FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY PROJECTS
We appreciate that funding is often the key to delivering a project, whether for feasibility studies, detailed design or capital costs. We’re also well aware that funding opportunities are constantly changing so we aim to keep ourselves up to date. Here are some funding routes you might find interesting with links so you can read up on them too.
SHARED PROSPERITY FUND
North Yorkshire Council have launched their SPF Decarbonisation Programme, three programmes of support offering grants of up to £50,000 to both community groups and businesses to achieve their Net Zero goals.
They have three programmes launching in September 2023 for completion by the end of February 2025. These include:
1. Community Climate Action Programme - Support for voluntary or community organisations operating in North Yorkshire to develop and deliver climate action projects, including Decarbonisation plans
2. Business Sustainability Programme - Support for businesses with up to 250 employees, operating in North Yorkshire, to reduce energy bills, minimise carbon footprint and identify new opportunities from net zero, including Sustainability Audits
3. Elderly People Residential Homes Net Zero Audits - Support for Elderly People Residential Care Homes, with up to 250 employees, operating in North Yorkshire, to reduce energy bills, minimise carbon footprint and identify new opportunities from net zero, including Sustainability Audits.
For eligible organisations seeking funding for energy audits or capital works, this is a great opportunity. If you’ve got a fledgling project you’d like to progress - get in touch with the d3a Energy Team
YORK & NORTH YORKSHIRE NET ZERO FUND
The second round of the Energy Project Enabling Fund (EPEF) opens in Spring 2023.
The fund provides grants to eligible organisations looking to develop and deliver local energy projects for communal or public benefit.
Grants of £50,000 to £100,000 will be available to eligible organisations to deliver local energy projects.
Grants of £10,000 to £50,000 will also be available to eligible organisations to complete development works preparing local energy projects for delivery.
All successful projects must be completed, and funding drawn down, by the end of March 2024.
NATIONAL LOTTERY CLIMATE ACTION FUND
This funding aims to inspire and support communities across the UK to address the energy and climate crisis. The National Lottery are looking for projects that show how communities can address climate change while tackling the energy challenges through community-led climate action.
They want to fund projects that:
encourage communities to use energy in an environmentally friendly way
bring communities together so that they can explore ways to promote energy efficiency
enable communities to understand and engage with opportunities for clean energy generation, which do not use fossil fuels.
All projects should consider how everyone in the community can get involved with climate action.
Applications will be accepted from:
local partnerships
UK-wide partnerships
single voluntary or community organisations
NATIONAL LOTTERY COMMUNITY FUND
If you’re seeking funding for your community project, a good place to start is the National Lottery Community Fund. It distributes over £600m a year to communities across the UK. Groups can apply for funding under £10,000, or over £10,000, depending on what they want to do.
For funding over £10,000, voluntary or community groups can apply for the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund. This can help with the purchasing, refurbishing, or developing of land and buildings for your Community Centre.
d3associates have nurtured several projects with community groups from feasibility stage right through to design and build and these have been funded by the National Lottery. See our case studies for Burnhope Community Centre, Citizens House and Shotton Community Hub for the full story.
PUBLIC SECTOR DECARBONISATION SCHEME
Funding for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures.
With the target of Net Zero in mind, this scheme provides funds to those organisations that make a successful application. The grants the Scheme provides help pay for energy efficiency measures and reduction of CO2 emissions from heating and offers up to 100% of the cost of capital projects focused on decarbonising buildings.
There are specific funds to install environmentally friendly, low-carbon heat sources to enable ‘end-of-life’ fossil fuel systems such as gas boilers to be replaced. Additional energy efficiency measures for a ‘whole building’ approach to heat decarbonisation is also supported.
For help with expert assistance to apply for this fund see the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund below.
PUBLIC SECTOR LOW CARBON SKILLS FUND
The application process for these funds can be rather complex and therefore The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy offers additional funding in the form of the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund (LCSF). This enables applicants to pay for experts to assist with the application and provide project support when needed.
The d3associates energy team can assist in all these areas to help your organisation achieve their Net Zero targets.
CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS
The Garfield Weston Foundation This is a family-founded, charitable grant-making foundation, which supports a wide range of causes across the UK, donating over £80 million annually. The Foundation aims to be responsive to where need is greatest and therefore supports a wide range of charitable activity in the following categories:
Arts | Education | Youth | Health | Museums & Heritage | Community | Environment | Faith | Welfare
Bernard Sunley Foundation This is a family grant making foundation which supports charities in England and Wales working to raise the quality of life and provide greater opportunities for the young, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged. Each year they give just over £3.5 million to capital projects that deliver a real community focus or provide facilities to support those in need.