Community, Heritage, Social Enterprise and Charity Support

Sources of Funding and Finance

Asda Community Foundation
Funding is available for projects which aim to support the local and wider communities in which an Asda store is located. Eligibility must be checked via the community foundation website and then groups can approach their local Asda store to be put in touch with a community life champion. Some programmes also include applications from charities. Funding is available for Capital costs, building renovations, vehicles, equipment & tech purchases.

BBC Children in Need Grants
Organisations working with people aged 18 of under can apply for a range of grant funds from BBC Children in Need, to help with projects and activities designed to improve the lives of children and young people. Full details of the grant process and eligibility for each of the funds are on the website, along with a handy A-Z of guidance, FAQs and 10 steps to a strong application, to help you learn about what they are looking for before you apply. Open to trading, not-for-profit organisations registered with Companies House, including charities.

Aviva Community Fund
Aviva Community Fund Offers support and funding to inspirational local projects in your community. The Aviva Community Fund requires that you submit a short entry form on your project and then you are able to promote your project to friends, family etc to attract voters for your project which will ultimately decide if you receive funding support. Charities are also eligible to apply.

Growth Impact Fund
Funding for social investment is available of £50,000 - £1,500,000 to organisations in their early stages, looking to grow, welcome more diversity in their business, and tackle inequality and disadvantaged people in the UK through the products or services they provide, or the individuals they employ.

They offer equity-based, repayment-based, and revenue-share-based options. To maximise their support, up to £15,000 of grant funding is provided to your organisation first, to help you with the costs of going through the investment process, and up to a £20,000 additional grant alongside your chosen investment route to help with growth. Applicants will have 1 to 1 support before and throughout your investment journey, as well as access to templates and resources and professional networking opportunities. Open to Ltd companies or registered charities looking to grow, who are already trading.

Awards for All (Big Lottery)
Is your community project looking for funding? Awards for All funds from the National Lottery offer a wide range of community projects aimed at developing skills, improving health, revitalising the local environment and enabling people to become more active citizens. Grants are offered between £300 and £20,000. Charities are also eligible to apply.

Community Shares Booster Programme
Funded by Power to Change, Access the Foundation for Social Investment and the Architectural Heritage Fund, the programme seeks to provide match-funding for new community groups and charitable organisations. There are priorities for under-represented communities and projects that seek to address climate change issues and digital inclusion. On offer are:
Development grants – averaging £5,000, to prepare a community share offer: financial planning, governance support, marketing costs, and being awarded the Community Shares Standard Mark.
Equity match investment – typically matching pound-for-pound £20,000 to £50,000 invested by the Booster Fund, providing the minimum share offer target is achieved.
Subscription underwriting - an interest-free loan over 12 months to enable people to buy shares in the organisation.
Loan Finance - from partner organisations such as Co-operative and Community Finance (CCF).

You can express interest by completing the online form, or access the recorded webinar and further information on the website to find out more about the programme and full eligibility before applying.

National Lottery Community Funds
The National Lottery Community Fund offers a number of different funding opportunities for community projects across the UK ranging from £300 up to £57million. Charities are also eligible to apply for most funds. Check the website for the current programmes available:

National Lottery Heritage Funds
The National Lottery Heritage Fund offers a number of different funding opportunities for heritage projects across the UK ranging from £10,000 up to several million pounds. Charities are also eligible to apply.
Their funds are set to continue in the years to come, and they have set out their strategy here.
Check the website for the current programmes available:

Heritage Enterprise Programme
For projects that seek to achieve economic growth by investing in heritage. It is primarily for enterprising community organisations and partnerships between commercial organisations and community organisations, to help them rescue neglected historic buildings and sites and return them to a viable productive use. Charities are also eligible to apply.

Sport England - Movement Fund
Sport England is the government agency responsible for building the foundations of sporting success, by creating a community sports system of clubs, coaches, facilities, and volunteers. Its purpose is to increase the number of people doing sport and activity – no matter what their background, ability or age – and they do this through a range of programmes, including grant funding for businesses, communities, sporting clubs, etc.

The Movement Fund uses National Lottery funding to make crowdfunding pledges and grants of up to £15,000 to not-for-profit organisations helping more inactive and less active people become more active, particularly working with people located in areas of high deprivation.

Projects must have a focus on sports that are recognised by Sport England and be for new activities and new costs associated with helping more people to play sports. Funds are available for project costs such as minor facility alterations, facility hire, coaching, volunteer training, service alterations such as web-based classes, and the purchase of additional equipment.
Available to trading non-profit organisations. The grant does not fund individuals, sole traders or partnerships, organisations not established in the UK, or organisations established to make a profit.

Wolfston Foundation - Funding for Places
Registered charities and local authorities can apply for capital grants towards projects working in the sectors of education, science & medicine, health & disability, heritage, humanities & the arts. The size of grants varies greatly across different categories. Organisations can check the usual grant range in the ‘Need to know section’ under the relevant category under Funding for Places for an idea of eligibility details and how much they could receive or contact the team for guidance.
There are two deadlines a year for first-stage applications. Check the website for current dates.

The Weavers Company Benevolent Fund
Grants are available for organisations making an impact through projects supporting ex-offenders into sustainable work, helping disadvantaged young people and socio-economically challenged groups such as immigrants. They will support pilot projects, continuation funding for established projects, innovative projects and emergency funding. Applications are especially welcomed from smaller charities, CIOs and in some circumstances CICs, who have ideas for bespoke projects either locally or nationally. Further guidance and details of how to apply are on the website. The committee meet to review applications in February, June and October of each year.

The Key Fund
Are you a social enterprise looking for funding? The key fund offers a range of mixed grants and loan programmes, from £5,000 up to £300,000, to community and social enterprises across the North of England and the Midlands. Charities are also eligible to apply.

Co-operative & Community Finance
Loans are available to co-operatives and social enterprises between £10,000 and £150,000 for a range of purposes including setting up a new co-op or community business, growing an existing community business, purchasing or improving a property and buying equipment. Finance is open to worker co-operatives, housing co-operatives, community businesses, employee-owned businesses, social enterprises and democratically-run charities. Charities are also eligible to apply, and further guidance with online form to register your interest are available on the website.

The Reach Fund
The Reach Fund is a grant programme that helps charities and social enterprises raise investment. Grants are available from £5,000 to £15,000. Any organisation can register and complete the diagnostic tool, but in order to apply for a grant they must have been in contact and approved by a designated "Access Point" (who are the funds approved social investor). Charities are also eligible to apply.

A list of the "Access Points" (which include Big Issue Invest, Social and Sustainable Capital, and UnLtd) can be found in the Access Point Directory.

Flexible Finance Fund
The Flexible Finance Fund is a partnership between Social Investment Business, The Ubele Initiative and Create Equity. It will be providing £4m of funding and support to 15-25 Black and Racially Minoritised charities and social enterprises in England with a material package of funding and support to help them to grow or take on assets and become more resilient.
Flexible Finance works by providing a flexible grant and support alongside a loan from the Recovery Loan Fund with the grant being up to 100% of the loan value (grant ranges from 50% to 100% of the loan value and is capped at a maximum of £200k) alongside direct support from Ubele or Create Equity through the funding application process. The loan alongside the grant can range from £50k to £1.5m and be repaid over 1 to 6 years. Charities are also eligible to apply.

Power To Change
Power To Change bring partners together to fund, grow and back community businesses using strategic funding, trusted partnerships, rigorous research, policy insight and networking. They provide support to community businesses by conducting research, influencing policy makers, investing in community businesses, offering peer-to-peer support and providing free digital tools. The website includes a handy guide on How to Start a Community Business.

They also offer a range of programmes and funding for community businesses such as:
- Community Shares Booster: A funding scheme offering grants averaging £5,000, equity match investment typically matching £1 for £1 up to £25,000 and share offers.
- Energy Resilience Fund: Loans of between £10,000 - £150,000 (with potential 40% as a grant) assisting community businesses in retrofitting their buildings with energy-saving measures.

Support is available to community businesses across England. Eligibility criteria for each individual programme listed above can be found by following the links to the specific webpages. Charities are also eligible to apply.

Allia
Grants of £10,000 to £25,000 and social loans of £10,000 to £75,000 are available to charities and social enterprises based in the East of England with a clear social mission. Having a particular focus on hard-to-reach areas and those less likely to have access to growth finance, they offer support for a range of business activity such as:
Marketing & sales activity
Equipment purchase
Developing new products
Delivering to large organisations
Entering new markets
Hiring new staff
Expanding operations
Applicants need to demonstrate they are financially stable with a realistic plan to invest in growth, development, or expansion. Organisations also need to have an experienced management team and demonstrate compliance with relevant legal, regulatory and governance requirements.

Resonance Social Impact Investment Funds
A range of financial support options for voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VSCEs) that require investment to grow and who are working with people to tackle a range of health and care issues. Programmes offered include property funds, community asset funds and enterprise growth funds. For example, their funds can support housing providers, charities or social enterprises that need additional residential property to support more people facing housing crisis, and purchase or build community-owned affordable homes, sports and leisure facilities and renewable energy initiatives. Make an enquiry to discuss the most appropriate options for your organisation or complete the online form. Charities are also eligible to apply.

David Solomons Charitable Trust
Small grants between £500 - £1,000 to registered charities focused on local projects around care and treatment of those with learning difficulties and research into learning disabilities. Charities are also eligible to apply.

The King Charles III Charitable Fund
Small grants of up to £5,000 for community-based non-profit organisations. Applications are invited for specific funding themes and sectors in three rounds each year: February, May and August. For further details of the current theme, visit the website.

Energy Resilience Fund
Charities and social enterprises in England, especially those based in disadvantaged areas, can apply for investment to make the transition to Net Zero and improve their energy efficiency.

Eligible organisations can apply for a blended funding package between £25,000 and £250,000 (loan 60% and grant 40%) to install energy-saving measures or energy generation technology to buildings or land (including new builds), and/or to purchase energy-efficient or environmentally friendly vehicles or equipment.

Examples include upgrading energy efficiency ratings to meet future regulations, increased use or comfort of buildings, replacing older vehicles and equipment with modern energy-efficient versions. Energy efficient lighting systems can be supported, insulation upgrades, glazing upgrades, small scale wind turbines, solar PV panel systems, battery storage systems, solar water heating systems, heat pumps and electric vehicles. The funds could also be used to pay for related costs including capital costs, labour costs, project management costs, revenue losses and contingency.
Support is open to trading charities and social enterprises, minimum of 2 years’ operating activity and over £100k turnover. Further details are available on the website.

Community Support Small Grants - Trusthouse Charitable Foundation

Grants between £2,000 and £10,000 are available to charities and not for profit organisations for core costs, salaries, running and project costs. Projects must have a focus on Community Support and address urban and rural deprivation in the UK. If you are located in a rural area, you must be in the bottom 50% most deprived areas according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation. Your group's annual income must not exceed £250,000 and you can secure 50% of the total project costs. Visit the website to check your eligibility and apply. This is a rolling programme with no deadlines.

https://www.trusthousecharitablefoundation.org.uk/our-grants/small-grants

Arts & Culture Finance

Part of Nesta, Arts & Culture Finance manage several social impact investment funds aimed at organisations in the arts and cultural sector on behalf of their funding partners. They aim to introduce arts and culture organisations to finance that supports creative ambition, resilience and doing good in society. You can look at their current range of funds on the website.
https://www.artsculturefinance.org/our-funds/

Community Energy England

Community Energy England is a membership organisation representing over 300 community energy and associated organisations involved in the delivery of community-based projects. They offer expertise, activities and membership, with links to a range of funding programmes from a wide range of sources and regions, for community organisations in England wanting to start a green energy project in their area. Examples include small-scale wind farms and rooftop solar partnerships, as well as battery storage, rural heat networks, electric vehicle charging points.

They do not get directly involved in developing community energy projects or technical advice, but they do recommend specialist consultants, installers, O&M providers and project developers on their website. Members also have access to an online discussion forum to share issues, ideas, and solve problems.

https://communityenergyengland.org/

Crowdfunder

A Crowdfunding site that allows community projects and charities with a platform to raise funds.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/

Funding search tools/resources for community and voluntary support

Community Foundations
Community foundations have 46 foundations across the UK and list potential funding opportunities in each area in which they have a foundation.
http://www.ukcommunityfoundations.org/our-network

Local Councils
It is worth contacting your local Council to see if they can offer community grants/funding support.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-funding-community-project

Kings Trust
The King Trust does not have funding for community projects but does have a dedicated page on its website providing signposting information on community-based funding.
https://www.kingstrust.org.uk/how-we-can-help/who-else/employment/grants-funding/community-projects

My Community Portal

The My Community website is the portal for community rights information and searching for grant funding. The website is supported by the Department for Communities, Housing and Local Government.

It aims to help established community run businesses (community pubs, shops or community centres) with valuable information about areas like governance, protecting community assets and understanding different types of funding and finance options for your organisation. It also has an Advice Community forum for asking questions of other registered forum members. Registration is free.

The forum can be accessed at https://mycommunity.org.uk

Below are some links to useful resources offered via the website:

A guide to legal structures can be found here.

Information on funding, raising finance and finding grants can be found here.

Help to understand Community Assets and Ownership can be found here.

Organising Voluntary Events, Procurement and Business Support

Voluntary events
You can find a guide for organising voluntary events (including details on planning, insurance, food and drink) here.

Procurement
Guide for voluntary, community, charity and social enterprise organisations on how to bid and win contracts with central Government, local authorities and/or other public sector buyers. It can be used by organisations considering either small scale or large-scale opportunities, offering tips on how to get ready to tender and what public sector buyers are looking for.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vcses-a-guide-to-working-with-government

Business Support
For an online portal for community rights and neighbourhood planning guidance, you can access My Community where you can find support via FAQs, resource articles and information on current funding programmes. There is also an online Advice Community Forum where you can ask a question to other members.

Legal Support for Community and Voluntary organisations

Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014
The CCBS Act replaces the ‘industrial and provident society’ legal form with two new legal forms. To find out more about the co-operative society community benefit society's Act then click here.

Law Works: Not for Profit Programme
This programme brokers free (pro bono) legal advice to small not-for-profit organisations on a wide range of legal issues including contracts, reviewing leases, updating articles/policies and clarifying rights in a commercial dispute. The advice is provided by volunteers but they cannot help organisations to choose a legal structure or to register with the Charities Commission.
https://www.lawworks.org.uk/legal-advice-not-profits
E-mail: [email protected]

Free Legal Support for Social Enterprises

Social enterprises can access up to 6 months of free and low-cost legal advice from trainee and junior lawyers through the Hogan Lovells HL BaSE Training programme. Successful applicants will be matched with a small team of lawyers to advise on their legal query. The programme runs annually, and social enterprises can either apply online or contact the team first with any questions.
Website: https://www.hoganlovellsbase.com/about/our-practice/base-training

Email: [email protected]

VCSE Contract Readiness Programme

Contract Readiness Courses

A free-to-access programme is available for voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs) in who want to supply government and public sector clients.

Delivered by the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE), Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) and Voice4Change England, it is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The support aims to help address some of the barriers that have prevented VCSEs from entering the public sector market. It will improve the skills and knowledge of VCSEs on how to bid for contracts in public sector supply chains.

Three types of online courses are available, designed for organisations at different stages of contract readiness. Businesses can choose the most suitable one for them here.

Eligibility: Charities and social enterprises with turnover above £100,000.

Public Services Hub

SEUK have developed a new Public Services Hub containing resources for VCSEs on how best to work with the public sector.

It includes guidance to improve awareness about the opportunities out there and programmes to help organisations become contract ready.

The Public Services Hub also offers materials for commissioners to help de-mystify the VCSE sector. These include written guides, links to courses and workshops, and information on some of the funding resources available to help VCSEs get to a stage where they can bid for public sector contracts.

VCSE Strength Checker

The National Lottery Community Fund are offering all VCSEs in the UK an opportunity to analyse their organisational strengths and positions and to identify areas that could be developed to improve organisational strength through this diagnostic tool, the VCSE Strengthchecker.

Website: https://vcsestrengthchecker.org.uk/about