Published Wednesday 13 November 2019 at 10:04
This insight outlines a range of funding opportunities open to the public sector, businesses, community groups etc. Regular funding opportunities are also available via the websites below:
Community groups can now access potential grant funding opportunities through the free Blackburn with Darwen Open4Community online search tool.
For all Blackburn with Darwen Council funding bids
Please check whether match funding is required, if it is please contact and inform your Finance colleague.
Funding opportunities greater than £100,000
Applications invited to support communities tackle climate change
The National Lottery has announced that its new £100 million Climate Action Fund is now open for applications. The fund which is available for the next 10 years is open to community-led partnerships to enable communities across the UK to reduce their carbon footprint and work together to share their learning and be active participants in a broader movement to tackle climate change.
This could include actions on:
- Sustainable energy
- Sustainable transport
- Consumption (food and waste)
- The natural environment.
Community partnerships can be led by one of the following types of organisation:
- Voluntary and community organisation
- Registered charity or charitable incorporated organisation (CIO)
- School
- Not for profit company including companies limited by guarantee, community interest companies and community benefit societies with two or more directors.
The National Lottery Climate Action Fund will support up to 15 place-based community-led partnerships in the initial round of funding. The amount of funding available per application will depend on what each partnership needs at this stage: Applicants needing more time to develop the partnership can access initial development funding of up to £200,000 over 18 months.
Applicants who are able to start longer term plans can access longer term awards of up to £2.5million over five years.
Initial ideas must be submitted by 5pm on the 18th December 2019. Applications successful at this stage have until midday on the 27th March 2020 to submit their full proposal.
Masonic charitable foundation programme to support disadvantaged and vulnerable older people
Local and national charities in England and Wales can apply to the Later Life Inclusions grants programme run by the Masonic Charitable Foundation. The Later Life Inclusion grants programme is open to charities working to reduce loneliness and isolation of vulnerable and disadvantaged people over 50.
Grants can be offered to charities that provide:
- Mental and physical health support
- Gateway and access to service, e.g. transport and technology
- Community based approaches, i.e. volunteering, positive ageing and neighbourhood support
- Advocacy, social and welfare support
The type of activities that could be funded include:
- Support for emotional and psychological planning for later life
- Digital inclusion sessions to enable older people to access services
- Activities and clubs enabling older people to remain active and make friends
- Providing companionship and befriending schemes for periods of transition
- Advice and information on options for those with health conditions
- Carers and respite support
The programme offers both small grants of up to £15,000 to charities with an annual income of up to £500,000 for projects lasting up to three years; and grants of between £10,000 and £150,000 to charities with an annual income of above £500,000 for projects lasting up to three years.
The next closing date for applications to the small grants programme is the 3rd January 2020. The large grants programme is currently closed and is due to re-open for applications on the 2nd December 2019 until the 17th February 2020.
New £250,000 fund launched to help disabled people become more active
Sport England have joined together with Toyota and the British Paralympic Association to launch the new Toyota Parasport Fund. This is a £250,000 fund to help disabled people to become more active.
Through the Fund, voluntary or community clubs or organisations and registered charities that provide activities for disabled people; and that are registered with the Passport Online Hub can apply for grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 to improve the quality and quantity of equipment available to disabled people.
The Passport is an online hub to empower disabled people to increase their activity levels. Activity providers not currently registered can register with “Passport” to access the fund.
The closing date for applications is 5pm on the 20th December 2019.
Funding available to improve schools facilities and buildings
The Department for Education has announced that academies, non-diocesan VA schools and sixth form colleges across England can now bid for a share of more than £400 million to transform facilities, improve school buildings and create more good school places.
The funding can be used by academies and sixth form colleges to expand classrooms, upgrade facilities such as sports halls or science labs, and address issues with the general wear and tear of school buildings.
The funding is being made available through the Department for Education’s Condition Improvement Fund.
Multi-Academy Trusts with 5 or more academies and more than 3,000 pupils cannot apply for CIF. These trusts will receive a School Condition Allocation (SCA) to invest across their estate for 2020 to 2021.
All applications will need to be made via a new Condition Improvement Fund portal. New applicants must register to use the new portal by midday on Friday 29 November 2019.
The submission deadline for all applications is midday on the 13th December 2019.
£5 million available to work with partners in Africa on innovative agriculture and food projects that alleviate poverty
Organisations working with partners in Africa on innovative agriculture and food projects can apply to a £5million fund. Innovation in agriculture and food systems is low in developing countries, particularly in Africa where only 28% of farmland is planted with modern crops compared with 65% globally.
The funding is being made available by the Department for International Development and the Global Challenges Research Fund and is managed by Innovate UK. Funding is available for:
- early-stage feasibility studies,
- mid-stage industrial research
- late-stage experimental development.
Innovations must be sustainable, minimise pollution, food loss and waste, and promote safe, healthy and nutritious diets. They must also consider gender equality and animal welfare.
Projects must be led in the UK and include at least 1 UK and 1 African partner and 1 business.
The competition opened on the 14th October and the closing date for applications is the 8th January 2020.
Funding opportunities under £25,000
Support for environmental outreach education for disadvantaged young people
Schools, colleges and youth groups can receive up to 75% towards the costs of providing environmental outreach education for groups of disadvantaged young people through the Field Studies Council’s Kids Fund. The Field Studies Council is an independent educational charity committed to raising awareness about the natural world and works through a network of residential and day Centres in the UK to provide outreach education and training.
There are two types of Kids Fund course Wildlife and Environment focusing on wildlife habitats and the environment with team building activities and Eco Adventure which combines environmental and personally challenging activities.
Groups who meet one of the following criteria will be eligible:
- Disadvantaged young people aged 4-18 years (or up to 25 years for those with special needs)
- Voluntary youth groups (either run by voluntary leaders, managed by a voluntary organisation, a registered charity)
or
- School groups may apply if they are aiming to provide benefits which are additional to the statutory school curriculum or clearly show added value, depth and breadth to the taught curriculum. FSC Kids Fund will not pay for young people to attend standard curriculum focused FSC courses.
All applicants must be based in the UK, Isle of Man, Channel Isles and Republic of Ireland.
One free staff/adult place is provided for every 12 young people; additional adults pay 20% +VAT. This includes all equipment, tuition and waterproof hire costs. Food and accommodation are included for residential courses.
The next closing date for applications is the 1st March 2020.
Funding to support vulnerable young migrants
Not for profit organisations and private law firms that work with young migrants can apply for grants through the Strategic Legal Fund (SLF) for Vulnerable Young Migrants.
The maximum grant available is £30,000, however, limited funding is available and therefore lower applications are encouraged. The average grant size is around £12,000. Grants are available to undertake strategic legal work to benefit children and young people (under the age of 25) who are significantly disadvantaged by migration status. The fund will accept applications in any area of law that affects:
- Migrants or the children of migrants,
- Who are under 25,
- Who are living in poverty, and
- Who face significant disadvantage or discrimination in connection with their (or their parents’) migration status.
The SLF only funds two kinds of strategic legal action- pre-litigation research and “third party intervention” in an existing case. The maximum grant length is 12 months, and most grants are for around six months.
The next closing date for applications is the 10th January 2020.
School grants to promote physics
The Institute of Physics has announced that UK schools and colleges can apply for grants of up to £600 for small-scale projects or events linked to the teaching or promotion of physics and engineering to pupils aged 5 – 19. Grants can support a wide range of projects such as school-based science weeks, extracurricular activities, science clubs, careers event or a visit from a working physicist or engineer.
Grants may be used for the following purposes: materials/resources; transport; marketing and publicity; other purposes deemed appropriate by the judges; and supply cover (in certain circumstances).
The Institute of Physics is interested in proposals that look at:
- particle physics
- astronomy
- space and nuclear physics
- energy
- transport
- information and communications
- design and promotion
- built environment.
Previous projects to receive funding include:
- Ampleforth College for a visit to Jodrell Bank Radio Observatory.
- St John’s High School for a Practical Rocketry workshop to design a water-propelled rocket.
The closing date for applications is the 1st February 2020 (for projects taking place in the following summer term).
Funding to support arts projects
The Trust offers grants of up to £5,000 in support of the Arts, in particular Music, including:
- Opera
- Lieder
- Composition
- Dance.
The Trustees aim to help individuals and groups such as:
- Colleges
- Arts Festivals
- Other arts organisations who would not be able to carry out a project or activity without financial support.
Funding is available towards:
- Tuition or coaching costs
- To participate in external competitions
- To be supported for a specially arranged performance
- To receive support for a special publication, musical composition or work of art.
The Fidelio Trust has announced that the next closing date for applications is the 28th February 2020.
Grants to promote latin and roman studies and activities
The Society makes grants to schools to help promote Latin and Roman studies. Most of the grants are awarded for the purchase of textbooks and other books on Roman topics. The Committee also makes awards to groups and schools and museums organising lectures or study days on Roman themes, and money has recently been made available for archaeology fieldwork bursaries.
Schools that have recently been awarded funding include:
- Hereford Cathedral School that received funding to run weekly Latin masterclasses;
- A grant from the Roman Society enabled Feniton C of E Primary School to buy books and extra resources to help their pupils have fun learning;
- A grant from the Roman Society enabled thirty pupils in Year 9 at Ysgol Brynhyfryd to study Classical Civilisation GCSE;
- The Sir Robert Hitcham CEVAP School Robert which received a grant to help Year 4 pupils study aspects of the Roman invasion and its impact.
Applications from schools planning to start courses in Latin are particularly welcome. Grants usually range from £50 to £600.
Grants for community music projects
Grants are available to UK based community groups and schools who would benefit from a “helping hand” to bring music to their community and fulfil their potential in becoming truly sustainable music programmes.
The funding which is being made available by the charity Music for All, can be put towards musical instrument costs, workshops/training, using music to break down barriers, providing a variety of educational opportunities as well as helping to find ways to integrate many diverse and minority groups positively into society. Grants of up to £25,000 are available, but due to increased demand most awards will be for less than this amount.
UK based community music groups and educational organisations are eligible to apply. Applicants are encouraged to look for other sources of funding to add to the amount needed to deliver the project.
Examples of projects funded:
- Belham Primary School: Used a grant from Music for All to purchase instruments and resulted in 137 out of the 180 children learning violin, guitar, ukulele or recorder. This compares to 6 months earlier when only a handful were learning just the recorder.
Funding of up to £500 is also available to individuals who do not have the means to access musical instruments and lessons.
Applications are assessed three times a year in Spring, Summer and Autumn and the next deadline for applications is the 1st February 2020.
Grants for talented musicians and groups
The MOBO Help Musicians Fund has been created in partnership to support the career ambitions of exceptionally talented artists and groups with grants of up to £2,000. Further funding of up to £3,000 is available for larger groups of musicians.
Grants can be used to support opportunities that will have a significant impact on creativity and career.
Any solo artist, producer, songwriter or group working within any genre can apply but preference may be given to; R&B, Afrobeat, Soul, Hip Hop, Grime, Jazz, Gospel, Garage, Reggae and African music.
Eligible applicants will be:
- Aged 18 or over
- Based primarily in the UK and eligible to work here
- A resident in the UK for at least the last 3 consecutive years
- In financial need and without significant backing from labels, music publishing companies or management
- A track record of regularly performing, writing and releasing music for at least 12 months
Groups can also apply where at least half of the group members meet the criteria as above and if they have been established and playing together regularly for at least 12 months. Groups of up to 4 members can apply for up to £2,000; Groups of 5 or more people or those wanting to work with a larger ensemble can apply for up to £3,000
The closing date for applications is 5pm on the 25th November 2019.
Rowing foundation grants programme
The Rowing Foundation works to promote the participation in rowing of young people (those under 18 or still in full time education) and the disabled of all ages.
The Foundation gives grants of £500-£3,000 to help organisations and clubs involved in on water elements of the sport of Rowing who are individually affiliated to British Rowing (other than via their governing body) and whose requirements may be too small or who may be otherwise ineligible for an approach to the National Lottery or other similar sources of funds. The Rowing Foundation prefers to encourage participation in rowing by the young or disabled through the provision of equipment, such as boats, sculls, ergos, oars and essential safety equipment.
The Foundation’s makes grants of between £500-£3000 up to 50% of the cost, usually to initiate projects when a club, school or other organisation can demonstrate their ability to complete the project. Grants are made to support rowing only.
Applications must be for projects or work that is for public benefit; non-elitist; for the benefit of young people; those in full time education; or those who are disabled.
The next closing date is the 24th February 2020.
New funding available to create pocket parks and revive neglected green spaces
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has launched a new £1.35 million Pocket Parks Plus programme to help local communities in England create new pocket parks or to revive rundown green spaces in their area.
The definition of a Pocket Park is: “a piece of land of up to 0.4 hectares (although many are around 0.02 hectares, the size of a tennis court) which may already be under grass but which is unused, undeveloped or derelict”.
Community groups can now bid grants of up to £15,000 for new pocket parks and up to £25,000 to renovate existing parks which have fallen into disrepair, bringing them back into public use. Pocket Parks can be in a housing estate, adjacent to a canal, in a high street, in the ground of a local community facility such as a library or community centre, etc.
Applications can be made by community groups working in partnership with their local authority. Applicants will need to have 30% of match funding in place.
The closing date for applications is 5pm on the 31st December 2019.
Funding for hospital parent and carer rooms
The True Colours Trust has established the Breathing Spaces Fund to improve parent/carer rooms in hospitals. For the purpose of this programme a parent/carer room is defined as ‘a non-clinical space within a hospital set aside for the exclusive use of the parents and carers of a pediatric patient. It should create a ‘home from home’ environment but is not overnight accommodation’.
Eligible hospital charities where the hospital has a PICU (wards specialising in the assessment and comprehensive treatment of children with a broad spectrum of acute and enduring mental health needs) can apply for grants of up to £20,000 to renovate or create parent/carer rooms on any in-patient pediatric ward. A list of eligible hospitals.
Applicants may request up to £1,500 in advance towards the costs of designing a parent/carer room in line with the Breathing Spaces guidelines, this sum will be deducted from the total £20,000 grant available. Any changes to parent/carer rooms funded by Breathing Spaces must be sustained and maintained for a minimum of five years and 10% of each grant should be ring-fenced for annual maintenance costs.
Successful applicants with well-maintained rooms will be eligible to apply for a further one-off grant of £2,500 to update the room at the end of the five-year period.
The programme will run from until March 2020.
The 2020 applications for Nuffield research placements open to applications
Students in the first year of a post-16 science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) course studying at a state-maintained school or college in the UK will be able to apply for a bursary to develop their research and quantitative skills. Nuffield Research Placements (previously Nuffield Science Bursaries) provide over 1,000 students each year with the opportunity to work alongside professional scientists (including quantitative social scientists), technologists, engineers and mathematicians.
Nuffield Research Placements take place in the summer holidays after Year 12 (England) or equivalent, placements are typically for between 4 and 6 weeks and can be in a university, research institute, company or voluntary organisation.
Most projects are based in an office, but some include working in a laboratory or fieldwork.The funding will cover the travel costs of all students and depending on the family’s circumstances some applicants may also be eligible to receive a bursary of £100 for each week of the placement.
Placements take place across the UK and are administered at a regional level by a network ofNuffield Coordinators.
Co-operative bank – customer donation fund
Since 2003 the Co-operative Bank Donation Fund has donated over £750,000 to 866 organisations. The money can be used to support special projects and fundraising activities; and all Community Directplus account holders are eligible to apply.
Previous projects supported include:
- Theatre company 20 Stories High which received funding towards three dictaphones, 12 MP3 players and the work of an experienced Technical Manager to help develop and stage a new production.
- Wiltshire Wood Recycling, a not for profit organisations, which received funding towards new tools, boots, hard hats and high-viz jackets for the workers.
Organisations such as Registered Charities, Community Interest Companies, Co-operatives and Credit Unions; etc. that have a Community Directplus account with the Co-operative Bank have until the 31st March 2020 to apply for funding of up to £1,000 from the Customer Donation Fund.
Grants for projects focusing on endangered species
Scientific researchers and those working in the field of practical conservation working within an NGO or a university research department can apply for a grant of between £3,000 and £10,000 per annum for up to two years conservation and/or research work. The People’s Trust for Endangered Species are now inviting applications to the Conservation Insight Grant scheme.
Funds will be awarded for work that seeks to either:
- Find the critical scientific evidence that will facilitate the conservation of a species
- Provide the answer to a key conservation question, which will enable conservationists to undertake critical conservation action
- Undertake the implementation of a key local action which will result in a significantly, positive impact for an endangered species
High priority projects include:
- Gathering evidence needed to undertake necessary mitigation work
- Using scientific evidence to get changes made to local, national or international policy
- Devising and testing a new methodology for monitoring a species or group of species
Priority is also given to applications for conservation and research work on species classified as endangered, critically endangered and extinct in the wild by the IUCN.
Applications are welcomed from scientific researchers and those working in the field of practical conservation where the project leader is based either within an NGO or a university research department. Applications are only accepted from applicants already working and established in either the UK, UK overseas territories or any country NOT classified by the World Bank as high-income. See the World Bank web page to check eligibility. Priority is given to native project leaders working in their own country.
There are no deadlines; applications will normally be processed within four months.
Prs foundation – resonate fund re-opens for applications
The PRS Foundation has announced that the Resonate fund has re-opened for applications. The fund aims to encourage professional orchestras to programme into their repertoire the best pieces of British music from the past 25 years. Grants of up to £10,000 are available to orchestras who commit to exploring contemporary UK repertoire as part of a season/tour and longer-term audience development programme.
The Resonate fund is open to all full and associate ABO members and selected pieces of music must have been written by British composers, who are members of PRS for Music or in a position to join.
Performances must be part of a main season programme, major festival or tour. Orchestras can apply for funding to help cover the following:
- Music Hire;
- Orchestral rehearsal time;
- Instrument Hire; Performer fees;
- Promotion/Performance of work;
- Touring Costs in the UK.
The closing date for applications in this round is the 2nd December 2019.
Royal Society of Chemistry – outreach fund small grants scheme
Individuals and organisations such as researchers, museums, schools, community groups, not-for-profit organisations, arts groups and libraries can apply for grants of up to £10,000 to run chemistry-based events and activities for public audiences and in schools.
Applications for school’s engagement activities should demonstrate how the proposed activities will:
- enrich student’s chemistry education and not solely deliver the curriculum
- provide students with opportunities to explore chemistry through local contexts, AND/OR
- demonstrate career opportunities and develop employability skills, AND/OR
- provide opportunities which would not normally be accessible to the students taking part, e.g. for hard-to-reach student audiences.
Applications for public engagement activities should demonstrate how the proposed activities will:
- increase chemists’ visibility as approachable people AND/OR
- increase the publics’ confidence in discussing chemistry AND/OR
- demonstrate the relevance of chemistry to everyday interests and concerns.
The Outreach Fund is split into two categories: small grants – up to £2,000 and large grants – between £2,000 and £10,000.
Previously funded projects include “Cool chemistry at the seaside” where the Society awarded a grant of £2,000 to volunteers in Ramsgate who transformed an empty town-centre shop into a makeshift theatre, delivering free chemistry demonstrations to anyone.
The closing date for both the small and large grants schemes is the 13th January 2020.
Science grants for schools
State-funded primary schools, nurseries and special schools in Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Clackmannanshire,Fermanagh & Omag,Hull, North East Lincolnshire, Newry, Mourne& Down, West Lothian, North East Lincolnshire, Wakefield and Wolverhampton can apply for grant from the Edina Trust to run science projects.
The level of funding available is dependent upon the type of school applying:
- Full primary and ASN schools can apply for grants of up to £600;
- Infant and Junior schools up to £300;
- Nursery schools and nursery classes within schools can apply for a one-off grant of up to £420.
The Science Grant Scheme runs in each area for three years, before moving on to a new area.
Grants can be used for science weeks, science related school trips, science equipment and science subscriptions; improving school grounds for science and gardening resources.
Examples of projects that received funding are:
- St Bede’s Primary School, Sunderland that created a Forest School area in the school grounds. The school used the Edina Trust grant to purchase tools that the children can use, which has allowed them to get outside and learn about nature, as well as develop their self-confidence.
- Kersland School, Renfrewshire had a visit from Glasgow Science Centre’s Bodyworks on Tour programme. The programme is all about our amazing bodies and offers an array of exciting workshops, live science shows and interactive exhibits. Everything is hands-on and designed to fit the needs of learners from pre-school through to primary and secondary school pupils.
There are no deadlines and applications can be submitted at any time.