Funding
Advice and Funding Information
Please note:
All existing and new information will now be moving to our brand new Funding Portal. Take a look Here!
CVST provides information on funding and grants. If you’re a voluntary and community group, you can access a regular funding news sheet and attend regular Meet the Funder events.
Meet the Funder events are an ideal opportunity for groups to speak directly to funders about their projects and ideas, in an informal and relaxed atmosphere.
Forthcoming Funding Surgeries
Tendring Funding Surgery TBD
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Heritage can be anything from the past that you value and want to pass on to future generations. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. We can fund heritage projects from £10,000 up to £10million.
At – Imperial House 20-22 Rosemary Road Clacton on Sea CO15 1NZ
To book your place please email events@cvstendring.org.uk
If you would like to be added to our contact list for information about upcoming funding surgeries, please email events@cvstendring.org.uk
Further surgeries will be held on
Funding News
Dates for your diary
Defra is working with Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) to scope the Community Green Spaces Fund with applications expected to open in early summer.
Extension to the Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund will be also managed by ACRE. Further detail and guidance on applications is expected to open in Summer 2024.
We also offer guidance and information to voluntary/community groups on:
- Organisation health check
- Constitutions
- Charitable status
- Charity and company registration
- Policies and procedures
- Quality standards
- Volunteer recruitment and retention
- Identifying funding opportunities
- Advice on completing application forms
- Hosting events – all you need to know
- Action planning
- Training opportunities
- to name just a few!
Cancer Community Partnership Fund - Deadline 31st August 2024
The Cancer Community Partnership Fund is supported by the Suffolk & North East Essex Integrated Care Board (SNEE ICB) and aims to increase early-stage cancer diagnosis (Stage 1&2) and enhance the wellbeing of individuals across the region.
Grants ranging from £2,500 to £20,000 per year are available, with the potential for funding over two years, plus large grants will be considered. The fund is open to voluntary groups, community organisations, and social enterprises within SNEE, North East Essex area (Colchester and Tendring). A portion of the funding is available for organisations to provide one-off Personal Health Budgets to support individuals facing health inequalities.
Applicants with projects that demonstrate partnership working and have a clear exit strategy are encouraged. Successful applicants will need to complete an Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA).
Applications for the first panel are open until 31 August 2024, with the first panel meeting on 24 September and subsequent panels held every two months until the fund is fully allocated. The aim is to provide decisions within two weeks of each panel meeting.
Before applying, please read this guidance. It offers detailed information about the grants programme, including its aims, criteria, examples of eligible outcomes, and what can and cannot be funded. This background will help ensure your application is aligned with the programme’s objectives.
To apply, please click here.
If you have any questions regarding the fund, please book a call with a grants officer or email us at grants@essexcf.org.uk.
Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit 2024/25 Community Grant Applications - Deadline Monday 23rd September
Community Initiative Fund (CIF) 2024/25 - Essex Association of Local Councils
The Community Initiatives Fund (CIF) is designed to help Community and Voluntary Sector organisations, groups, clubs and Parish & Town Councils improve and support their local community. For 2024-2025, the CIF will make available £300,000 to support both capital and revenue projects with grants of up to £10,000. This is for capital projects and projects that require revenue funding for new service provision (not core funding), or cultural initiatives.
The Veolia’s Sustainability Fund - Deadline Monday 30th September 2024
The Veolia’s Sustainability Fund supports projects that make a positive, sustainable difference to local areas and deliver long-term social and environmental benefits. The fund is open to not-for-profit organisations and smaller local groups and aims to empower people to take positive action across their local area.
The fund launched for the first time in Tendring, on 22 May, the International Day for Biological Diversity, if you have a project that:
-
Enhances biodiversity
-
Protects resources
-
Uses recycled or reclaimed materials
-
Promotes reduce, reuse and/or recycle
Then we would love to hear from you and for you to apply! Projects can apply for up to £1,000.
Some examples of projects which were funded last year in the Southend area are:
-
Mendip Community Garden, was until last year a derelict waste ground that is being transformed into a sustainable community garden with planting areas, a wildlife garden and a picnic area.
-
Wellbeing at Garon Park, they are creating a well-being garden, an area of their Vitality park for local people to come and take some time out or to participate in their gardening and horticulture activities. The garden is designed to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress and improve their overall sense of well-being.
-
Little Heroes ASD Support Community Hub, They are transforming a new venue, which has an unloved space to the front and the rear. Recycling wooden crates and unused wood to make play trays for the garden area, mud kitchens and planting areas for the children to enjoy.
To find out more about the fund and how to apply, visit:www.veolia.co.uk/sustainability-fund
Applications will close on Monday 30 September 2024
Funding for Work Raising Awareness of Issues Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities Face
This grantmaking trust funds specific groups that experience marginalisation and/or discrimination within the UK, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups as well as organisations that work directly with, and provide support to, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities.
The Foundation has announced that it is keen to receive applications that ‘support work that raises awareness of the issues Gypsy and Traveller communities face, and work to combat hate crime, stigma, discrimination and inequalities, including the lack of appropriate accommodation or other service provision’.
In the past grants have been made towards providing advice and advocacy; building the capacity of community groups; supporting victims of domestic abuse; law and policy reform; inclusion projects and work aimed at changing attitudes. Groups who have other ideas are welcome to contact the funder to discuss their proposed project.
Small registered charities, constituted voluntary groups, charitable organisations and Community Interest Companies can apply as long as their work does not benefit people only in London. Applicants working locally should have an income of up to £100,000 per year. Those working nationally should have an income of around £250,000 per year.
Although the maximum grant available is £15,000 (either as a single grant or spread over two to three years) the average grant size is between £5,000 and £6,000.
Applications can be made at any time. There are no fixed deadlines. Applications received will be considered at the next Trustees’ meeting.
To be considered for the October 2024 meeting, applications should be received by the end of July/early August.
Funding for Community Tree Planting Projects Across the UK - Deadline 13th December 2024
The UK Community Tree Planting Programme will support projects that meet the following essential criteria:
- Plant trees in public/publicly accessible spaces: sites that are readily accessible to the public, including schools, parks, rights of way, and sites managed by community groups.
- Plant indigenous tree species: this may include traditional fruit trees and ‘honorary’ natives where appropriate.
- Engage community members in tree planting and enjoying the benefits of woodlands.
- Have clear plans for maintenance and sustainability.
In addition, for this funding round proposed projects must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Engage children and young adults in tree planting and learning about trees.
- Engage vulnerable groups and groups with low access to woodlands.
- Create biodiversity in habitats.
- Conserve soil and water.
- Demonstrate new approaches, such as agroforestry.
- Support rewilding and natural regeneration.
- Support work or research on tree pest and disease resistance and climate change adaptation.
- Support urban tree planting.
Grants are available across two funding streams:
- Grants for community woodland/hedging projects that range from 100 to 25,000 trees planted per year, with a maximum price equivalent to £1.95 per tree.
- Grants for community orchard projects of up to 30 trees planted per year.
There is a two-stage application process. Groups must first submit an online Expression of Interest form before being shortlisted to complete a full application.
The deadline for applications is 13 December 2024 (noon).
Major Capital Grants for Veterans’ Accommodation in the UK – Round 3 Now Open - Deadline 8th January 2025
This funding opportunity is for charities and registered social housing providers with at least five year’s housing experience to support new builds and significant refurbishments, including extensions, of rental accommodation offering high quality support for veterans with a housing need within the UK.
Grants of between £75,000 and £500,000 are available for projects that will:
- Enable major refurbishments of existing social rented or affordable rented homes for veterans.
- Enable extensions of existing buildings to increase the availability of veteran housing.
- Increase the number of new build, homes/housing units available to veterans at affordable or social rents.
- Ensure properties meet decent homes and energy efficiency standards.
The grant can be used to pay for most things needed for the project and could include the following costs:
- Direct building costs relating to the building project.
- Staff time for this fixed-term project to manage it effectively.
- Professional fees that are directly related to their building project, such as qualified project managers.
Priority will be given to:
- Single Veterans.
- Veterans and their families, including veterans who have shared custody arrangements for their children.
- Veterans with disabilities or limited long-term health conditions.
- Homeless, including rough sleeping Veterans.
- Female Veterans.
- LGBT Veterans.
- Veterans leaving prison.
Larger grants of between £500,000 and £1 million may be available for exceptional projects if they meet additional criteria.
Applications will be accepted from either:
- A registered charity, that has been registered in the UK for at least three years and can show it works with Veterans or
- A registered social housing provider or Registered Social Landlord in Scotland that can show it works with Veterans.
There are two more opportunities to apply for funding which will be awarded in 2025.
Round 3 is now open for Expressions of Interest with a deadline of 8 January 2025 (midday).
Funding for Charities Serving Disadvantaged/In-Need Communities in England and Wales
This charitable foundation offers grants to registered charities in England, Wales, the Isle of Man, and Republic of Ireland as well as to organisations linked to a Roman Catholic Diocese in these countries.
The funding is for charitable projects that are based in and for the benefit of people living in England, Wales, the Isle of Man or Republic of Ireland.
To be eligible, projects need to address one or more of the Foundation’s current funding priorities:
- Victims of modern slavery
- Victims of domestic abuse
- Ex-offenders and their families
- Homelessness
- Medical research
- Support for people with terminal illnesses / life limiting conditions and their carers
- Drug and substance misuse
- Support for people with intellectual disability
- Care leavers: to give them a chance to succeed on a par with other young people
- Worship and associated community outreach
- Amateur sport
- Care for the elderly
Funding is at the discretion of the Trustees. Previous grants have ranged from £5,000 to £2.25 million.
The first step in the application process is to complete a short form on the Foundation’s website. Those who are successful will be asked to contact the Foundation.
Applications can be submitted at any time.
Veterans’ Foundation Makes Changes to Grants Programme - Deadline 15th October 2024
The Veterans’ Foundation has established a substantial grants programme to support charities and not-for-profit organisations in the UK that provide support to those ‘in need’ among serving armed forces personnel, veterans, operationally qualified seafarers and their immediate families.
A potential, qualified beneficiary “in need” is one or both of the following:
- At a disadvantage compared with non-armed forces citizens due to their service.
- Someone who is experiencing challenges such as the following: unemployment, homelessness, mental and physical ill-health, injuries, poor welfare, a child’s loss of parent, or addiction.
Priority is given to charities and not-for-profit organisations who can demonstrate that they are directly involved in the provision of support to those in need and to those with a low to medium income.
The following grants are currently open for application:
- Standard grants of between £5,001 and £30,000. This can be for one year or a multi-year grant for up to three years (eg, £10,000 per year over three years).
- Salary grants up to £25,000 per year for up to three years, for the exclusive use of salary costs.
In addition, the Foundation will be introducing small grants of between £500 and £5,000 later this month. Once the programme opens, it will remain open for applications as it is a rolling programme and there are no deadlines.
The Foundation recently updated its grant application process, including a new online platform, and revised guidance, eligibility criteria and application form and the new documents should be consulted.
The next deadlines for Standard and Salary grant applications are 30 July and 15 October 2024 for a decision by the end of the year.
Unrestricted Funding for Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations in England and Wales
This year’s programme is aimed at registered charities, Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) and Community Interest Companies (CICs) which are led by and working for Deaf and Disabled people. Their organisation will work directly with Deaf and Disabled people over the long term to support them to have more choice and control over their lives, access their rights and entitlements and challenge the barriers they face.
This programme offers organisational development support alongside a three-year grant of £75,000 (£25,000 per year). The grant will be unrestricted, so organisations awarded funding will be able to use the grant to support any costs that further their organisation’s social purpose.
To be eligible, organisations must:
- Be based and working in England and Wales or the Isle of Man. Most of the organisation’s time and money is spent on activities helping people living in these locations.
- Have an annual income of between £25,000 and £500,000 in the last set of published accounts.
- Have a track record of delivering support, activity or services, for at least one year, to people aged 18 and over and must be currently delivering these services.
- Led by and working for Deaf and Disabled people. This means a majority (at least 51%) of Directors/Trustees and half (at least 50%) of staff, at all levels of the organisation, self-identify as Deaf and/or Disabled people. Priority will be given to organisations where at least 75% of their Directors/Trustees and 50% of staff self-identify as Deaf and/or Disabled people.
A live webinar will be held on 13 June 2024 (10:30 to 12 noon) to talk through eligibility, shortlisting and prioritising criteria for this programme and answer any questions live. Registration is required and can be done via the Foundation’s website.
The deadline for applications is 28 August 2024 (17:00).
BBC Children in Need Emergency Essential Programme Reopens for Applications
This programme, delivered by Family Fund Business Services, supports children and young people up to and including the age of 17 who are facing exceptionally difficult circumstances with items that meets their most basic needs.
Applications must be completed by a registered referrer who is part of an organisation that is supporting the family or young person and capable of assessing their needs. The referrer’s organisation should also be able to administer and supervise the grant on their behalf.
The programme can deliver or fund critical items such as:
- Cookers
- Furniture
- Kitchen equipment and small appliances
- Children’s beds and bedding (including cots)
- Washing machines and tumble dryers
- Fridges, freezers and fridge-freezers
- Baby equipment
- Clothing for an emergency/crisis
The support is for children and young people under 18 years of age, who are UK or EU citizens normally resident in the UK, and whose family does not have access to support and insufficient resources to meet the child’s needs.
Consideration may be given where a child or young person, or their family, have an asylum application under assessment or in circumstances where residency criteria is not consistent across the family unit.
There are no deadlines. Applications are processed usually within 10 working days.
BFSS Changes Name to Educational Opportunity Foundation
The British & Foreign School Society (BFSS) has recently changed its name to the Educational Opportunity Foundation.
The Foundation awards around £900,000 in new grants each year to charitable organisations working to improve access to education or the quality of education for children and young people under the age of 25, both in the UK and internationally.
There are two funding streams:
- UK projects – supports work to improve the educational outcomes and life chances of care-experienced young people under the age of 25 living in the UK. Projects must be interventions designed to improve their educational outcomes and life chances. Grants range from £30,000 to £90,000 for projects of one to three years (maximum £30,000 per year for multi-year projects).
- International projects – supports projects to improve the quality, sustainability and access to education for young people within international marginalised and vulnerable communities. Grants range from £10,000 to £60,000 for projects of one to three years (maximum £30,000 per year for multi-year projects).
Funding is available for new or pilot projects. The Foundation will fund between 25% and 100% of the total project costs, but will give preference to projects with some degree of matched funding. Annual grant payments cannot exceed 50% of an organisation’s three-year average income.
Applications are accepted from UK registered charities with an annual income of between £25,000 and £2.5 million, and at least three years of continuous accounts. Eligible organisations must be UK-based. Organisations must be directly involved in the provision of the project activities.
The Foundation has moved to a rolling application programme. The first step is to submit a short Stage 1 application. Those who are shortlisted will be invited to submit a Stage 2 proposal.
Applications may be submitted at any time.
Armed Forces Families Fund Early Years Programme Opens for UK Applications
Grants of between £5,000 and £50,000 are available for projects lasting up to two years which help enhance early childhood education and childcare settings of young children from Armed Forces families.
Projects must clearly benefit Armed Forces families with a child under 5 by enhancing their access to high quality childcare and contribute to at least one of the following three outcomes:
- Increased capacity at the setting to allow more Service children to attend.
- Better learning environments for Service children.
- Have provided appropriate training and development to staff to support Service children.
Applicant organisations must be based and registered in the UK, be a registered charity, a CIC, or a company limited by guarantee, or a local authority in one of the four countries of the UK. Private limited companies that have been registered, and been working in the Early Years sector, for at least three years can also apply.
There are two ways to apply for a grant under this programme.
- Single Applications: Settings with 50% or more Service children on roll for the duration of the project can apply as a single application.
- Groups or Clusters: Setting with less than 50% Service children on roll may apply as part of a ‘cluster’. This would include working with at least one more eligible setting in the area, which also has small numbers of Service children on roll. For a ‘cluster’ application, one nursery setting, or the local authority, would need to be the lead applicant.
The Armed Forces Covenant Trust, which is delivering this programme on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, will hold An Early Years Programme Lunch and Learn webinar on 12 June 2024 (12pm-1pm). Registration is required and can be done on the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust website.
There are two funding rounds this year.
The deadlines for applications are 12 noon on 24 July 2024 and 20 November 2024.
Armed Forces Families Fund: Early Years programme 2024-25 : Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust
Greene King IPA Proud To Pitch In Fund for 2024
Grants of up to £4,000 are available for registered charities, community groups, social enterprises, community amateur sports clubs, and other organisations across the UK to deliver grassroots sports activities that positively impact local communities. Examples of projects that have previously received funding include:
* Renovations of a club’s facilities to make them more inclusive and accessible.
* Coaching qualifications and referee courses.
* New equipment and kit.
Priority will be given to organisations that can demonstrate how their sports club or project benefits members of the local community, and projects that will have a long-term impact. Funded projects should be delivered by 31 December 2024. The deadline for applications is 1 November 2024. Please click here for more information and to apply.
Veolia’s Sustainability Fund - Applications will close on Monday 30 September 2024
We would like to introduce you to Veolia’s Sustainability Fund which supports projects that make a positive, sustainable difference to local areas and deliver long-term social and environmental benefits. The fund is open to not-for-profit organisations and smaller local groups and aims to empower people to take positive action across their local area.
The fund launched for the first time in Tendring, on 22 May, the International Day for Biological Diversity, if you have a project that:
-
Enhances biodiversity
-
Protects resources
-
Uses recycled or reclaimed materials
-
Promotes reduce, reuse and/or recycle
Then we would love to hear from you and for you to apply! Projects can apply for up to £1,000.
Some examples of projects which were funded last year in the Southend area are:
-
Mendip Community Garden, was until last year a derelict waste ground that is being transformed into a sustainable community garden with planting areas, a wildlife garden and a picnic area.
-
Wellbeing at Garon Park, they are creating a well-being garden, an area of their Vitality park for local people to come and take some time out or to participate in their gardening and horticulture activities. The garden is designed to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress and improve their overall sense of well-being.
-
Little Heroes ASD Support Community Hub, They are transforming a new venue, which has an unloved space to the front and the rear. Recycling wooden crates and unused wood to make play trays for the garden area, mud kitchens and planting areas for the children to enjoy.
To find out more about the fund and how to apply, visit:www.veolia.co.uk/sustainabilityfund
Applications will close on Monday 30 September 2024
Biffa Change Makers
Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) (tendringdc.gov.uk)
This fund has both a business section and a community section.
Groups in Clacton and Holland are not eligible to apply for this funding.
Within the community grants programme, organisations can apply for between £1,000 and £20,000 for capital works to improve perceptions of their local area, increase use of existing facilities and support local community programmes. There is £100,000 available in total.
Village Halls small grants fund - ACRE
Small grants made available to village halls in England
Defra funded grant scheme reopens for those managing rural community buildings, this time with a lower award threshold of £2,000 to support smaller projects and make it accessible to more groups.
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation
Essex Multiply
· Provide community outreach for Multiply – to stimulate demand for learning amongst the most disadvantaged groups that skills providers currently find hard to reach
· Triage services to identify appropriate support and training for Essex residents
· Referrals to Multiply provision
· Provide ongoing support to the adults that you refer to Multiply provision
· Enable Multiply provision to be delivered from your premises, hosting these vital learning sessions for your cohorts via our Multiply providers
· Work with local Multiply providers to co-design and co-produce delivery of training
· Grants will be based on a minimum agreed number of 50 adults participating in Multiply.
· Additional creative offers of support will be gratefully received and welcomed
Please email multiply@essex.gov.uk for further details
Cancer Community Partnership Fund
National Lottery Awards for All England
Update on our Public Health Accelerator Bid programme
Regarding the launch of Essex County Council’s new £7.5 million grant scheme, the Public Health Accelerator Bids (PHAB) programme.
The programme is made up of two grant funding streams:
- small grants under £15,000
- major grants over £15,000
I am now pleased to confirm we’ve reached an important milestone in the programme, with the opening of expressions of interest for the major grants.
We are inviting organisations to submit an expression of interest (EoI) in advance of submitting their formal application. If successful, they will then be invited to submit a formal application form in September.
As a reminder, the PHAB programme will look to fund projects supporting the aims of the new Essex Wellbeing, Public Health and Communities Business Plan and aims to tackle health inequalities and improve the health of Essex residents.
Alongside the opening of expressions of interest, I am pleased to also confirm today the launch of the new PHAB website.
The website brings together information on the programme, including the full guidance and expression of interest forms. It will continue to be updated with more information, including the application forms for both grants once live, as the programme progresses.
You can find the website at: https://www.essex.gov.uk/phab.
Questions on the programme can also be emailed to PHABApplications@activeessex.org.
The deadline for the first round of expressions of interest is 5pm on Friday 25 August. Further rounds will take place in due course.
Applications for the small grants and first round of the major grant for those whose EoI has been approved will open on Monday 4 September and we expect to award the first grants in November.
We look forward to receiving your bids later this year and welcome any questions you have on the programme.
The Public Health Accelerator Bids (PHAB)
The programme will fund new projects that are both grounded in public health principles and deliver services in new and innovative ways, focusing on those most affected by health inequalities.
Applications for the small grants (under £15,000) and first round of the major grants (over £15,000) open on Monday 4 September. We wanted to share the news with you well ahead of time so that you can begin to compile ideas and explore how your organisation could benefit from the programme.
Expressions of interest for the major grants programme will be invited from 1 August. There will be more than one round of applications for the major grant funding.
Full guidance for the programme will be available soon.
If you have any queries about the PHAB programme, you can email PHABApplications@activeessex.org.
22/11/22 - Screening Awareness Fund
The purpose of the fund is to raise awareness and increase promotion of cervical, breast, bowel and prostate screening services in the Tendring area. Also, to encourage taking up of smear tests, mammograms, home-test bowel kits, and prostate screening.
Applications of up to £2,000 are invited. They may cover raising awareness and promotion of all four screening services or cover one or two areas.
For guidelines, criteria, application form or further information email: funding@cvstendring.org.uk (subject: Screening Awareness Fund).
This funding is provided by The North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance and is administered though CVS Tendring
21/02/22 - KFC Foundation
This grant programme is for registered charities, registered community interest companies, unincorporated clubs or associations or unregistered charities with a turnover of less than £300,000. We will make grants of up to £2,000. The KFC Foundation welcomes funding applications from organisations which:
- Benefit young people aged 11-25 years old.
- Supports those in a position of social disadvantage (i.e. care leavers, those experiencing homelessness, young carers, young parents, young people at risk of or with experience of the criminal justice system).
- Empower young people to fulfil their potential and build a positive future by providing spaces that allow young people to feel safe and secure, helping them to unlock talent, build life skills, provide mentoring and improve their chances to gain meaningful employment.
- Are local to a KFC restaurant? (Find Your Local KFC)
- Will demonstrate positive results from their project within 12 months of our funding being received
07/02/22 - Vodafone Charities Connected
Apply for free mobile connectivity to support your charity
24/01/22 - Cervical Screening Awareness
Cervical Screening Awareness and Promotion Applications of up to £1000 are invited for projects/ideas that are able to raise awareness and increase promotion of cervical screening services in the Tendring area, including encouraging take up smear tests. Applications will be assessed with regard to proposed activity, the numbers you expect to reach through this activity and what the outcomes will be. If successful, funding will be awarded as appropriate and relevant. Target Groups 25-29 age group Women over 25 who have never had a smear test Women over 50 Low socio-economic groups Ethnic minority groups Women with Learning Disabilities Lesbian and Bi-sexual women,
For further information or application form email funding@cvstendring.org.uk
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