Funding Insight update 20.02.19

Blackburn with Darwen Open4Community

Community groups can now access potential grant funding opportunities through the free Blackburn with Darwen Open4Community online search tool.

Register and find out more

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

Next-generation digital healthcare

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, has up to £5 million to invest in projects through the digital health technology catalyst – a programme that aims to accelerate the development of digital health innovations.

The competition is for collaborative research and development projects that span a variety of technologies, markets and healthcare needs and demonstrate the potential for significant innovation.

Projects must either improve health and wellbeing, transform care to improve quality or control costs and enable change. The technologies used could include:

• Virtual and augmented reality
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning
• The Internet of Things
• Data analytics and security

Ideas could be for use in a clinical or non-clinical setting. This could include digital technologies to:

• Support clinical decision-making
• Improve access to healthcare, support treatment compliance or patient-led management
• Improve the patient experience from disease prevention through to diagnosis, treatment, recovery and long-term care
• Overcome privacy challenges with managing, sharing and exploiting data
• Create significant improvements in quality, speed, costs and outcomes

Eligible applicants will be UK-based small or medium-sized business (SME) working alone or in collaboration with others, including other businesses, NHS organisations, universities, research and technology organisations, public sector organisations or charities.

Total project costs can be between £300,000 and £1 million with up to 70% of the costs awarded as a grant. Projects can last up to 18 months, must start by 1st October 2019 and be completed by 1st March 2021.

Projects that have received funding can be viewed here. The deadline for applications is midday on 10th April 2019.

Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website

Involving people in health research and innovation

The Wellcome Foundation’s Public Engagement Fund is open to commercial and not-for-profit organisations and individuals working in the arts, culture, entertainment media, heritage, leisure, education, research, informal learning or other fields for projects that focus on health (even where this is not the main focus or core activity of the applicant). The Foundation seeks creative ideas about how to engage the public in health research that focus on people, helping everyone play their own role in improving health. Work which promotes diversity and inclusion and engages people and communities who are affected by social and economic disadvantage is particularly welcomed.

Funded projects will offer creative approaches to engage the public by:

• Empowering people
• Improving health research
• Helping people to value and think critically about science, health research, innovation and the role these play in society

Projects funded will be innovative or a new way of working; a development of an already successful activity that can be scaled up, made sustainable and cost-effective; or an existing activity that can be replicated with a new audience, e.g. a different demographic or location.

Grants of £25,000 to £3 million are awarded to projects taking place in the UK, Republic of Ireland or low and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific region for work lasting up to 3 years.

Applications for grants under £250,000 are considered through a single stage application process four times a year – the next deadline is 5pm on the 26th March 2019.

Grants over £250,000 are considered throughout the year following the submission of an expression of interest – apply at any time.

Previous projects supported include:

• Camden People’s Theatre which received a grant of £20,000 for its production “Fog Everywhere”. This is collaboration between Camden People’s Theatre (CPT), King’s College London’s Lung Biology Group and a group of young people based in Camden looking at the impact of air pollution in the capital, explored through a playful folk history of the London fog.
• The Infers Group received a grant of £100,000 for its Arting health for impact project which explores the potential of using street art and collaborative design to engage the public on science and health in Botswana, India and South Africa. The project plans to forge collaborations between biomedical researchers, street artists and community members so they can interact with each other and create culturally-relevant and sensitive art installations in each of these countries.

Further information can be found on the Wellcome website

Grants for UK/Canadian business partnerships

The UK and Canada are running a joint grant funding competition under the EUREKA framework that will support collaborative research and development (CR&D) projects. The aim is to support projects that will result in a new product, industrial process or service.

Projects supported will be innovative, involve a technological risk and target large global markets and focus on one of two themes: Enabling technologies OR Enhanced productivity. Proposals must demonstrate:

• Clear game-changing innovative ideas leading to new products, processes or services
• Strong and deliverable business plans that addresses market potential and needs
• A team, business arrangement or working structure with the necessary skills and experience to run the project successfully and complete on time
• Awareness of the main risks the project will face
• Sound, practical financial plans and timelines and good value for money
• A clear, evidence-based plan to deliver economic impact and return on investment
• Considerable potential to positively impact both the UK and the Canadian economy and the benefit to participants from the 2 countries working together

Proposals are welcomed from advanced manufacturing businesses, food and drink processers, and automation and artificial intelligence (AI) innovators, including those applying ‘AI for design’ techniques.

UK applicants submitting UK-led projects are eligible for a maximum grant of up to £200,000 where the eligible project costs are up to £1 million. The deadline for registration is at midday on the 2nd May 2019 and the competition closes at 5pm (GMT) on the 9th May 2019.

Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website

Strategic College Improvement Fund

The Strategic College Improvement Fund (SCIF) has re-opened for its final funding round.  The SCIF will support colleges to deliver better outcomes for learners, employers and local communities through partnership working with stronger ‘partnering’ colleges.

FE colleges and sixth-form colleges graded ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ at their most recent Ofsted inspection or recently merged colleges as ’new providers’ that have yet to be graded, are eligible to apply. Applicant colleges must also demonstrate that they have identified quality improvement need and that they have the capacity and a suitable approach for addressing that need.

SCIF grants of £80,000 and £200,000 will be awarded to colleges working with a partner college to undertake the programme of work outlined in the application. Applicant colleges are required to contribute at least 25% of the total costs of the improvement programme; partner colleges must also account for at least 25% of the total costs of the programme of work. An additional 10% of the total costs may fund targeted improvement activities that benefit the partner college. Some exceptions may be made to the match funding required with assessment based on the financial health of the applicant college. More information is available here.

The funding can cover a wide variety of activities that may include but is not limited to:

• Coaching of managers and other staff to improve their performance
• Instructional programmes to enhance staff skills to support teaching, learning and assessment
• More effective use of data to improve student performance
• Improved support to students, including better control over student attendance
• Enhanced design of the curriculum
• Strengthened relationships with employers (for example, via enhanced work-based learning)
• Monitoring and evaluation of the results of the programme of work

The application window for Stage One applications to the third and final round of SCIF is open until Friday 8th March 2019. Following assessment successful colleges will be offered support to continue to Stage Two.

Colleges wishing to apply for SCIF need to complete the attached stage 1 application and submit it to: strategiccollege.improvementfund@education.gov.uk with the title ‘SCIF stage 1 application’.

Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website

Funding opportunities between £25,000 and £100,000

Funding to help isolated and marginalised women return to work

Round 3 of the UK Government’s Returners Fund has re-opened for applications. The fund will distribute up to £500,000 to support an anticipated 5 -7 organisations in running projects aimed at women returners to the labour market from groups facing the greatest disadvantage. Projects are expected to create new job opportunities within the private sector that could not otherwise be established by the market and;

• Address specific barriers for returners that can be replicated at scale;
• Demonstrate self-sustainability beyond the initial funding period of the grant; and
• Develop an understanding of how best to support a) returners to gain paid employment and b) employers to recruit and support returners.

Under this round the Government Equalities Office is looking to support potential returners – especially women – who face persistent barriers to returning to work, for example people who:

• Speak little to no English
• Are homeless or at risk of homelessness
• Have no recourse to public funds due to their immigration status, but who have the right to work
• With substance abuse support needs
• With mental or physical health issues
• Are victims of domestic abuse
• Are ex-offenders
• Are in challenging economic circumstances
• Experience multiple barriers due to their gender and their faith, sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Grants of up to £100,000 are available with the majority of awards expected to be between £50,000 and £100,000 and will cover the start-up costs of new projects, training, and related support for Returners. Most of the grant recipients will be voluntary and community sector organisations and social enterprises.

The deadline for return of full applications is the 8th March 2019.

Further information can be found on the Returners Fund website

The Transforming Construction Network Plus (N+) – Round 1 call for small projects

The Transforming Construction Network Plus (N+) is funded by the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to bring together experts from a range of disciplines with industry and policy makers to tackle the most pressing problems in construction, manufacturing, digital and energy to transform the way we build. ESRC are working alongside EPSRC and Innovate UK to support the Network Plus.

The aim of the N+ is to provoke, enable and amplify innovation, through four main objectives:

• Knowledge: To inform new research and development (R&D) models and government policy that link digital, construction, manufacturing and energy to improve productivity.
• Community building: To advance collaborations through knowledge exchange and debate, beyond what is currently possible.
• Business models: To produce user-informed, practical resources that accelerate pathways to manufacture and delivery.
• Investment and legacy: To de-risk and increase construction sector business R&D spend and enable new R&D collaborations to outlive the grant.

This call will fund projects up to £100,000 with grants representing up to 80% of full project costs. Projects will be led by an academic researcher, but industrial participation is strongly encouraged.

A number of workshops are being held to supply more information about the funding call, stimulate ideas, develop collaborative relationships, and to answer questions about applying for N+ project funding.

This first round of funding calls for Small Projects will close at 16:00 on Friday 29th March 2019.

Further information can be found on the UCL website

Investment to help small businesses grow

The UK Government’s Business Basics Fund aims to help SMEs adopt proven technologies to help them to become more productive and successful.

Grants of up to £60,000 from a total pot of £2 million are available under two competitions for either:

• Proof of concept projects; or
• Trials that are either led by a business or by another type of organisation that is not a business.

Projects across all opportunities should look at how SMEs can become more productive by adopting tried-and tested technologies, such as accountancy, CRM, HR and payment systems; adopting modern business practices; or improving the use of technologies and practices already active within the business.

UK-based businesses of any size, public sector, university or research and technology organisations, charities and not-for-profit companies are eligible to lead a project.

Projects must start by 1st September 2019 and can last up to 12 months.

There will be a webinar briefing on 7th March 2019 for applicants to find out more about the competition, and an online evaluation masterclass on 5th March 2019 to help assess and analyse the results of a project. The deadline for applications is at midday on 17th April 2019.

Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website

Funding to use digital technology for vocational training

The UFI Charitable Trust (Ufi), which aims to help improve vocational skills in the UK’s workforce, has announced that the next funding round under its VocTech Seed opened on the 15th January 2019.

VocTech Seed is intended to support innovative and creative projects at a relatively early stage of development enabling new ideas to reach a point where they can demonstrate their potential to customers or funders and reach the market.

Grants of up to £50,000 for projects lasting up to 12 months are available for innovative ideas that use digital technology for vocational learning.

Eligible applicants include early stage businesses, smaller digital innovators and other organisations looking to test new digital approaches on a small scale. Charities, trade bodies, existing learning providers and employers can also apply. It is also suitable for digital innovators currently working in other markets who can see opportunities to adapt their approach to vocational learning. It may be particularly useful to Edtech businesses looking to expand their products and series to delivery to the Voctech market.

Ufi is particularly keen to support projects that:

• Will have long term impact on employers, communities of learners or sectors which cannot easily access current provision because of industry or market conditions, past learning history or other factors.
• Show the potential to have a real impact in the world of vocational learning, and to ultimately make a difference to how people learn and to the number of people gaining new skills.
• Offer high quality, innovative solutions that are flexible and adaptable to future change; are cost effective and could improve business efficiency.
• Improve outcomes for learners and improve the quality of vocational teaching and training.

Stage one of this two-stage application process has now closed. Stage 2 will open 11th March and close at 5pm on the 5th April 2019. Funding decisions are expected to be announced by the 31st May 2019.

Further information can be found on the UFI Charitable Trust website

Funding opportunities under £25,000

Funding to tackle isolation and health in sparsely populated areas

The Princes Countryside Fund’s Rural Four – Catalyst, Collaborate, Create and Champion – project is now open for applications.  This is a dedicated programme of support for community projects in isolated rural areas of England, Scotland and Wales that is funded by Players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Charities, Community Benefit Societies, Community Interest Companies, Companies limited by guarantee, not for profit organisations, social enterprises and unincorporated associations with proven success of the community working together and a governance structure in place are eligible to apply.

The Rural Four project aims to:

• Reinvigorate community networks by assisting with rebuilding community assets
• Improve the health and well-being of 200 socially isolated people through providing access to improved community assets and a network of support
• Create a lasting legacy of support and community spirit in the areas supported.

Grants will be awarded to projects with a particular focus on tackling isolation and improving the health and wellbeing of people living in sparsely populated areas.

Funding of up to £25,000 for up to 10 projects per year is available and applications are welcome at any time.

Previous grants have been awarded to:

• Crowle (Worcestershire) Community Shop – £29,750 towards the construction of a timber-clad building on the village hall site as a shop to be run entirely for the benefit of the local community.
• Bird in Bush, Elsdon, Northumberland National Park – £25,635 to support a major refurbishment of the kitchen, and improvements to the accommodation facilities. The pub will provide several services including meeting space, a micro library, parcel drop facility, board games club and a social club.

To find out more please contact Sophie Middleton on 020 7566 6615 or email

Further information can be found on the Princes Countryside Fund website

Funding to support community integration or local delivery of services to the armed forces

Under the Armed Forces Covenant Local Grants programme, grants of up to £20,000 are available for local projects that support community integration or local delivery of services to the Armed Forces community.

Community Integration projects: Creating strong local links between the armed forces community (current and former members of their armed forces and their families) and civilian communities. Projects supported will be able to clearly demonstrate how they will overcome barriers to better integration and improve perceptions, attitudes and understanding. For the project to be truly effective in achieving community integration there should be shared development, delivery and benefits for both communities.

Delivery of Local Services projects: Local projects which offer financial advice, housing, mental and physical health, employability or social support for serving armed forces personnel, veterans, and their families. Projects must be well connected, both to their beneficiaries and to other relevant organisations, and be able to demonstrate how the services they provide will be well-publicised, accessible and joined up.

Registered charities, local authorities, schools or other statutory organisations, Community Interest Companies or armed forces units are all eligible to apply.

Apply at any time up to the 2nd December 2019.

Previous projects funded include:

• Cornbank St James Primary School – £20,000 for a sports facility that will enable the children to come together and enjoy safe play of a multitude of sports. Through sport and games, social and communication skills are developed, this is key to Armed Forces Children entering a new school experience alongside others who have established relationships.
• Age UK, Portsmouth – £19,875 for Heroes at Home, designed to boost confidence and independence for older veterans; providing community support, information and advice for older veterans being discharged from Queen Alexandra Hospital.
• Army Welfare Service for Larkhill Community Hub Café, South West England – £12,000 to support the establishment of this community café that is coordinated by volunteers and supported by AWS Community Support.

Further information can be found on the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust website

Grants to support canoeing and inland waterway conservation

The main purpose of the Canoe Foundation is to “support all to enjoy and benefit from the experience of paddling on our water in a sustainable manner”. The Foundation does this through grant making that facilitates improvements to suitable landing and launching points and by promoting the conservation of inland waterways for the benefit of all sectors of the community.

The Foundation awards grants to projects that:

• Set up new or improved launching points in urban or rural locations or as part of a water trail, such as steps or pontoons. Linked promotion of access points including signage or maps to increase participation and use.
• Incorporate better accessibility or facilities at waterside locations which might improve the parking or changing aspects of a site.
• Improve the quality of the waterways and oceans through support, for example practical kits, for a clean-up or an improved natural habitat.

The Foundation invites applications for grants ranging from £2,000 to £20,000.

Applications are considered on a quarterly basis with the next deadline for applications being the 30th April 2019.

Further information can be found on the Canoe Foundation website

Grants available for projects that open employment opportunities for women on low incomes

Charities, social enterprises and other not-for-profit organisations can apply for grants of between £10,000 and £15,000 for projects which enable women on low incomes to access new skills, training, confidence building and employment opportunities.

This funding is available for existing projects that can identify and document good practice in achieving positive outcomes for women that can be replicated.

Although the funding is open to application from throughout the UK priority will be given to projects in:

• Greater Manchester
• Newcastle, Teesside and other parts of the North East
• Hull and Humberside
• Leeds and Bradford
• Sheffield
• Merseyside
• Rural communities in Kent, Cornwall, Cumbria, Dorset and Norfolk

The funding is being made available through the Smallwood Trust and the closing date for applications is 5pm on the 4th March 2019.

Please download the guidance and application form here.

Completed applications and supporting documents should be emailed to grants@smallwoodtrust.org.uk. For any questions on the application process or guidance notes please email emmacrump@smallwoodtrust.org.uk . The Smallwood Trust expects to announce successful applicants in May 2019.

Further information can be found on the Smallwood Trust website

Funding to support community businesses

A new funding programme has been launched that will provide community groups and organisations with grants of up to £15,000 to develop or start a new community business.  Over the next three years, the fund will give up to 150 community groups the early stage finance they need to carry out consultations with local people to develop a community business idea the community wants and needs and will also give them support and tools to start setting up their community businesses.

The Bright Ideas Fund is funded by Power to Change, the independent trust supporting community businesses in England, and delivered by Locality, the national network for community organisations, in partnership with Co-operatives UK, the Plunkett Foundation and Groundwork UK.

The fund will be open for applications from Tuesday 26th February 2019 until Tuesday 9th April 2019.  There will be further bidding rounds over the next three years.

• August – September 2019,
• February 2020 – April 2020,
• August – September 2020,
• February 2021 – March 2021.

Locality will be holding a webinar to help community groups and organisations understand what the Community Business Bright Ideas Fund is about and whether they can apply. The webinar will be held at 11am – 12pm on Wednesday 13 March 2019.

Further information can be found on the My Community website

Funding to projects that promote social justice, nonviolence and environmental sustainability

The next closing date for applications to the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation is midnight on the 13th September 2019.

Grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 are available to registered charities in the UK for projects that contribute to the development of a just society based on a commitment to non-violence and environmental sustainability.  Grants can be for up to three years.

The Foundation’s priority is to address systemic threats by seeking to change policy and attitudes at a national or European level. The Foundation also supports organisations or projects that are not UK registered charities if they can indicate a UK registered charity that is able to receive funds on their behalf.  Priority will be given to small, pioneering organisations.

Previous projects supported include:

• Conflicts Forum which received a grant of £24,000 over three years to promote understanding between the Western and Muslim worlds by challenging attitudes, values and ideologies that promote conflict.
• Airport Watch which received a grant of £15,000 over two years to educate UK policy-makers about the dangerously unsustainable growth and levels of air freight to the environment and communities, and the influences and interests that lie behind them.

Further information can be found on the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation website

Foyle Foundation schools library programme

State funded schools as well as dedicated schools that do not have or want to improve their libraries can apply for funding through the Foyle Foundation Schools Library Programme.  Priority will be given to primary schools and to funding library books. The Foundation will also consider contributions towards e-readers, library software, necessary IT equipment and specialist seating/desks.

Preference will be given to schools which can clearly demonstrate that their library can be maintained and renewed in the future. Applications can be made for grants of between £1,000 and £10,000.  Applications will be strengthened if the PTA/Friends group can support the project.

Past projects funded by the Foundation include:

• Milton School, Mexborough which received £20,000 towards improving and extending the learning facilities.
• Forest Fields Primary and Nursery School, Nottingham which received £10,000 towards a literacy project across a partnership of 13 primary schools in Nottingham to engage reluctant boy readers in year 3.

Applications can be submitted at any time.

Further information can be found on the Foyle Foundation Schools Library Programme website

Grants to support animal welfare charities

The objectives of the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust are to donate to UK registered charities whose purposes are to:

• Benefit or protect animals
• Relieve animals from suffering
• Conserve wild life
• Encourage the understanding of animals

Eligible applicant organisations will be a UK registered charity; have independently examined up to date annual accounts and an active re-homing and rehabilitation policy for animals taken into care.

Organisations involved with conservation of wildlife, the rescue, rehabilitation and (where possible) release of animals are also eligible to apply. The funding can be used for general running costs or capital purchases.

Donations usually range from £1,000 to £10,000. Smaller donations may be awarded between the meetings at the discretion of the Chairman and Administrator of the Trust. Larger donations have exceptionally been made. Repeat applications from charities are encouraged, when further financial support might be given if funds allow.

Examples of Charities supported. The next deadline to apply is the 1st May 2019.

Further information can be found on the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare website

Pink Ribbon foundation grants 2019

The Pink Ribbon Foundation has announced that it is currently accepting applications to its grant making programme.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available to UK charities:

• To relieve the needs of people who are suffering from, or have been affected by, breast cancer by providing, or assisting in the provision of, information, care or emotional, practical and financial support.
• To advance public education in the understanding of breast cancer, its early detection and treatment, in particular but not exclusively by commissioning, or conducting, research into the causes, detection and treatment of breast cancer and by disseminating the results of such research.

Higher grants may be awarded if the trustees feel there is a special reason to do so. Any charity working in the field of breast cancer can apply for a grant.

Applications from general cancer charities must demonstrate that the grants requested will be applied to benefit those affected by breast cancer. Where applications relate to general services, details must be given of how many (and what proportion) of the total number benefiting from the charity’s work are affected by breast cancer. The closing date for applications is the 31st May 2019.

Further information can be found on the Pink Ribbon Foundation website

Collaborative research and development grants for emerging artists

Help Musicians UK is looking for exciting collaborations that create work across art forms, creative sectors and other disciplines. Applications to the Fusion Fund must be music-focused and projects should include contributions from at least one non-music discipline for example storytellers, lighting designers, choreographers, technologists, scientists, gaming designers, theatre directors, visual artists etc. Applications that consider unusual and extraordinary spaces to show work to new audiences are also of interest.

There should be tangible results of the collaboration, such as a body of work created for an upcoming recording or a new performance. Overall, the project should push the boundaries of what the artist does as a music creator or performer, exploring or testing something that they are not currently able to achieve without support.

Grants of £2,000 to £5,000 can cover reasonable costs associated with the project including:

• Venue and rehearsal space costs
• Recording costs (live or documentation)
• Travel costs
• Access costs
• Accommodation costs
• Subsistence
• Fees for musicians, artists or collaborators time to allow for the project to happen

The fund is open to professional and emerging professional musicians of all genres and disciplines with an active career including: Solo instrumentalists, conductors, composers, vocalists, singer songwriters or multidisciplinary artists. Bands or ensembles with six members or less can also apply.

Applicants must be:

• Aged over 18 (no upper age limit)
• Based primarily in the UK and be eligible to work here
• Have been resident in the UK for at least three consecutive years
• In financial need and without significant backing

The Fund closes for application at 9am on the 11th March 2019.

Further information can be found on the Help Musicians UK website

Grants available to support the teaching of physics in primary and secondary schools

The Ogden Trust School Partnerships programme offers funding and support to groups of schools that are committed to enhancing physics teaching and learning. The programme aims are to:

• Support physics teaching – through subject specific CPD and supporting schools to improve retention.
• Support students to develop physics identity – through collaborative partnerships, enrichment and enhancement activities, working with families and career awareness.

For Secondary Schools this means:

Increasing the number of students taking physics at GSCE, A-level and at university, particularly for under-privileged and under-represented students.

Supporting for teachers of physics, particularly for those without a subject specialism and those teaching in state schools in remote rural areas, or areas of social deprivation.

A secondary partnership can apply for up to £3,000 per academic year for the first three years and £2,000 in the fourth year.

For Primary Schools this means:

• Raising the profile of science in the primary curriculum, with the emphasis on physical processes
• Enhancing teachers’ confidence in the planning, delivery and assessment of primary science (physical processes)
• Supporting science subject leaders in creating a sustainable network.

A primary partnership can apply for up to £2,500 per academic year for the first three years and £1,000 in the fourth year.

Schools Partnerships can apply for funding to support events, activities, trips and training, for example:

• Trips to local museums or places of interest
• Careers events
• Visits to lectures and universities
• Extra-curricular physics or astronomy clubs, physics fairs or competitions
• Shows and talks hosted at the school
• Family and community science days

In addition, primary schools can apply to have a Phiz Lab and secondary schools can apply for funding to support a visit to CERN.

Schools that want to set up a new school partnership will need to register for the Ogden Trust’s grant management system and complete the Expression of Interest form.  To be considered for the next academic year this will need to be completed before 1st March. Partnerships can be a mix of maintained schools, academies, free schools and independent schools.

Further information can be found on the Ogden Trust website

Funding for women’s and disability football teams

The Football Foundation has announced that its “Grow the Game” grant scheme has re-opened for applications until the 28th March 2019.

Through this funding round grants of up to £1,500 are available from organisations wishing to set up women and girls football teams and disability teams.

Applications are welcome from not for profit organisations that are planning to set up two new football teams over the next two years. To be eligible for funding organisations must have a signed constitution (with a dissolution clause), child protection policy, equal opportunities policy, bank statement and income/expenditure records. The type of activities that can be funded include (but are not limited to):

• Facility hire
• Referees fees
• CRB checks
• Affiliation fees
• League entry
• Promotion and publicity
• FA coaching courses
• Additional courses
• Football kit/equipment through a bespoke voucher

Organisations are able to receive a grant of £1,500 per new team created over two or three years with financial support being reduced in the second or third year of the project.

Prospective applicants should initially consult their County FA Development Manager and should apply for a grant by completing an online application form and submitting your supporting documents.

Further information can be found on the Football Foundation website

Grants for UK-German partnership visits

The Partnership Visit Fund supports new or on-going partnerships between UK and German schools by providing financial support of up to £1,000 for teachers’ visits to a partner school.

Teachers of primary and secondary schools can apply for a visit that revives an existing school partnership or develops a new one, or allows new teachers coming on board to familiarise themselves with the partner school. The focus of the visit must be on planning future activities between pupils, and developing an interactive project to take place within the year. Visits should not last longer than one week, the school must provide 25% of the required funding and a maximum of 3 teachers can be supported.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but the proposed visit must not start for at least 4 weeks after you submit your application.

Further information can be found on the UK-German Connection website

Society for Microbiology – Science education and outreach grants

The Society for Microbiology provides grants to support the teaching of microbiology.  The scheme is open to Full, Full Concessionary or Postgraduate Student Members; including those working in schools residing in the UK or Republic of Ireland to support relevant science teaching or promotion initiatives, or to support developments likely to lead to an improvement in the teaching of any aspect of microbiology. The maximum grant available is £1,000.

Activities funded can include:

• Talks, workshops, demonstrations, posters, leaflets, broadcasts, activities at science festivals and audio-visual or computer-based packages;
• Activities that take place as part of a National Science and Engineering Week event at the applicant’s place of work;
• Running a school or college-based science week activity (e.g. hands-on or programme of talks);
• Supporting microbiology activities in an out-of-school science club;
• Buying materials and equipment outside of normal department resources to support a microbiology activity (no more than £500 can be used toward large equipment such as microscopes and incubators);
• A class visit to a microbiology laboratory to carry out activities; and
• Organising a visit to or from a working microbiologist.

The deadline for applications is 1st April 2019.

Further information can be found on the Microbiology Society website

National Churches Foundation grant reopens for applications

The Foundation Grant Programme offers grants towards urgent maintenance works and small repairs identified as high priority within a recent Quinquennial Inspection or Survey Report. Grants can also fund small investigative works and surveys.

Grants of between £500 and £3,000 for up to 50% of project costs are available for projects costing no more than £10,000 in total.

Applications are accepted from listed and unlisted Christian places of worship, of any denomination, across the UK. The Trust particularly encourages applications from priority areas i.e. North East England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The next deadline will be 12th May 2019 for a decision in July 2019.

Further information can be found on the National Churches Trust website

Artistic career development grants

Emerging and professional musicians of all genres and disciplines can apply for grants of £500-£1500 to help them access opportunities that will allow them to focus on developing their artistic and professional development at a crucial point in their career.

The Transmission Fund is designed to help emerging and professional musicians of all genres and disciplines to build their careers by supporting the costs of formal and time limited training and mentoring opportunities. Eligible artists may for example be a solo instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, singer songwriter or a multidisciplinary artist. Bands or ensembles with 6 members or less can also be supported.

All artists supported must have an active career and be able to demonstrate the following:

• Exceptional ability within their discipline
• High quality musical output
• Regularly working (performances, commissions, releases) at a professional level (getting paid for your work)
• Achievement or the potential to achieve a national or international impact
• An impressive track record
• Demonstrates an entrepreneurial spirit and dedication toward their career

Group applicants must have 50% of their members meeting the criteria shown above and have been established and playing together regularly for at least 2 years.

Grants of £500 – £1500 are available and can support opportunities such as short courses, workshops, training and time limited periods of coaching with an expert in the artists chosen field both in the UK or internationally. Travel, accommodation and access costs can also be funded.

Eligible applicants will be:

• Aged over 21
• Based primarily in the UK and be eligible to work here
• Have been resident in the UK for at least 3 consecutive years
• In financial need and without significant backing

Applications open 29th January 2019 and close on Monday 4th March 2019.

Further information can be found on the Help Musicians UK website

Research small grants programme for hospices

The ‘Research Small Grants’ programme supports hospices to engage with, generate and lead the development of hospice and palliative care research. The programme is part of the Hospice UK Research Active Hospices action plan.

For the purpose of this grants programme, research is defined as a systematic activity that:

• Attempts to answer a clearly defined question
• Employs systematic and rigorous methods – including quantitative and/or qualitative paradigms
• Leads to generalisable and new knowledge.

Research Small Grants of up to £500 per study over the time line of the research are available for the following:

• Dissemination of knowledge through open access publications in a peer reviewed journal or proceedings
• Practical research analysis (e.g. computer assisted qualitative data analysis programmes and transcribing costs)
• Patient and public involvement forums or costs which are part of the research design.

The lead applicant must be employed by a full member of Hospice UK based in the UK, this can be an Adult or Children’s hospice.

Where a research study is a partnership between a number of organisations, one hospice must be the nominated lead in the grant application.

Please note that although you may apply for a maximum of £500 over the time line of the study, the actual amount awarded may be less and is at the discretion of Hospice UK.  This is an open call for the grant programme. Early application is recommended. Once the funding for this programme has been allocated the grants will cease to be available until such a time as additional funds have been raised.

Further information can be found on the Hospice UK website

Funding to help disabled candidates stand for elected office

The EnAble Fund for Elected Office is provided by the Government Equalities Office and is administered by Disability Rights UK. The Fund is intended to cover the additional financial costs associated with a disability or health condition that would otherwise prevent someone from seeking elected office. The overall aim of the Fund is to create a level playing field for disabled people and people with a long-term health condition – not to give anyone an unfair advantage.

The Fund can cover the cost of the reasonable adjustments required to enable someone to stand for elected office. This could include items such as BSL interpreters, Assistive Technology, a Personal Assistant to assist with specific tasks, or taxi fares where other modes of transport are not appropriate.

The EnAble Fund for Elected Office runs until May 2020 and is therefore primarily intended to support disabled people seeking election in the Local Elections in May 2019 and the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections in May 2020.

Applicants to the Fund must have:

• A physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
• A genuine intention to seek elected office, for an election that takes place during the timescale of the fund. These will include Local Government Elections in May 2019 and Police and Crime Commissioner Elections in May 2020.

To find out more about the Fund, how to apply and to discuss eligibility, please contact: Telephone: 0330 995 0400 and select Option 1. E-mail: enablefund@disabilityrightsuk.org

Further information can be found on the Disability Rights UK website

The Rank Foundation – Pebble Grants programme

UK registered charities and recognised churches which are raising money for capital projects (building work, refurbishment or the purchase of long-term equipment) or a one-off short-term activity (such as an annual respite break or holiday for disadvantaged young people) can apply for funding through the Rank Foundation – Pebble Grants programme.

To be eligible to apply the total project cost must be less than £1 million, the organisation must have an annual income of less than £500,000 and the organisation applying must already have raised a third of the total costs.

Applications can be submitted at any time and the Foundation is currently accepting applications for the May 2019 meeting of Trustees.

Further information can be found on the Rank Foundation website

Idlewild Trust announces next application deadline

The Idlewild Trust has announced that the next closing date for applications to its grant making programme is the 5th September 2019.

The Idlewild Trust is a grant making trust that supports charities concerned with improving opportunities for young professionals working in the arts, particularly at an early stage in their careers; and supporting the conservation of important works of art and objects that are being lost through the lack of funds to look after these works.

Further information can be found on the Idlewild Trust website

European democracy action grants

The European Cultural Foundation has issued a call for proposals for action grants to fund ideas, projects, and experiments that breathe new life into European democracy. Grants will fund creative, cultural actions prior, during and after the EU parliamentary elections (May 23-26) that can breathe life into Europe, and democracy at large.

Priority is given to proposals that are innovative and provocative ideas that:

• Are related to the European Parliamentary elections
• Are related to the theme Democracy Needs Imagination beyond the European Parliamentary elections
• Are innovative and provocative ideas that challenge the negative discourse and are able to become inspiring examples from the local to the European levels
• Involve a broad group of people (both in size and in diversity of backgrounds).

Organisations or individuals over 18 years can submit a proposal, as long as it has a clear cultural and European dimension and fits the above themes and urgency. There are three grant levels:

• Large grants of 30,000 – 50,000 euro are available for organisations only
• Medium grants of 15,000 – 30,000 euro
• Small grants of 5,000 – 15,000 euro

Grants can cover start-up funding, co-funding or filling a budgetary gap for activities ranging from HR costs, to material or travel costs where the project and budget is clear and concrete.

The call is ongoing with no deadlines and will run until the available resources have been awarded to the most inspiring and imaginative projects.

Further information can be found on the European Cultural Foundation website

This document is produced by Blackburn with Darwen Council

Tel: 01254 585825