Published Friday 17 July 2020 at 13:35
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:
National Lottery Grant for Heritage
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
£1.57 Billion Investment to Protect Britain’s Cultural, Arts and Heritage Institutions
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has announced that cultural and heritage institutions, such as theatres, historic palaces, museums, galleries, live music venues and independent cinemas can now access a share of £1.57bn that has been made available to help with the impact of Coronavirus.
The funding package includes:
- £1.15 billion support pot for cultural organisations in England delivered through a mix of grants and loans. This will be made up of £270 million of repayable finance and £880 million grants.
- £100 million of targeted support for the national cultural institutions in England and the English Heritage Trust.
- £120 million capital investment to restart construction on cultural infrastructure and for heritage construction projects in England which was paused due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- The new funding will also mean an extra £188 million for the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland (£33 million), Scotland (£97 million) and Wales (£59 million).
Decisions on awards will be made working alongside expert independent figures from the sector including the Arts Council England and other specialist bodies such as Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.
Funding to Help Schools & Colleges Reduce Energy Usage
Individual academies, academy sixth forms, free schools and those in Multi-Academy Trusts will be able to apply for funding to install energy efficient technologies to lower energy bills and create a more comfortable learning environment.
Loans of up to £150,000 will be available from Salix’s Energy Efficiency Fund, in partnership with the Department for Education, to reduce energy usage. Each applicant may submit one application, which can consist of multiple projects, and must cost no more than £222 for every ton of carbon saved. The loan value must be repaid within an eight-year period. Projects exceeding this payback can be part funded.
The new round is planned to open after the 2020 Summer holidays. More details will follow shortly.
Funding to Help Disadvantaged Young People and Children
Charities in England and Wales can apply for Early Years Opportunities Grants through the Masonic Charitable Foundation. The Early Years Opportunities programme is open to charities that help disadvantaged children and young people (up to the age of 25 years) overcome the barriers they face to achieve the best possible start in life.
Grants can be offered to charities that provide:
- Mental and physical health support
- Learning and development, including language and communication skills, social and emotional etc.
- Parental support, including whole family approach
- Pastoral and advocacy support
The type of activities that could be funded include:
- Additional educational opportunities such as improving literacy and numeracy
- Individual interventions, i.e. parent education, home visiting or mentoring
- Encouraging healthy behaviours with regards to diet, activity and wellbeing
- Psychological interventions for domestic abuse and behavioural issues etc.
- Provision of vital adaptive technologies and equipment removing barriers
- Alternative methods or specialist therapies to help children and young people integrate into the mainstream education system.
The programme offers both small grants of up to £5,000 per year for up to 3 years to charities with an annual income of up to £500,000 ; and grants on average of between £20,000 and £60,000 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 4pm on the 31st August 2020 and 5pm on the 31st July 2020 for stage 1 applications to the large grants programme.
Funding to Help Understand the Impact of Covid-19 on the Health and Social Care System
Funding of between £100,000 and £200,000 is available for projects of up to twelve months which seek to understand the impact of Covid-19 on the health and social care system in the UK, and to use this research to inform policy and/or service delivery decisions for the future.
The Health Foundation’s new Covid-19 Research Programme is open to suitable qualified and experienced research teams to help understand the impact of the crisis in two areas:
- how service delivery has changed,
- the impact of the virus on health inequalities and the wider effects of health.
Applications for projects from multidisciplinary teams combining expertise from a broad range of disciplines, involving patients, the public and people with lived experience are welcome.
Applications can be made at any time until the 30th September 2020.
Funding opportunities between £25,000 and £100,000
Funding to Help Museums, Galleries and Cultural Organisations Affected by Coronavirus
UK public museums, galleries, historic houses, libraries and archives can apply for funding to help them respond to immediate challenges connected to the Covid-19 crisis, and to adapt and reimagine ways of working in the future.
Through the Art Fund’s Respond and Reimagine grants, funding of between £10,000 and £50,000 is available to support the priority areas of audiences, collections, adaptable digital skills and infrastructure, and supporting the workforce. Funding can be used to provide immediate practical support connected to reopening such as staffing, equipment, training, or planning for future activities, and to provide opportunities for organisations to help them adapt for the future.
There are two further funding rounds for these grants:
- Round 2: Apply by Monday 17 August 2020
- Round 3: Apply by Monday 12 October 2020
Grants of up to £50,000 Available for Community Projects
Aviva has announced that it has expanded the Aviva Community Fund application criteria to include projects that allow causes to adapt or continue their vital services, so they can help their beneficiaries and communities during this time of need.
Aviva has teamed up with the fundraising platform Crowdfunder to offer funding of up to £50,000 to small charities and community interest groups in the UK with innovative ideas that benefit their community. Every three months from January 2020 onwards, £250,000 will be split equally among Aviva’s UK employees to donate to the projects that matter to them most.
Aviva want to support projects that boost the resilience of communities in the face of uncertainty and will be supporting projects in two key areas:
- Community resilience: tackling inequality and improving environments by building inclusive and resilient
- communities; or
- Financial capability and inclusion: promoting financially inclusive communities, where people can better manage their finances and avoid problem debt
In response to the Covid-19 Aviva are temporarily opening up the Fund to projects that will ensure organisations can adapt or maintain critical services and infrastructure in response to the impacts of COVID-19. Projects must still relate to one of Aviva’s key funding areas.
The closing date to apply to the Aviva Community Fund is the 28th July 2020.
Once applications have been submitted, applicants will need to create a fundraising page on Crowdfunder that Aviva employees can browse and donate funds to. Applicants can also showcase their projects to raise additional public donations.
Funding for Projects that Bring Museum & Gallery Collections Closer to People
Museums and galleries in the UK can apply for funding for projects that bring art collections closer to people by demonstrating their significance, distinctiveness and power. Provided by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and administered by the Museums Association, the Collections Fund will award more than £3.75 million through two types of grants:
- Collections Innovation and Engagement Grants will award funding of up to £90,000 over two to three years. The deadline for expressions of interest is the 14th September 2020;
- and funding of up to £250,000 for up to five years will be awarded through Collections Strategy and Development Grants, however, organisations are advised to delay contacting the Association until September 2020 when suitable projects will be invited to submit expressions of interest in Spring 2021.
Please contact Sally Colvin or Sarah Briggs for advice on eligibility for the fund and help to develop applications:
Sally Colvin, Programmes Manager: sally@museumsassociation.org 020 7566 7851
Sarah Briggs, Collections Development Officer: sarah@museumsassociation.org 020 7566 7834
The Arts Council to reopen its National Lottery Project Grants
The Arts Council has announced that its National Lottery Project Grants programme will reopen on 22 July 2020. The fund will be open to individuals, arts organisations, museums and libraries.
Grants of between £1,000 and £100,000 will be available from the £59.8 million rolling funding programme until April 2021 to support those in the cultural sector and for work that has longer term positive impact such as Research and Development.
In response to the Covid-19 crisis, the programme will be improved to make it more responsive to the needs of smaller independent organisations and individual practitioners, whilst still including a budget for grassroots music venues, touring extensions and national activities over and under £100,000.
Updated guidance for the programme will be published by mid-July.
GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Awards
The 2021 GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Awards, run in partnership with The King’s Fund, are now open to applications from community-based health and wellbeing charities. The awards are designed to recognise success and achievements for existing work by providing mentoring and funding.
To be eligible to apply, organisations must be at least three years old, working in a health-related field in the UK, with income between £80,000 and £2.5 million.
Judges will be looking for applications which provide evidence of:
- Innovation
- Management
- Partnership
- Achievement
- Community focus
- Targeting need
Up to ten winners will receive £30,000, with one overall winner receiving £40,000. Ten runners-up will receive £3,000. Award winners will also be offered high quality training and development valued at an average of £9,500, have a film made about their work and receive help with press and publicity.
The deadline for applications is 5pm on the 14th September 2020.
Funding to Develop the Capability of the UK Space Sector
Government grants worth up to £75,000 are available to advance the capability of the UK space sector by developing new commercial technologies and bringing them closer to market.
Funding is available to businesses, non-profit organisations and academics for proposals for space technology research and development projects that accelerate the development of scientific or commercial technologies for space. This funding call, as part of the National Space Technology Programme, is for 6-month Pathfinder projects to increase the Technology Readiness Level of space technologies, encourage collaboration between industry and academia, and encourage new entrants to the space sector. Proposals for projects which are from collaborative teams are encouraged.
Project proposals are sought for space technology research and development projects in areas including:
- early TRL innovation
- new technology concepts
- knowledge transfer
- skills development
- refining an idea
- undertaking a market survey
- proof of concept
The deadline for applications is midday on the 10th August 2020.
Funding to Support Local Housing Projects
UK registered charities, Community Land Trusts and housing co-operatives can apply for funding of between £10,000 and £50,000 for local housing projects that will support the most vulnerable and strengthen local communities.
Through the Nationwide Community Grant, the Nationwide Building Society will award £22 million over five years across 11 UK regions, to housing related charities and projects. £4 million will be available to fund projects in 2020.
The program will fund between 50% to 100% of the total cost of projects which last up to two years, to help prevent people from losing their home, help people into a home or support people to thrive within the home environment.
The Community Boards will favour projects that:
- Help charities get back on their feet after the impact of Covid 19.
- Illustrate a clear link to Nationwide’s ambition for everyone to have a place fit to call home and can demonstrate the impact their project will have on the local community.
- Are supporting people in housing need, in original or creative ways. This includes both projects already delivering local impact and those carrying out research to find new ways to challenge the housing crisis.
- Have the potential to inspire and be used by others across the country, have robust plans to measure and report on the difference the grant will make.
- Can demonstrate sustainability beyond the life of the grant, by building the skills of staff and volunteers, diversifying funding streams and providing long-term solutions for the people they are helping.
- Can evidence knowledge of local issues and have a network of local connections.
Up to 20% of the amount requested can be used to cover core costs. Funding can also cover costs such as staff and volunteer costs, small-scale capital costs, and building works.
All applications will be reviewed on the 1st August 2020.
Funding for Research to Better Understand the Link Between Groups, Communities and Alcohol Harm
Alcohol Change UK are inviting applications for their New Horizons Grants Programme for innovative and future-facing academic research on ‘Groups, Communities and Alcohol Harm’ to explore how people’s use of alcohol relates to their membership of, or identification with, groups and communities.
Funding of between £20,000 and £65,000 is available for up to four two-year research projects to explore different groups such as cultural, ethnic, religious, geographic or other social communities of interest and identity, and people diagnosed with the same condition, disorder or disease.
The aim of the Fund is to see how interpretations within a community may promote or prevent alcohol harm amongst its members.
Applications from researchers of all academic disciplines are welcome by midday on the 31st July 2020.
Historic England announces COVID-19 Heritage at Risk Fund
Historic England has launched a second emergency fund to support the heritage sector recovery from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. Up to £3 million will be available to help fund urgent maintenance, repairs and investigations at historic sites and buildings across England.
Grants of up to £25,000 will be available to address problems such as damaged roofs, masonry and windows, to hire scaffolding to prevent structural collapse, or commission surveys necessary to inform urgent repairs. The business generated will help heritage specialists, whose livelihoods have been severely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The funding will be available to:
Owners, leaseholders (with a 21-year full repairing lease), and charitable bodies and trustees responsible for the maintenance and repair of:
- Buildings and structures listed at grade I and II*, that are publicly accessible for a minimum of 28 days per year
- Buildings and structures listed at grade II that are publicly accessible for a minimum of 28 days per year only if they are situated in
- either a conservation area and are a significant component of the character of that conservation area;
- or in a grade I or II* registered park and garden
- Scheduled monuments that are publicly accessible for a minimum of 28 days per year
The deadline for expressions of interest is midnight on the 28th June 2020. Those successful at this stage will be informed by the 27th July 2020 and invited to submit a full application by the 31st August 2020.
Funding opportunities under £25,000
Funding to Strengthen Creative Opportunities for People with Mental Health Problems
The Baring Foundation has announced the first call for applications for their new Arts programme supporting Arts and Mental Health to strengthen the creative opportunities available for people with mental health problems.
The long-term funding programme is being made available to established organisations in the UK that focus solely on offering creative opportunities to people of any age living with mental health problems using the skills of professionally trained artists. £900,000 is available for this work in 2020 and it is envisaged that one-off unrestricted grants of between £12,000 and £15,000 will be awarded to be used to serve the organisations charitable purpose as they best see fit.
Successful applicants will be notified by mid-September
For any queries about this funding opportunity, particularly regarding eligibility, please get in touch with the Director on david.cutler@ing.com
The deadline for applications is 12 noon on the 18th August 2020.
Biochemical Society – Outreach Grants Programme Deadline Extended
The Biochemical Society has announced that its Outreach Grants programme deadline has been extended until the 24th September 2020. The original deadline was the 1st July 2020. Grants of up to £1,000 are available to increase participation in the molecular biosciences at school level and the community through engagement activities. Within school projects the Society is looking to support projects with emphasis on molecular bioscience for upper secondary school age audiences and above. For primary school age audiences, the focus can be on biology or on all sciences.
The type of events funded could include:
- Activities for a science club
- Workshops for students or teachers
- Lectures from research scientists (including PhD students and post-doc’s).
Projects more likely to receive funding will involve collaborations between, several schools/universities or a mix of organizations; establish links/relationships between schools and universities or industry; promote molecular bioscience career opportunities; or be submitted by an applicant with previous experience in outreach activities (although first time applicants are also welcomed).
Past projects include “Detective Sciences” – an event that formed part of the Science week activities at Abercanaid Community School, Merthyr Tydfil. The focus of the event was centred on promoting scientific investigation, scientific thinking and enhancing English language skills.
Independent Age Grants Fund
Independent Age, which promotes independent living amongst older people has launched a £2 million Independent Age Grants Fund to help smaller charities across the UK working with older people hardest hit by the Coronavirus.
Initially, Independent Age will begin by supporting work with two groups of older people, who can too easily miss out:
- Older people living in particularly complex and challenging situations. This can include older people that may have no network of family, friends or community to call on; have a disability or long-term health condition; be caring for a dependent adult with learning disabilities or dementia or be facing other circumstances that make it harder to manage at this challenging time.
- Older people in danger of being out of sight and out of mind. Independent Age are looking to help organisations connecting with older people who are very isolated and most at risk of missing out on the help available from government or charities that serve a very wide client group. They may be part of an isolated, neglected or very poor community, be facing stigma or discrimination or have needs which make it hard for them to access services, perhaps because they are homeless, live with HIV or are hidden from view in an abusive relationship.
To be eligible to apply the applicant organisation must be registered as a charity with The Charity Commission for England and Wales, The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, or The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). The applicant organisations must have at least one paid member of staff (part-time is fine) and an annual income of £1 million or less (averaged across the last three financial years).
The applicant organisation must be already working with older people in one or both of the two priority areas above. Organisations that do not specialise in work with older people are welcome to apply – but you must already be providing services for older people as part of their work.
The funding will be made available over four separate funding rounds. In each round Independent Age will make £500,000 available.
Charities are able to apply for grants of up to £15,000.
The next funding round will be open from the 27th July 2020 until 9am on the 21st August 2020.
Grants to Promote Latin and Roman Studies and Activities
The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies has announced the next closing date for applications is the 1st November 2020.
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.
Development Grants for Emerging Artists
Professional and emerging professional musicians of all genres and disciplines can apply for a grant of £2,000 to £5,000 to undertake a project that will enable them to develop and test new work, ideas or potential career directions through inspiring periods of collaborative research and development.
Help Musicians want to highlight that in this round they welcome applications that will explore the use of remote, digital or online collaboration tools or performance spaces. For example, the use of Skype rehearsals or live streamed performance.
Eligible musicians will be over 18 based primarily in the UK and be in financial need and without significant backing. Solo instrumentalists, conductors, composers, vocalists, singer songwriters or multidisciplinary artists are amongst those eligible to apply. Bands or ensembles with six members or less can also be supported.
The funding is being made available through the Help Musicians Fusion Fund and the deadline to apply is the 14th September 2020.
The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust Reviews Grant Criteria in Response to the Coronavirus
In response to the Coronavirus, the Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust have reviewed their grant criteria to enable them to spread their funds as widely as possible to help those with greatest need. The Trust awards grants to UK registered charities or organisations that are exempt from registration with projects that address specific categories set out by the Trust each year.
The next round of funding will be aimed at supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable people aged 60 and over affected by the crisis. UK registered charities with an income and expenditure of £1,000,000 and over will be able to apply for grants of £1,000 to continue their much-needed support.
The next round of funding will be open for applications from the 1st of July 2020 through to the 31st July 2020.
British Red Cross Launches Hardship Fund
The British Red Cross are providing financial support to help the most vulnerable financially impacted by the covid-19 crisis. The British Red Cross Hardship Fund provides short term financial help for individuals who can’t afford essentials such as
- Food and toiletries
- Somewhere safe to sleep,
- Access to a telephone and the internet
- Fuel to keep the lights on, cook or stay warm
The fund aims to help people who can’t afford the essentials because they have:
- No income or welfare support
- Delays to accessing income or welfare support
The money will be delivered on a pre-paid card by either a one-off payment of £120 or a three-month grant of £360 which will be paid in three monthly instalments of £120. Families with children or other dependents can receive up to three grants, for a total of £1,080 over the three months.
The British Reds Cross will be working with statutory and voluntary partner organisations to ensure we are helping the people in greatest need but will only accept referrals from official Referral Partners who are registered with the Hardship Fund.
Grants of up to £1,000 Available for Projects that Improve the Wellbeing of Children
Grants of up to £1,000 are available to registered charities and non-profit organisations who work to improve the education and physical and emotional wellbeing of children.
Applicants applying for funding may focus on one or more of these areas:
- Living in Poverty
- Physical & Mental Health Problems
- Health & Wellbeing
- Living with Disability
Examples of grants awarded in the past include:
- £500 Clydesdale Hockey Club – for coaching and equipment costs for primary school hockey competitions in Greater Glasgow
- £1,000 Shadwell Community Project – to develop its outdoor play space which is used by children and young people from deprived areas in the local community
The next closing date for applications is 5pm on the 17th November 2020.
For any questions about the application, or problems with the form, please email grants@dmtfyp.org or phone 020 7605 767