A grant programme that supports inspiring, locally-based, existing community-led businesses is due to re-open on Tuesday 11th September 2018.

The Warm Homes Fund is a £150 million fund funded by the National Grid and administered by Affordable Warmth Solutions (AWS). The fund aims to help make households warmer, healthier and cheaper to heat. Running over 3-years and providing capital funding for the installation of affordable heating solutions in fuel poor households who do not use mains gas as their primary heating fuel. This can include:

The Audience Fund offered by the British Film Institute (BFI) is designed to support a range of audience orientated activities such as film festivals, distribution releases, multiplatform distribution proposals, touring film programmes, large scale and ambitious film programmes. The objectives of the Fund are to:

The Ernest Cook Trust has announced that from 2019, its grant making will be concentrated on inspiring young people to achieve better educational and life outcomes by learning from the land. Projects that fall within the categories of arts, literacy and STEM remain welcome, but must demonstrate a clear link to learning from the land in their application.

Disadvantaged and under-represented communities that want to develop successful community businesses by issuing community shares, can apply for development grants of up to £10,000 and equity investments of up to £100,000. 

The funding is available to both new and existing community businesses.  The funding is however not suitable for newly formed community groups that are in the early stages of developing a community business proposal. 

The UK Government has announced a new £22 million fund to help tackle the construction skills shortage. The Construction Skills Fund will bring training to construction sites thus allowing learners to apply their knowledge in a real-world environment. The aim of the fund is to help meet the needs of employers while also supporting those who want to join the industry, particularly adult learners.

Marvellous Family Grants are awarded to families facing financial hardship whilst caring for a child with a serious illness. Grants of up to £1,000 can fund a variety of essential items and services including (but not limited to) specialist equipment, creative therapies, hospital travel expenses, everyday items to improve the child’s quality of life, attending medical/support group conference, social activities and memberships.

Comic Relief

 “Preventing Homelessness and Insecure Shelter”  -  Voscur offer

This new fund from Comic Relief aims to work with organisations who are driving programmes which aim to break the cycle of repeated homelessness and insecurity, and to support people to overcome the human cost and trauma of these experiences. 

Opening Date:

20th July 2018 , 9:00 am

Closing Date:

25th September 2018 , 2:00 pm

Maximum grant awarded: £5,000  (£1,000 minimum)

The #iwill grants programmes aims to raise the level and quality of youth social action, which has huge potential to create enjoyable opportunities and skills development for young people, benefitting local people and places.