Applications closed on 28 September 2026.

Many funders run the same grant every year, so check the funder’s site for a new round. The details below are what the funder published when it was open.

Oxford City Council

Oxford Community Impact Fund: Small Grants

Oxford City Council's Oxford Community Impact Fund (OCIF) offers Small Grants of up to £3,000 per round to not-for-profit organisations delivering activity in the city of Oxford. Grants can cover core, project or capital costs, and applications are scored on how they reduce inequalities in the city (60%) and on the additional funding or income the work attracts (40%). There are two Small Grant rounds a year; the round 2 pot for 2026-27 is £34,000.

Check the funder’s site

Open grants like this

Grants you can apply for now, for the same kind of work or place.

You could get: Up to £3,000
Deadline: Closed; the deadline has passed
Effort: Moderate; full application with documents

Who can apply

Not-for-profit organisations
They must have a governing document, a bank account needing at least two signatories to approve spending, be financially viable, have a track record of delivering activities related to what they want funding for, and deliver the funded activity in Oxford (city council boundary map)
Eligible types: registered charities; voluntary or community organisations (with a two-signatory bank account and normally a governing document such as a constitution); CICs; CIOs; faith organisations (church, mosque, temple, synagogue); schools or colleges; co-operatives, other social enterprises or community businesses; companies limited by guarantee with a not-for-profit clause; and individuals delivering significant public benefit
There is no size or income limit
Applicants do not have to be based in the city, but groups based in Oxford or Oxfordshire are preferred over those further afield
County-wide services can apply for the part of their work delivered in the city
Organisations can apply to every Small Grant round, with the balance criterion taken into account
Organisations holding a Big Ideas grant cannot apply

What it funds

Core, revenue or capital funding, depending on the applicant's needs and the strength of the proposal. Eligible costs include:

Staff costs
Development work (testing new ways of working, staff training and development, developing governance, tech or IT upgrades and purchases, sharing learning)
Transport
Utilities and running costs
Volunteer expenses
Equipment
Capital costs (the council will consider these but does not expect them to be a large share of the budget)

The fund supports the council's priorities: thriving communities, an inclusive economy and a zero carbon Oxford, including sustainable projects in natural environments such as parks, woods, meadows, rivers and allotments.

The 2026-27 form also lists delivering more affordable housing.

The key purpose is reducing inequalities in the city.

What it will not fund

Loans, endowments or interest
Paying someone else to write your application
Political activities, including lobbying
Activities where a profit will be distributed for private gain
VAT you can reclaim
Alcohol
Retrospective costs for past activity
Items which will only benefit an individual rather than the wider community
Religious activities (religious organisations can be funded if the project benefits the wider community and has no religious content)
Activity taking place outside Oxford
Activities statutory organisations would normally provide under their statutory duties (e.g. activities for pupils during the school day, or housing, health or social care of individuals)
Profit-making organisations
Organisations based outside the UK
Organisations receiving Big Ideas funding (they may be listed as a project partner)
National organisations not delivering Oxford-specific projects

How to apply

Read the OCIF guidance pages (eligibility, activities, scoring criteria, how to strengthen your application) and optionally prepare answers using the Word version of the form
Optionally attend an online briefing session (10, 23 or 24 September 2026, booked on Plinth)
Complete the online application form on Plinth, uploading the budget template and partner spreadsheet
Submit by 9am on Monday 28 September 2026 (round 2); you will see an on-screen confirmation, not an email
Decisions are expected by Tuesday 1 December 2026

The Word version of the form cannot be submitted; all applications must go through Plinth

Contact grants@oxford.gov.uk at least one week before the deadline if you cannot use the online form

Next round (2027-28 Round 1) opens Monday 11 January 2027 at 3pm and closes Monday 1 February 2027 at 9am

Informal Grants Advice Sessions can be booked through the council's online form

Have ready

Budget and leverage for the project (council template preferred, or your own budget with the same key information)
Partner spreadsheet (upload it even with no partners, marked 'not applicable')

Declarations confirm a functioning governing body, appropriate insurance, and policies including equality and diversity, health and safety, risk management, safeguarding and data protection. Groups working with children or adults with care and support needs must confirm their safeguarding policy meets Oxfordshire multi-agency safeguarding requirements