scheme will be open to the public, providing valuable health and wellbeing opportunities for communities.
Part of the Nature for Climate Fund to support the government’s tree planting commitment, the Forestry England Woodland Partnership aims to create at least 2,000 hectares of predominantly broadleaf woodland over the next five years.
Applications are open all year round. Full details and brochures for public and private landowners are available on the Forestry England website.
https://www.forestryengland.uk/woodland-creation
Grants for Heritage – National Lottery Heritage Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund provide different levels of funding to heritage of all shapes and sizes. Their grants range from £3,000 up to millions of pounds.
Current programmes include:
- National Lottery Grants for Heritage - £3,000 to £10,000; £10,000 to £250,000; £250,000 to £10 million. The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic means?the Fund will prioritise heritage projects that:
- promote inclusion and involve a wider range of people (a mandatory outcome)
- boost the local economy
- encourage skills development and job creation
- support wellbeing
- create better places to live, work and visit
- improve the resilience of organisations working in heritage
Full information on all National Lottery Heritage Fund programmes is available on their website.
Welcome | The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Small, Medium and Large Grants – National Churches Trust
The National Churches Trust is making changes to its grants programme.
They will continue to offer three types of grant. These will be:
- Small grants - these were formerly called Foundation grants for maintenance. This programme offers grants of between £500 and £5,000 towards urgent maintenance works and small repairs identified as high priority within a recent Quinquennial Inspection or Survey Report. Also, small investigative works and surveys. Project costs should be up to £20,000 incl. VAT and awards will never exceed 50% of the costs. The next deadline for applications will be publicised on the website shortly.
- Medium grants - these were formerly called Gateway grants. This programme offers grants of between £3,000 and £10,000 towards urgent and essential maintenance and repair projects costing between £20,000 and £80,000. Also project development and investigative work up to RIBA planning stage 1, to support churches preparing for a major project, and in developing their project to the point at which they can approach a major grant funder. Grants will never exceed 50% of the net project costs (for this phase). The next deadline for applications is 15th August 2023.
- Large grants – these were formerly called Cornerstone grants. This programme offers grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 towards the cost of major urgent structural repair projects costed at more than £80,000 including VAT. Grants of £40,000 to £50,000 are extremely limited and reserved for cases which demonstrate a very high case for investment. They will also consider projects that introduce kitchens and accessible toilets to enable increased community use, costed at more than £30,000 including VAT. Grants will never exceed 50% of the project cost. The next deadline for applications will be publicised on the website shortly.
http://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/our-grants
Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme – Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme is a part of Defra’s Agricultural Transition Plan.
It will offer funding to farmers and land managers in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), National Parks and the Broads. It is not an agri-environment scheme.
The programme will fund projects that:
- support nature recovery
- mitigate the impacts of climate change
- provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage
- support nature-friendly, sustainable farm businesses
The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme has been developed by Defra with the support of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and National Park staff from across England.
The programme runs until March 2025.
Get funding for farming in protected landscapes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
England Woodland Creation Offer – Forestry Commission
Landowners, land managers and public bodies can apply to the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) for support to create new woodland, including through natural colonisation, on areas as small as 1 hectare. EWCO opened for applications on 9 June 2021 and replaces the Woodland Carbon Fund, which closed for applications in March 2021.
The grant is administered by the Forestry Commission and is funded through the Nature for Climate Fund. EWCO is one of a suite of Forestry Commission initiatives to support woodland creation and tree planting across England.
EWCO is open to owner occupiers, tenants, landlords and licensors who have full management control of the land in the application (if you don’t have full management control you will need consent from those who do). Joint applications, multiple land managers and applications on common land and areas of shared grazing are eligible.
England Woodland Creation Offer - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Energy Redress Scheme – Energy Saving Trust
Energy Saving Trust has been appointed by Ofgem to distribute payments from energy companies who may have breached rules. The funds can pay for anything from making a home more energy efficient, to providing advice that helps consumers keep on top of their bills.
Energy Saving Trust has developed an open application process for charities seeking funding from the Energy Redress Scheme. Successful projects will be selected with input from an independent panel of experts and could cover a range of locations across England, Scotland and Wales.
The amount of funding available through the scheme varies throughout the year and will be reviewed on a quarterly basis in October, January, April and July. Eligible charities that have registered interest in the scheme will be notified when funds become available.
The minimum grant that can be requested is £20,000 and the maximum amount is the lesser of £2 million or the total value of the current fund.
The scheme can fund projects lasting up to two years, can fund 100 per cent of the project cost and can cover revenue and capital measures.
Round 13 of the Energy Redress Scheme is expected to open shortly. The previous round included the following elements:
- The Main Fund aimed at projects seeking grants between £50,000 and £750,000 that will support energy consumers in vulnerable situations.
- The Small Project Fund aimed at projects seeking grants of between £20,000 and £49,999 that will support energy consumers in vulnerable situations.
- Innovation Fund aimed at projects that will develop innovative products or services to benefit energy consumers. Applicants can apply for grants between £50,000 and £500,000.
- Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund is targeted at projects that can help domestic energy consumers participate in the just transition to Net Zero CO2 emissions. The fund awards grants between £50,000 and £500,000.
https://energyredress.org.uk/apply-funding
Garfield Weston Foundation
The Foundation support a wide range of charities that make a positive difference, working in different sectors in the UK. These include welfare, youth, community, environment, education, health, arts, heritage and faith.
They fund small local organisations and large national institutions. Grants range from £1,000 to several million pounds, depending on each charity’s size and scope of work. The grants can be for your organisation’s running costs, for a specific activity or for capital projects. The Foundation are flexible and fund what charities need the most.
Normally, capital grants are no more than 10% of a total project cost. However, for local community projects (e.g. village halls, community centres, places of worship, etc.), grants are unlikely to be over £30,000 regardless of the project size. If your organisation wants to apply for £100,000 or over, they expect your annual income or project to be over £1 million.
What we fund - Garfield Weston Foundation
FCC Community Action Fund
The FCC Community Action Fund provides grants of between £2,000 and £100,000 to not-for-profit organisations for amenity projects eligible under Object D of the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF).
The following types or organisation can apply:
- Registered Charity which operates a community facility
- A Church or Parochial Church Council
- A Parish or Town Council or a Management Committee or User Association acting on behalf of a Parish or Town Council
- A Local Authority
- A CASC Registered Sports Club
Only applications for projects sited within 10 miles of an eligible FCC Environment waste facility can be accepted, you can check if you are located near an eligible site on their website.
The current round of applications opened on 21 June and closes on 6 September 2023.
FCC Community Action Fund / FCC (fcccommunitiesfoundation.org.uk)
Morrisons Foundation
The Morrisons Foundation awards grant funding for charity projects which make a positive difference in local communities. From support groups to children’s hospitals and homeless shelters to hospices, the grants aim to provide vital funding for good causes across England, Scotland and Wales.
In the main grants are available to fully fund projects up to £25,000.
Morrison Foundation Making a difference to people's lives (morrisonsfoundation.com)
Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme – Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
The Government is providing up to £210m worth of voucher funding as immediate help for people suffering from slow broadband speeds in rural areas.
Vouchers worth up to £4,500 for homes and businesses help to cover the costs of installing gigabit broadband to people’s doorsteps.
You can check whether your premises is eligible for a voucher, find a list of registered suppliers, and see those who are active in your area on the website below.
https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/
Awards for All, Reaching Communities and Partnerships – The National Lottery Community Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund is open to all applications that meet their criteria, including support during COVID-19. With the COVID-19 pandemic still with us, they'll continue to support people and communities most adversely impacted by COVID-19. They can support you to:
- continue to deliver activity, whether you're supporting your existing users, responding to the immediate crisis or undertaking recovery activity
- change and adapt, becoming more resilient in order to respond to new and future challenges.
The Awards for All programme can provide between £300 and £10,000 for up to one year. The Reaching Communities programme offers larger amounts of funding (over £10,000) for up to 5 years. The Partnerships programme also offers a larger amount of funding (over £10,000) for organisations that work together with a shared set of goals to help their community thrive – whether that’s a community living in the same area, or people with similar interests or life experiences.
Small Grants Scheme – Foyle Foundation
This Small Grants Scheme is designed to support charities registered and operating in the United Kingdom, especially those working at grass roots and local community level, in any field, across a wide range of activities.
Online applications can be accepted from charities that have an annual turnover of less than £150,000 per annum. Larger or national charities will normally not be considered under this scheme.
The focus will be to make one-year grants only to cover core costs or essential equipment, to enable ongoing service provision, homeworking, or delivery of online digital services to charities that can show financial stability.
The priority will be to support local charities still active in their communities which are currently delivering services to the young, vulnerable, elderly, disadvantaged or the general community either directly or through online support if possible.
Grants are available between £2000 and £10,000.
Small Grants Scheme - (foylefoundation.org.uk)
Active Together – Sport England
This is a crowdfunding initiative that can match fund, up to £10,000, successful Crowdfunder campaigns from a pot of £1.5m. The partnership with Crowdfunder also includes advice, guidance and training to help create a successful campaign.
Active Together | Sport England
National Lottery Project Grants – Arts Council England
National Lottery Project Grants is an open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects. The fund supports thousands of individual artists, community and cultural organisations.
Individual artists and practitioners, community and cultural organisations, museums and libraries can all apply. National Lottery Project Grants is open all the time, there are no deadlines.
Grants of between £1000 and £100,000 are available.
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/projectgrants
Veterans’ Foundation grants
If you represent a charity or an organisation that provide assistance to serving and former members of the British Armed Forces who are in need, you can apply for a grant from the Veterans' Foundation. Grants are also available to operationally qualified seafarers and their dependants.
Apply for a grant | Veterans' Foundation (veteransfoundation.org.uk)
Church Conservation Grants – Morris Fund
Grants between £500 and £5000 are awarded to churches, chapels and other places of worship in the United Kingdom for the conservation of decorative features and monuments, but not for structural repairs.
Grants will be awarded to support smaller programmes of work concerned with the conservation of decorative or non-structural features such as:
- stained glass windows
- sculpture
- furniture
- internal monuments and tombs
- wall paintings
The decorative feature, monument, etc must date from no later than 1896 (the year of William Morris’s death). The next deadline for applications is 31 August 2023.
https://www.sal.org.uk/grants/morris-fund-conservation-grants/
HS2 Community and Business Funds – Groundwork UK
Groundwork is working with High Speed Two (HS2) to deliver HS2 Community and Business Funds to help with the disruption that will be caused by the construction
In October 2014 the government announced two funding programmes to help offset the disruption of Phase One on local communities and businesses – the Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and the Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF).
In January 2018, the then HS2 Minister announced an additional £5 million is to be added to the CEF and BLEF funding pot for those disrupted during construction of the Phase 2a scheme from Birmingham to Crewe. This brings the overall total of CEF and BLEF combined for Phase One and Phase 2a to £45m.
£40 million is for communities experiencing disruption from the construction of Phase One and £5 million is for communities experiencing disruption from the construction of Phase 2a. The Funds will be available during the construction period and for the first year of operational HS2 services. The Funds will support good quality bids that meet CEF and BLEF criteria, and funding will be available throughout this time period.
Both funds (CEF and BLEF) will award money from the same funding pot and so the amounts allocated for each Fund will depend on the number and quality of applications.
BlueSpark Foundation grants
Schools, colleges and community groups in England can apply for grants to Blue Spark Foundation for a wide range of projects. The Foundation value academic, vocational, artistic and sporting endeavour in equal measure but are particularly keen to support projects which will help enhance the self-confidence, team working skills and future employability of children and young people.
Many grants will be under £2,000 and none are more than £5,000.
Projects which could be supported include drama, music, sport, art and design, debating, public speaking, academic education, vocational training, community projects, enterprise projects and educational excursions. This list is illustrative and not exclusive as to the types of projects that the Foundation support.
http://bluesparkfoundation.org.uk/
Family Fund – The Family Fund Trust for families with severely disabled children
Family Fund provides families raising a disabled, or seriously ill, child on low incomes with wide-ranging grants for essential items. Whether you need a kitchen appliance, like a fridge, cooker or washing machine, clothing and bedding, sensory or play equipment or technology for your child or a much-needed family break, we are here to help.
You can apply for any items that will help meet your child’s additional support needs.
If you live in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland, grants you can apply for include: family breaks, clothing, computers and tablets, days out, recreational and household items, kitchen appliances, sensory toys and equipment, games, books and music, games consoles, outdoor play and leisure facilities, specialist bikes or tricycles, garden improvements or driving ambitions.
See the website for more details.
https://www.familyfund.org.uk/
Landfill Communities Fund – SUEZ Communities Trust
SUEZ Communities Trust (formerly SITA) provides funding awards of up to £50,000 to not-for-profit organisations to undertake work that is eligible under the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF). Applications are considered for three areas of work which qualify for funding through the LCF. These include:
- Public Amenities
- Historic Buildings, Structures or Sites
- Biodiversity
Projects can be supported that make physical improvements at sites located in any of 100 funding zones around qualifying sites owned by SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK.
http://www.suezcommunitiestrust.org.uk/
Help the Homeless grants
Help the Homeless makes grants to charitable organisations with the aim of helping homeless people return to the community and enabling them to resume a normal life. Grants are available to small and medium-sized charitable organisations to fund the capital costs of projects with grants of up to £5,000. The quarterly deadlines for grant applications each year are: 15 March, 15 June, 15 September and 15 December.
http://www.help-the-homeless.org.uk/
Grants to support repair and conservation of war memorials – War Memorials Trust
War Memorials Trust grants support repair and conservation works undertaken following best conservation practice. Almost all war memorials are eligible for support and custodians/owners can find information about eligibility and processes on the website.
Grants are normally awarded at 50% of eligible costs depending on the priority level of your project and are likely to be considered up to a maximum grant of £5,000 for non-freestanding war memorials while freestanding, non-beneficiary war memorials may be considered up to a maximum grant of £20,000. The minimum award is normally £125 but there is some discretion on minimum and maximum grant levels.
War Memorials Trust seeks to help all war memorial custodians, whatever the nature and size of their war memorial by facilitating repair and conservation projects. Details on current eligibility and deadline dates as well as how to apply can be found at the web address below.
http://www.warmemorials.org/grants/
Football Foundation grants
The Football Foundation provides grants for building or refurbishing grassroots facilities, such as changing rooms, 3G pitches, fencing, portable floodlights, pitch improvements and clubhouse refurbishment. The Fund is available to football clubs, schools, councils and local sports associations and gives grants for projects that:
- Improve facilities for football and other sport in local communities.
- Sustain or increase participation amongst children and adults, regardless of background age, or ability.
- Help children and adults to develop their physical, mental, social and moral capacities through regular participation in sport.
Grants are available for between £10,000 and £500,000.
Looking for funding | Football Foundation
Prepared by Andy Dean, Consultant to the Rural Services NetworkEmail: [email protected] |
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