Action Together

Rochdale Communities Fund – Micro Grants for up to £1,000

Micro grants of up to £1,000 from Action Together, funded by Rochdale Borough Council's Public Health team, for small voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise groups in Rochdale borough. Projects must tackle poverty and inequality or promote health and wellbeing, and groups must have income under £25,000 and be Action Together members. First-time successful constituted groups get an extra 20% on top towards overheads; the fund runs quarterly and pauses when each quarter's money is allocated.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: Up to £1,000; no fixed round
Deadline: Rolling; apply any time
Effort: Light; short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

Formally constituted voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) groups locally rooted or actively working in the borough of Rochdale, with annual income under £25,000 (including grants and donations), that are members of Action Together CIO (free to join)
Groups need a governing document, a bank account in the organisation's name with at least two unrelated signatories, and must be non-profit
Previous Rochdale Communities Fund grantees can apply if it is a different or follow-on project, previous monitoring is complete to a good standard, they have not received more than £3,000 from Action Together, and they are in contact with their Community Development Worker
Micro and small groups are prioritised
One application per organisation

What it funds

Projects that fall within at least one priority:

Challenging poverty and driving equality (practical support, advice or peer support
Reducing inequalities
Strengthening community voice and action) or promoting health and wellbeing (social, mental and physical wellbeing
Tackling health inequalities with marginalised groups whose needs are not met by existing services
Building relationships across communities)

Eligible costs include equipment, project resources and running costs, staff time and staff and volunteer expenses.

Trips and days out may be funded if the application explains who benefits and why, why the activity was chosen and who shaped it, and the impact beyond a trip out.

For a group's first successful application, constituted groups receive an extra 20% of the award towards full cost recovery.

What it will not fund

Discretionary funds, e.g. one-off food vouchers
Items or expenditure purchased before the grant decision
Groups with annual income of £25,000 or more
Groups that have already received grants totalling more than £3,000 from Action Together
Groups that have not completed monitoring for previous Action Together funding

How to apply

Become a member of Action Together CIO if not already (free)
Read the updated Rochdale Communities Fund Micro Grants guidance notes
Complete the Word application form, filling in all boxes, with an itemised budget showing how costs were worked out and how impact will be measured
Email the completed form to rochdalecommunitiesfund@actiontogether.org.uk
Receive the decision by email
If successful, provide the supporting documents with the grant agreement before funds are released, and complete a monitoring form at the end of the project

This is a quarterly rolling programme that pauses when each quarter's funding is allocated and reopens the following quarter.

The main and second contacts must not be related or live at the same address. Action Together strongly discourages using AI to draft answers.

Have ready

Completed application form
Copy of a bank statement for an account in the organisation's name with at least two unrelated signatories
Governing document
Insurance details (public and employers' liability)
Safeguarding policy

The supporting documents are required from successful applicants as part of the grant agreement, before funding is released.

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