July’s funding news

Deadline: 15th September 2024

Who can apply: Grants are awarded to not-for-profits, social enterprises, voluntary and faith organisations, alms-houses, hospices, residential homes for older people, children’s organisations and older people’s organisations.

Applications from national charities should be submitted by the local branch where appropriate.

Size of grant available: The amount of funding varies as follows:

• Alms-houses, hospices and residential homes for older people – the level of grant is at the Trust’s discretion.
• Children’s organisations – grants are normally between £200 and £1,000.
• Older people’s organisations – the level of grant is at the Trust’s discretion.
• Single older women living alone – may receive £260, twice yearly.
• Single mothers and fatherless children – the amount of funding is not specified.

Emergency Grants are available and applicants should contact the Charity for further information.

Priorities:  The Charity awards grants in the following categories:

• Alms-houses, hospices and residential homes for older people.
• Organisations for the benefit of children/young people (under 25 years of age).
• Organisations supporting older people.
• Single woman and mothers living alone, and fatherless children.

How to apply: There are two rounds of funding each year. The deadlines for applications each year are as follows:

• 15 March for consideration in spring.
• 15 September for consideration in autumn.

Applicants must register online with the Charity before applying for a grant. An application form is available to complete at the Charity’s website and the following information is required:

• The organisation’s aims and activities.
• How the last grant benefited the organisation (if applicable).
• Project details and how many people are expected to benefit.
• Costs of the project or work and the amount of any money raised so far.
• Details of how the project’s success will be measured.
• A copy of the organisation’s latest audited accounts.
• The organisation’s bank details.

Contact the Charity for further information.

Saintbury Trust

Deadline: 30th September 2024

Who can apply: Registered charities that are both based and operate (wholly or mainly) within the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and North Gloucestershire are eligible to apply.

To be eligible, charities must be:

• Within the counties of the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and North Gloucestershire.
• Within the following postcodes: B, CV, DY, GL, WR, WS and WV (see Trust’s eligibility criteria for specific eligible postcodes).
• Have at least four unconnected trustees.
• Be up to date with their Charity Commission filing obligations.
• Not be newly registered; the Trust requires that some history of the charity’s operation is publicly available before it will be considered.

Applicants are advised to check their location eligibility on the Trust’s website before applying.

Size of grant available: Funding is at the discretion of the Trustees. The majority of grants awarded are in the £1,000 to £5,000 range.

Larger grants tend to be awarded to charities that the trustees (or at least one of them) have special knowledge of or if they have particular interest in the charities’ work.

Priorities: The scheme is intended to support charities undertaking a wide range of activities taking in the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and North Gloucestershire. The Trustees have a particular interest in the arts, heritage, the environment and helping those with disabilities.

How to apply: The trustees meet twice a year to consider applications; the usual closing dates for applications for the spring and autumn meetings are 28 February and 30 September respectively.

Application forms are available to download from the Trust’s website. Applications should be submitted by email; the Trust no longer accepts postal applications.

Biffa Award Main Grants Scheme – Community Buildings

Who can apply: Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations in England and Northern Ireland.

To be eligible, organisations must:

• Be fully constituted, charitable or not for profit with no share capital.
• Be applying for a project site located within five miles of a significant Biffa operation or 10 miles of an active Biffa Landfill site.
• Be applying for a project site located within 10 miles of any licensed landfill site (not necessarily owned by Biffa Group Limited) in England and Northern Ireland.
• Have a project site open for a minimum of 104 days of full public access to the project per year.
• Own the project site or have signed a lease agreement with the landowner of more than 10 years.
• Be eligible for enrolment and registration with the scheme’s regulator ENTRUST.

Applications for projects in places of worship must be able to demonstrate a wider community use and benefit, such as youth groups, special interest groups, exercise groups etc.

Applications for projects in a sporting clubhouse should apply under the Recreation theme.

Applicants should check their project location’s eligibility using Biffa Awards Postcode Checker, which can be found on the Awards website.

Size of grant available: Grants of between £10,000 and £75,000 are available.

The total cost of the project must be less than £200,000, including VAT.

Priorities: The Biffa Award Community Buildings theme aims to improve buildings at the heart of their communities, such as village halls, community centres and church halls, which are within five miles of a significant Biffa Operation or within 10 miles of an active Biffa Landfill site with the aim of encouraging and enhancing community involvement.

How to apply: There is a two stage application process.

• The first stage is to submit an Expression of Interest which are accepted on a rolling basis. There are no deadlines for Expressions of Interest. Notification of decisions are usually within five days.
• The second stage is to submit a full application. This is by invitation only to those organisations with a successful Expression of Interest. This must be completed within six weeks of the invitation being made. Full applications are considered for times a year (in February, May, July and November). Applications will go to the next available meeting so there are no restrictions on when to apply. Groups may wait for up to six months to hear the outcome of their application.

Guidance notes, FAQs and the online form are available from the Biffa Award website.

Biffa Award will only accept a maximum of two full applications per financial year from any one organisation and only one application per organisation will be considered at any Board meeting.

Contact Biffa Award Team for further information.

Biffa Award Main Grants Scheme – Recreation

Who can apply: Fully constituted, charitable or not-for-profit organisations with share capital in England and Northern Ireland can apply.

Applicants must:

• Be eligible for enrolment and registration with the scheme’s regulator ENTRUST.
• Have a project site open for a minimum of 104 days of full public access to the project per year.
• Own the project site or have signed a lease agreement with the landowner of more than 10 years.

The project site must:

• Be within five miles of a significant Biffa Operation or within 10 miles if this is an active Biffa Landfill Site.
• Also be within 10 miles of any licenced landfill site in England and Northern Ireland.

Applicants should check their project location’s eligibility using Biffa Awards Postcode Checker, which can be found on the Biffa Award’s website.

Size of grant available: Grants of £10,000 to £75,000 are available.

The total cost of the project must be less than £200,000 including VAT.

Priorities: The Biffa Award Recreation theme provides grants to support projects that will benefit people within their free time who are living in communities within five miles of a significant Biffa Group Ltd operation or within 10 miles of an active Biffa Landfill site in England or Northern Ireland.

Priority is given to projects that demonstrate wider community benefit. It is expected that the building will be used by many groups, benefiting people of different ages and demographics.

How to apply: The guidance notes and FAQs can be found on the Biffa Award website.

There is a two-stage application process:

• An expression of interest form is available to complete online at the Biffa Award website. Expression of Interest are accepted at any time.
• Applicants who are successful at this initial stage will then be invited to submit a full application form.

The Trust meets four times a year to review applications – in February, May, July and November.

Contact Biffa Award for further information.

My Community Fund – West Midlands Police

Who can apply: Any constituted not-for-profit group including community groups, voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises
Size of grant available: Up to £5,000
Priorities: The Police and Crime Commissioner makes money available to support communities in the West Midlands who want to make “My Community” a safer place to live and work. The money for the fund comes from cash that police have seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act, and it will be prioritised for locality based projects, which aim to make a positive difference in dealing with crime prevention and reduction and show a clear link to the Police and Crime Plan. Projects should address part of the current Police and Crime Plan/ Policing Priorities / Future Police and Crime Plan
How to apply: The criteria and online application form are available at www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/preventing-crime/my-community-fund/. Applications are usually assessed in September or October.

B. National Funders