UKSPF/REPF Community Grants

Herefordshire Council recognises the important and valuable contribution that our vibrant Community and Voluntary sector makes to the lives of residents across the county. This Community Grant Fund aims to build on this to deliver the aims and objectives of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund.

Through the Funds, we want to enable community and voluntary groups to access funding for projects that they can demonstrate will make a difference in their local neighbourhoods.

Priorities of the fund

We have purposefully kept the criteria for this grant scheme wide to allow the community to develop creative projects that meet local need, but they must contribute to the Community and Place theme set out in Herefordshire’s UKSPF Investment Plan and therefore, projects must be able to show how they will:

Be community-based
Improve your community
Improve people’s satisfaction with where they live
Increase the number of people engaging with community activity in your neighbourhood
Help improve the health and wellbeing of people living in your community
Help improve the quality of life of people affected by the cost of living crisis

Applications for the Community Capacity Building Grant are now open - applications close on 3 June.

Expressions of interest (EOI) are now open for the Community Infrastructure Grant - please submit ASAP - deadline for EOI is 3 June.

The Community Infrastructure Grant is a capital grant scheme that has been funded by the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF).

Capital grants are available for organisations for up to 80% of the total eligible project costs.

The maximum grant that can be applied for is £24,999
The minimum award is £10,000

20% match funding from a private source, such as the businesses own resources, is required.

What can the grant be used for?

Improvements to premises to enable local voluntary groups such as youth charities, carers groups or refugee support group
Accessibility improvements
New specialist equipment to enable more or different activity (eg. staging or sound/lighting equipment to support new arts activities)
EV charging points
Energy efficiency improvements (Insulation, replacement windows, doors etc. to improve energy efficiency of buildings, solar panels, heat pumps)
Building fabric upgrades (insulations, energy efficient lighting, draught-proofing)
Establish or enhance green spaces within communities that will encourage exercise, recreation and wellbeing
Welcome and work, for example café development or creating or improving meeting and workspace
Development of suitable space and equipment for community shops

Please note that this list is not exhaustive; we welcome applications from all kinds of projects that deliver tangible improvements to our local communities where people live, study and work.

Timeline

Grants are now open for applications
Please complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form as soon as possible - the deadline for EOI is 9am on 3rd June 2024
Your EOI will be reviewed and if it meets the initial eligibility criteria, we will invite you to submit a full application and supporting papers. This does not guarantee your project will be awarded any grant funding.
If you are invited to proceed, the full application and supporting papers must be returned by 9am on 1 July 2024
All projects should be completed at the latest by 28 February 2025

Please complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form ASAP. Deadline for EOI is 9am on 3rd June 2024.

complete the EOI form online

The Community Infrastructure Fund is open to community and Third Sector organisations that deliver locally within Herefordshire (which excludes Hereford city and Colwall) and engage local people in the design and development of services to meet their needs. These can be new or established services

Voluntary and community organisations
Constituted groups or clubs
Registered charities
Charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs)
Not-for-profit organisations
Community interest companies (CIC’s)
State and independent schools (as long as your project benefits and involves the community and does not deliver activities that are part of the standard curriculum)
Town and parish councils
Community benefit societies
Community Amateur Sports Clubs
Religious organisations – as long as the project or activity benefits the wider community and does not include religious content.

All applications will need to be able to demonstrate their organisational status and have a bank account in the same name.

Read the grant information and eligibility criteria in full on the Herefordshire Council website.

Before you make your application, please read the grant information on the Herefordshire Council website in full so that you understand what types of projects we are looking for, what the rules of the grants are, and what you will be expected to do if you are awarded funding.

For the Community Infrastructure Grant please complete and submit the Expression of Interest form before 9am on Monday 3rd June 2024.

If you would like to discuss your proposal before completing the form, please email ukspfcommunitygrants@herefordshire.gov.uk or Adrian Marshall on Adrian.Marshall2@herefordshire.gov.uk tel 01432 383150 or Vinia Abesamis vabesamis@herefordshire.gov.uk tel 01432 260625.

Applicants can apply for grants between £1,000 - £15,000 (regardless of the number of organisations collaborating on a project). Applications for revenue funding only.

What can the grant be used for?

Community support events and activities
Community engagement and outreach
Activities that support improved mental health and wellbeing
Venue hire costs for additional service provision
Transport costs to support community capability to attend an event or a specific service delivery
Marketing and promotion costs and campaigns that can demonstrate added value
Sector skills sharing and collaboration work
Your organisation's running costs
Volunteering and retention activities
Project staff costs

Please note that this list is not exhaustive; we welcome applications from all kinds of projects that deliver tangible improvements to our local communities where people live, study and work.

Timeline

Community grants open to applications 29 April 2024
Applications close at 9am 3 June 2024
Successful applicatns notified and sign Grant Funding Agreement - ideally within a month, depending on the level of applications
All projects must be completed and end of project reports submitted by 28 February 2025

This Fund is open to Community and Third Sector organisations that deliver locally within Herefordshire and which engage local people in the design and development of services to meet their needs. These can be new or established services

Principally this covers:

Charities, voluntary, community and not-for-profit organisations including Community Interest Organisations (CIOs) and social enterprises who are formally constituted/ incorporated groups i.e. registered with charity commission, companies house or have a constitution and bank account in the organisations name
State and independent schools (as long as your project benefits and involves the community and does not deliver activities that are part of the standard curriculum)
Town and parish councils

All applications will need to be able to demonstrate their organisational status and have a bank account in the same name.

It is essential that you read the Community Capacity Building Grant information leaflet in full so that you understand what types of projects we are looking for, what the criteria of the grants are, and what you will be expected to do if you are awarded funding.

Download an application form here

Please email the completed application form to UKSPFCommunityGrants@herefordshire.gov.uk clearly stating in the subject heading UKSPF Community Grant Scheme

If you need some help with developing your project ideas for the Community Capacity Building Fund you can contact the Talk Community Team by emailing TalkCommunityEnquiries@herefordshire.gov.uk and your local community development officer will be in touch to support you.