Community grant funding

Applicants

The application must be completed by the requesting organisation.

The following are eligible to apply for funding; Parish councils, charities, community and voluntary groups, clubs, individuals and not for profit organisations. School PTAs, Friends of groups and health charities can also apply.

Profit organisations or religious bodies are not eligible to apply.

Criteria

Applications for revenue and capital funding will be considered.

We invite applications which can demonstrate that funding will be used to support one or more of these priorities:  

• the project should generally be in line with the councils stated aims, objectives and policies
• supporting the development of the Voluntary and Community Sector
• support volunteering, community involvement, neighbourhood and community led activities;
• enable voluntary youth action and the development of services for young people including equipment
• supporting beneficiaries from one or more protected characteristics groups
• prevent homelessness, improve social mobility and tackle inequality; and promote social inclusion and community resilience
• improve the health and wellbeing of all people in North Northamptonshire and reduce health inequalities by enabling people to help themselves
• the protection and enhancement of the environment
• projects that help to sustain Community Halls that benefit local people and the local community
• community based projects such as community events, fayres and carnivals
• environmental improvements
• Health and Safety improvements

Guidance for applicants

Organisations are required to declare 12 months unrestricted funds and if these are held, a valid explanation is required.

For the financial period 2023 to 2024, grants distributed will be up to a maximum of £5,000. Any applications received over £5,000 will be rejected.

What can be funded:

• core running costs (heat and light, insurance rent or premises costs, office costs, etc) programme or activity costs which are directly relevant to the application projects or activities that support positive climate and/or environmental sustainability travel and transport costs associated with events in Northamptonshire travel and transport relating to the activity in the application, either in North Northamptonshire or within 60 miles of the applicant’s main address hire or purchase of equipment for meeting project needs, including sports equipment venue hire (excluding hire of group’s own premises) relating to the application technical assistance (where third-party support is required to meet the project outcomes) festivals and events within North Northamptonshire capital costs publicity, marketing but not political lobbying volunteer expenses, including volunteer training costs

What cannot be funded:

• projects based and or delivered outside of the North Northamptonshire council boundary activities which are discriminatory, political, or are classed as religious conversion where there is statutory funding provision available costs that can be claimed back from elsewhere eg VAT costs that are not auditable eg cash payments unsupported by an approved financial system costs towards banking charges or repayment of debt payments made to individual members of the applicant group or organisation who have a personal financial interest retrospective costs eg activities completed, or costs incurred before the agreement of funding programmes or activities which are considered the core activity of national or regional government, Government Departments, or arms-length body, such as health or education gifts and prizes alcohol employee salaries, including on-costs political lobbying staff training or facilitation costs work facilities that are/should be subject to an insurance claim Projects or activities previously or currently funded by other NNC grants

The following conditions apply for successful applicants:

• Funding awards are paid upon receipt of a signed grant agreement. Your organisation will need to comply in accordance with the provisions of and principles of the Data Protection Act 2018. This grant is not transferable between projects/organisations. A grant is awarded on the basis of information provided in the application. Should this information be found to be misleading or in the event that the supported project is cancelled, the council will be entitled to be repaid the grant monies. Applications must be for a non-profit making purpose. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure they have all relevant consents and permissions in place (i.e. planning permission, DBS checks, and licenses). A grant award does not give permission to proceed with any work without the correct statutory authorisation. Applicants cannot apply for additional funding towards existing projects or activities previously grant funded by the council. Successful grants awarded must be spent within twelve months of the award and must meet/comply to the grant arrangements. Successful grants awarded must comply with appropriate monitoring systems, including a final report and any relevant documentation such as receipts.