Community Grants

The Blaby District Council Community Grants scheme is open for 2022-23.

The scheme supports the local voluntary and community sector (VCS) to develop and strengthen community facilities and activities. We continue to offer six core grants to suit different project types:

• Capital Green Grants – up to £4000 (20% match funding required)
• Revenue Green Grants – up to £500
• Large Capital Grants - up to £4,000 (50% match funding required)
• Small Capital Grants - up to £500
• Revenue Grants - up to £500
• Everyone Active Grants - up to £500

Commonwealth Grant and new criteria During the first grant round of this year we are offering a one-off special Commonwealth Grant to celebrate the Commonwealth Games that are taking place in Birmingham this summer. We are looking to fund two projects up to £500 each that support the mission of this year’s Games to bring people together and improve health and wellbeing.

We know that some VCS organisations are still feeling the financial impacts of the pandemic. We also recognise that the current high energy and fuel costs will significantly affect both the running costs of some organisations as well as service users already on low incomes. With these factors in mind, we are applying some additional criteria for the first two rounds of this financial year. This includes offering increased flexibility with regard to costs that can be met through our Revenue Grants.

For full criteria of both the Commonwealth Grant and new criteria, please read the guidance notes available to download at the bottom of this webpage.

If you are intending to apply for any grant it is important that you read the main community grants scheme guidance notes to check your organisation’s eligibility, the overall priorities and process of assessing applications as well as the additional guidance notes and/or the Commonwealth Grant. All guidance notes are available to download at the bottom of this webpage before starting an application.

Grant deadlines:

Application deadlines for this year are 5pm on:

• 1 June 2022
• 7 September 2022
• 30 November 2022
• 1 March 2023

The grant panel usually meets two weeks after the grant deadline and applicants notified within a further week.

Who can apply?

Our grants scheme is open to applications from a range of VCS organisations:

• Community groups, youth clubs and sports clubs
• Registered Charities
• Social Enterprises (such as Community Interest Companies)
• Schools, Academies and PTA/fundraising groups for extra-curricular activities or projects only
• Religious or faith-based organisations for non-religious projects open to all irrespective of faith
• Parish and Town Councils

Organisations are expected to provide copies of the following to support their application:

• A governing document (for example, Constitution or Articles of Association)
• An equality policy/statement (if not included within the governing document)
• A child safeguarding policy and/or vulnerable adults policy (if applicable)
• A bank statement dated within three months showing the organisation’s name account details and balance. Bank accounts must require the signatures of at least two unrelated people
• The organisation’s most recent set of accounts
• Three quotes for any single items or works over the value of £1,000
• Evidence of any consents/permissions in order for the project to take place, for example, Planning Permission, Advertising Consent or Landowner Consent. These must be secured before the application is submitted
• Where the project involves alterations to land or buildings, the applicant must provide evidence of ownership or a written agreement/lease with at least five years remaining

We expect all grant recipients to comply with periodic checks and complete our monitoring form at the end of a project, including providing copies of invoices showing the expenditure on the project as well as any evidence of the intended outcomes being achieved. Our standard terms and conditions can be found in the main community grants scheme guidance notes.