Funding Opportunities & Resources

Latest Funding Opportunities

Every month we will do our best to collate the latest funding opportunities. Don’t forget we are here to help, if you’d like our support on making an application or to speak to an officer about your ideas and other funding opportunities that may be available please do get in touch – communityresilience@coventry.gov.uk

7stars Foundation

Maximum Value £2,500

Application Deadline 5 February 2025

Tweed Family Charitable Foundation

Maximum Value £10,000 per annum up to 3 years

Application Deadline 14 February 2025

Objectives of Fund

The aim of the fund is to see young people develop their social and practical skills through mentoring, education and community activities.

Value Notes

It is likely that three grants will be awarded in 2025.

Grants of up to £10,000 per year for up to three years are available.

Match Funding Restrictions

The Trustees will award funding for up to 100% of the total cost of a proposal, however:

• Part-funding will be considered where the total cost is shared with one or more other funders.
• Applicants are encouraged to seek additional sources of funding.

Who Can Apply

Registered charities or not-for-profit enterprises with an annual turnover of less than £1 million will be considered.

Applicants must:

• Be based in England or Wales.
• Demonstrate that they make a difference to the life chances of young people under the age of 25.

The Trustees will give greater consideration towards applications that support socially disadvantaged youth of teenage years.

In practice, it is expected that the majority of organisations receiving support will have an annual income of less than £500,000.

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Individuals or organisations applying on behalf of individuals.
• Capital projects relating to building or refurbishment.
• Larger and National charities including local branches of national organisations.
• Statutory bodies, universities, colleges, schools, nurseries, playgroups or crèches.
• One-off events such as holidays, trips, festivals or concerts.
• Sports and leisure where there is not a strong social welfare focus.
• Retrospective costs.

Eligible Expenditure

Activities may be educational or vocational and should provide experiences that would otherwise be inaccessible to young people under the age of 25.

Initiatives which have a lasting impact will be given priority.

Projects should meet at least one of the following aims of the Foundation:

• Helping young people develop their skills, capacities and enabling them to participate in society and independent, mature and responsible adults.
• Advancing education.
• Relieving unemployment.
• Providing recreational and leisure time activity in the interests of social welfare with a view to improving conditions of life.

Grants must be used to cover costs that are directly connected to the funded activities.

How To Apply

This is annual grants programme which has a brief application window once a year.

Applications for 2025 grants are expected to open on 3 February 2025 and close on 14 February 2025.

There is a two-stage application process:

• The short online form is only visible when the Foundation is open for applications.
• Those who are successful will be invited to submit a detailed application form.

Contact Tweed Family Charitable Foundation for further information.

Useful links

Tweed Family Charitable Foundation

http://www.tweedfamilycharitablefoundation.org.uk/

Better Community Business Network Grant Initiative

Maximum Value £3,000

Application Deadline 16 February 2025

Objectives of Fund

Funding is intended to improve the quality of life and expectations of people and their communities, especially those who come from disadvantaged or socially deprived backgrounds.

Value Notes

Grants of up to £3,000 are available.

There is a total funding pot of £36,000 each year, with 12 grants awarded annually.

Who Can Apply

The following types of organisation may apply:

• Community, self-help or voluntary groups.
• Charities, including local branches of national charities.
• Organisations with charitable aims.

To be eligible, all organisations and community interest groups must:

• Be registered with a recognised governing body (such as the Charity Commission or Companies House) for a minimum of 18 months (they should have annual accounts available and submitted).

If selected for a grant award, applicants will also need to provide their organisation’s articles of association or constitution, demonstrating clear objectives related to community interest and improvements.

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Overseas projects.
• For-profit initiatives.
• Party political activity.
• Individual sponsorship.
• Travel and accommodation.
• Multiple applications: successful applicants may only apply once per year and unsuccessful applicants may apply in the next quarterly term.
• Retrospective funding.
• Part-funding of projects.
• Core/Running costs and expenses (on-going venue hire, staff cost and salary, bills, printing).
• Professional associations or training of professionals.
• Endowments, loans, deficits, general appeals.
• Organisations that do not have charitable aims (such as companies limited by shares and commercial companies).

Eligible Expenditure

Causes supported by the funders include, but are not limited to:

• Education
  1. Schools
  2. Extra-curricular clubs
• Health
  1. Hospitals
  2. Cancer research
  3. Healthy eating
  4. Mental health and wellbeing
• Ex-offenders
  1. Mentoring
  2. Rehabilitation
• Homelessness/Poverty
  1. Shelter projects
  2. Food banks
• Arts and Culture
  1. Sport activities
  2. Library funds
• Environment
  1. Natural disasters
  2. Regeneration projects
• Elderly
  1. Befriending
  2. Social clubs
• Disability
  1. Help lines
  2. Inclusion
• Social cohesion
  1. Committee programmes

How To Apply

Applications will be accepted from 2 December 2024 to the deadline of 16 February 2025.

Shortlisted applicants will be notified on 10 March 2025. Awards will be announced on 28 March 2025. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

The guidelines, grant eligibility quiz and application form can be found on the BCBN website.

The application form must be downloaded, completed and submitted by email to BCBN before the deadline in order to be considered.

Contact Better Community Business Network for more information.

Useful links

Better Community Business Network Grant Initiative
http://bcbn.org.uk/grant-initiative/

Audible - Future Stories Fund

Maximum Value £15,000

Application Deadline 23 February 2025

Objectives of Fund

This fund aims to help unlock the potential of underprivileged 16- to 25-year-olds from historically marginalised communities, more specifically young people whose exclusion has hurt their levels of literacy and aspiration.

The funding is for local organisations and projects in the West Midlands that engage with young people through storytelling, using the power of language to amplify their voices, share their stories and create a brighter future for them and the people around them. This means that eligible projects may involve reading, writing, podcasts, poetry, theatre, acting, playwriting, and anything else relating to literacy. These approaches are to be used to improve levels of literacy and/or aspiration, whether this is achieved through literacy skills development, networking opportunities, mentoring, confidence building, platform provision or anything else.

Who Can Apply

Local organisations at all stages and sizes that are working with historically marginalised 16-to-25-year-olds can apply, including:

• Registered charities.
• Charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs).
• Charitable companies.
• Community interest companies (CICs).
• Community benefit societies (CBS).
• Companies that are limited by guarantee with charitable status.
• Unincorporated/community groups.
• Industrial and provident societies.
• Charitable trusts.

Applicants must provide:

• Organisational details.
• Details of the project and cost breakdown.
• A copy of their constitution or governing document, safeguarding and EDI policies (if applicable).
• An organisational bank statement that shows experience in handling money (if available).

Support is available for organisations that do not currently have sufficient structures in place to receive funding.

Location

West Midlands

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• The continuation or expansion of a pre-existing project. Proposed projects must contain a new element.
• Projects that solely involve music, art, or dance, without an element of language and storytelling.

Eligible Expenditure

Funding is for projects and activities that fit the following criteria:

• Engage local 16-to-25-year-olds using some element of language and expression to improve literacy levels and/or broaden career aspirations.
• The project is new in some way, either entirely or having at least one new element, such as a new location, target audience, or approach.
• Engage either or both:
  1. Youth located in the top 20% index of multiple deprivation (IMD Decile one or two).
  2. Youth from historically marginalised communities.
• Proposed projects can start within six months of receiving a grant and can be delivered within one year of the date of receipt.
  

Eligible projects can involve reading, writing, podcasts, poetry, theatre, acting, playwriting, and anything related to language and expression.

Eligible costs include anything associated with project delivery, such as project costs, staff salaries, building expenses etc.

How To Apply

The 2025 application window is expected to open on 14 January and close on 23 February 2025.

Updated information for the 2025 round will be provided when it becomes available in early January 2025.

The 2025 guidance notes and an online application form will be available on the Audible website.

Useful links

Audible - Future Stories Fund
https://www.audible.co.uk/blog/introducing-the-future-stories-fund

The Hedley Foundation

Maximum Value £5,000

Application Deadline 26 February 2025

Objectives of Fund

The scheme is intended to support smaller charitable organisations undertaking projects for young people, the disabled, terminally ill patients and others in need. The main objective of the Trustees' grant-making is to improve lives and to lift people's aspirations.

Who Can Apply

Small to mid-sized UK registered charities that are based and working in the UK can apply.

Applicants may apply if they have not received a grant from the Foundation within the previous two years (or submitted an unsuccessful application within the last 12 months).

Restrictions

Funding is not available for the following:

• Individuals.
• Churches, cathedrals and museums.
• Exclusive charities that only help people from specific groupings.
• Core funding.
• General running costs.
• Salaries.
• Transport.
• Financial deficits.
• Building construction.
• Overseas projects.
• Groups which have received a previous grant from the Foundation within the last 18 months.

Eligible Expenditure

Projects costs are supported for activities involving:

• Disadvantaged young people.
• Those living with a physical or mental disability.
• The elderly and terminally ill.
• Other social welfare projects e.g. carers, homeless, ex-offenders.

How To Apply

Applications are considered at Trustee meetings which are held four times a year. Submissions should be received at least six weeks before the meeting.

Applicants are advised to check the website for deadline updates. The next closing dates for applications are:

• 26 February 2025 for the meeting in early April
• 4 June 2025 for the meeting in mid July
• 27 August for the meeting in early October

An application form can be downloaded from the Foundation's website. Additional information to be submitted includes:

• A copy of the most recent set of audited accounts.
• A breakdown of the costs demonstrating how the grant will be spent.
• The anticipated outcomes/impact and who/how many people will benefit.

Completed application forms should be sent by post or email (applications@hedleyfoundation.org.uk).

The Foundation receives more than 1,000 applications per year of which around 250 are successful.

Contact The Hedley Trust for further information.

Useful links

Hedley Foundation
https://www.hedleyfoundation.org.uk

Bailey Thomas Charitable Fund

Maximum Value Discretionary

Application Deadline 01 March 2025

Objectives of Fund

The Baily Thomas Charitable Fund describes people with learning disabilities as having three things:

• Global intellectual impairment (intelligence quotient less than 70)
• Need for support/help to fulfil ordinary daily activities
• Onset before the age of 18 years.

Learning disabilities may have a recognised cause, e.g. Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, but often the cause is not known.

Children, young people, and adults with learning disabilities often also have other physical and mental health conditions, disabilities, and/or impairments as well as having learning disabilities.

Value Notes

The Charity operates the following grant schemes:

• Small Grants: from £250 up to £9,000.
• General Grants: over £9,000.

Normally one-off grants are awarded but exceptionally a new project may be funded over two or three years, subject to satisfactory reports of progress.

Appeals received with funding requests of £10,000 and below will initially be considered under the Small Grants programme and will be referred to the next Main Grant Board Meeting.

Match Funding Restrictions

The amount of funding available depends on a number of factors including the purpose, the total funding requirement and the potential sources of other funds including, in some cases, matching funding.

Who Can Apply

Applications will only be considered from voluntary organisations which are registered charities or are associated with a registered charity. Exempt charities such as schools, Parent Teacher Associations and Industrial & Provident Societies can also apply.

Restrictions

The Charity does not usually fund the following:

• Community Interest Companies.
• Individuals.
• Hospices.
• Minibuses, except those for residential and/or day care services for the learning disabled.
• Advocacy Projects.
• Conductive Education projects.
• Arts and theatre projects.
• Swimming and hydro-therapy pools.
• Physical disabilities, unless accompanied by significant learning disabilities.
• Research into or care of people with mental illness, dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism nor ADHD, if they do not also have learning disabilities (intellectual disabilities).
• Acquired brain injury, unless the resulting learning disabilities occur early in the developmental period (ie birth, infancy or childhood), impacting on brain maturation and development and learning in childhood.
• Qualitative studies.
• University overheads.
• University Full Economic Costs.
• Open access publishing costs.
• Conference attendance.
• Anything considered to be statutory.

A second application from an organisation will not normally be considered for a period of at least two years after completion of an initial grant. If the previous application was unsuccessful, this period is one year. This does not apply to recipients of funding through the Research Grants Programme.

Eligible Expenditure

The main grants and small grants programmes provide funding to aid the care and relief of those affected by learning disability. The Charity will fund projects concerning children and adults with the conditions generally referred to as severe learning difficulties.

Funding is normally considered for capital and revenue costs and for both specific projects and for general running/core costs.

Some examples of the type of project that the Charity might fund are listed below:

• Capital building/renovation/refurbishment works for residential, nursing and respite care, and schools.
• Employment schemes, including woodwork, crafts, printing and horticulture.
• Play schemes and play therapy schemes.
• Day and social activities centres including building costs and running costs.
• Support for families, including respite schemes.
• Independent living schemes.
• Support in the community schemes.
• Snoezelen rooms.

Research grants are directed towards the initiation of research into learning disability with the intention that the research can progress to a point where it becomes eligible for support from other major funding bodies.

How To Apply

Small Grant applications are accepted at any time and will be considered monthly, or as demand decrees.

The annual deadlines for submitting a General Grant are:

• 1 March for consideration in June
• 1 August for consideration in November
• 1 December for consideration in March

Applicants should check the website as submission deadline dates may be subject to change.

Application forms are available to complete online at the Fund's website.

All applications to the fund will be subject to an independent review. Applications should be supported by two referees.

Contact Baily Thomas Charitable Fund for further information.

Useful links

Baily Thomas Charitable Fund
https://www.bailythomas.org.uk/

General Grants
https://www.bailythomas.org.uk/grants/general-programme/general-guidelines

Top Tips - Keep it simple!

Make your application as easy to read as possible - the people who are assessing your application may not have a lot of time or much knowledge of the work you do so being clear is key.

Avoid complicated wording or acronyms if funders understand what you are asking for and how you meet their criteria, they are much more likely to say yes to funding your activity.

Don't Forget

Don’t forget if you are just starting out our get started guides have a range of information including setting up a group writing a constitution and finding and applying for funding

More information about the team and what we can offer can be found on our web pages.

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