January 2024 Funding News

Inclusive Communities

Up to £75,000

Deadline: 5pm 5th February

The Inclusive Communities Fund is set to ignite communities across the West Midlands to imagine, propose, and bring to life solutions that directly address the challenges in their neighbourhoods and local areas. This Fund is inspired by the momentum generated by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which provided support to community-based organisations across the West Midlands, enabling access to exciting opportunities and fresh funding streams.

The Fund aims to strengthen the achievements, prompted by the Games, offering community organisations access to new funding to make a difference for the people they work with. The Fund will serve as a catalyst to address inequalities, forging deeper connections between individuals and organisations to continue the legacy of the Games.

This Fund shares the four original core mission principles of the Commonwealth Games:

• Bringing people together

• Improving health and wellbeing

• Helping the region to grow

• Putting the region on the map

Grants will be available for works, activities and services that will contribute to the four core missions, and which fall within one or more of the following three themes:

• Physical activity and sport

• Mental health and well-being

• Arts, culture and creativity

• All grant thresholds open on 6th November 2023.

• Small Grants (up to £15,000) and Medium Grants (£15,000 to £75,000) will close 5pm 5th February 2024

Figure out which fund you'll apply for...(External link)

Maximum value: £7,500 - £25,000

Application deadline: 12 noon 09/02/2024

Grants are available for regionally based voluntary and public sector organisations to help reach adults who are without essential digital skills, primarily those who are aged 75+ and living in England, Scotland or Wales.

Grants of between £7,500 – £15,000 and £15,001 – £25,000 are available.

The funding is available to organisations that can help engage people and communities across Britain with information about how to get and use smart meters. Applications will be considered from regionally based organisations preferably with local networks that can deliver support to people in one of the target groups. This includes charities, housing associations and local authorities.

Projects need to address the fund’s objectives, which are to support those who might find it difficult to engage with the smart meter rollout.

This year, the funding is aimed at partners who can evidence reaching people with a number of these characteristics, including:

• Aged 75+.

• Have at least one disability or impairment (for example, but not limited to, relating to sensory, physical, mental health or learning/memory).

• From lower socioeconomic groups.

• Lower literacy.

The funding is for organisations who can deliver two types of activity:

• Direct activity: direct contact with people in the target audience, such as face-to-face events, advice or via telephone.

• Indirect activity: communication or marketing channels used to indirectly reach the target audience and convey information about smart meters, such as the use of advertising (for example, but not limited to, newsletters, posters, leaflets and radio advert

All projects must start by 1 April 2024 and finish by 4 December 2024.

An online drop-in Zoom session to answer questions about the application process or the proposed project will take place on 23 January 2024 (11:30am - 12:30pm). Registration is required (Meeting Registration - Zoom(External link))

Useful Links

NEA(External link)

Smart Energy GB in Communities Grants Programme 2024(External link)

Maximum value

£ 1,000

Application deadline

12/04/2024

Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations operating in an area of high deprivation to support delivery of their of football activities to engage with young people from underrepresented groups: women and girls, young people with disabilities, young people from racially diverse communities, young people from the LGBTQ+ community and young people from lower socio-economic groups.

The funding will ideally be spent within a six-month period.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Operate in an area of high deprivation and support the hardest to reach young people facing multiple disadvantage. Only organisations located in or supporting young people from IMD areas 1-3 are eligible to apply. (Please note that disability football applications from groups that sit outside of IMD areas 1-3 will be considered.)

• Be already delivering football activities to young people under the age of 25, or you are wanting to start with support from the Access grant.

• Be delivering services directly to beneficiaries from one or more of the priority groups as follows; women and girls, young people with disabilities, from racially diverse communities, from the LGBTQ+ community and from lower socio-economic groups.

The funding can be used for anything that will support delivery of football activities to under-represented groups such as:

• Venue hire including floodlights and heating.

• Coaching costs

• Volunteer expenses

• Equipment

• Kit

• Marketing and communications

• Training and qualifications

• Insurances and affiliation

How To Apply

There will be two funding rounds in 2024:

• Round one opens 12 February and closes 12 April 2024.

• Round two opens 15 July and closes 15 September 2024.

The FAQs, application guidance, and online application form can be found on the Sported website.

Groups who are not a Sported member or existing grantee will need to create an account to start their application.

Useful links

Barclays Community Football Fund(External link)

Sported - Barclays Community Football Fund(External link)

Maximum value

£ 2,000

Application deadline

-

Grants are available to local voluntary and community groups for energy efficiency projects in Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire.

The funding must be spent within one year.

Applications will be accepted from the following local organisations with an income of or less than £250,000 as shown in their most recent annual accounts:

• Registered charities

• Constituted community groups

• Companies limited by guarantee with charitable aims

• Community interest companies

• Co-operatives - registered community benefit societies and registered industrial and provident societies

• Social enterprises

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have a management committee/board of trustees/board of directors with at least three unrelated people as members, a list of those directors will be required showing who has bank authorisation.

• Have a written constitution/articles/set of rules.

• Have a copy of their most recent annual accounts or financial records showing their organisation's balance of funds, income and reserves.

• Have a bank account in the organisation's name with at least two unrelated signatories.

• Have a bank statement from the last three months.

• Have copies of their safeguarding policy (if working with children or vulnerable adults).

• Have an equal opportunities policy.

• Be able to provide quotes for capital items over £300.

The fund aims to:

• Support the development and installation of renewable energy projects.

• Encourage the sustainable use of energy and reductions in carbon emissions.

• Promote public awareness of environmental issues and support educational initiatives.

• Encourage the implementation of sustainable initiatives to community buildings.

Useful links

Heart of England Community Foundation - Funding(External link)

Community Energy Warwickshire Fund(External link)

Maximum value: £ 25,000 | Application deadline: 26/02/2024

The Talent Development Network is PRS Foundation's new approach to funding organisations, consolidating existing support into one holistic programme for organisations working at the frontline of talent development.

The programme offers:

• Up to three consecutive years of grant support providing organisations the opportunity to plan longer term initiatives.

• Between £10,000 and £25,000 each year to organisations to provide crucial, transformative, and impactful support to the UK's most talented music creators to develop their careers.

• Access to a network of pioneering talent development organisations across the UK where organisations can share and learn from each other.

Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations, with a track record of transformational talent development of at least 18 months, based in the UK with an eligible programme of activity. This includes:

• Talent development-specialist development organisations.

• Festivals.

• Venues.

• Promoters.

• Commissioning organisations.

• Orchestras and large ensembles (large performance groups would include orchestras, choirs, jazz bands or folk groups with 12 or more performers).

• Curators.

• Organisations that are limited by guarantee and/or a registered charity.

• CIC organisations.

• Collectives including creator-led collectives.

• Non-music organisations including local authorities, museums, etc where they are responsible for the management and delivery of music creator development-focused activities.

Useful links

PRS Foundation & Talent Development Network(External link)

Maximum value: £250 - £2,000

Application deadline: 31/03/2024

Grants are available to individuals and families across Great Britain to be used to help write off their energy debts.

The Trust currently offers two funds:

• Individuals and Families Fund

• British Gas Energy Support Fund

Both are intended to tackle fuel poverty by clearing the energy debts of struggling households and respond to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

It should be noted that the Trust does not award cash payments, and will instead credit the householder account.

Applicants must:

• Live in England, Scotland or Wales.

• Be a pre-payment meter customer.

• Not have received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust within the last two years.

• Be seeking a grant to clear an outstanding debt on a current or open gas, electricity or dual fuel energy account in their name or be a member of that household. The energy account must relate to a main residence.

• Have electric and/or gas debt.

• Be facing fuel poverty.

• Have received help from a money advice agency.

It is not a requirement to be a British Gas Customer, though the majority of the funding pot is set aside for customers.

Non-customers should check with their own provider first, as there may be funds available to support them.

Restrictions

The following energy suppliers all offer their own funds to their customers:

• Eon

• Eon Next

• EDF

• Scottish Power

• OVO

• Boost

• SSE

• Octopus

Customers with any of these suppliers should apply directly to them.

The Trust cannot make part payment toward an energy debt.

Useful links

https://britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/grants-available/(External link)