GrantRadar

Somerset Community Foundation

Stronger Communities Fund

Somerset Community Foundation's Stronger Communities Fund gives grants of up to £5,000 to community-led groups in Somerset (excluding Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset) that strengthen communities of place, interest, action or circumstance. It replaces the Foundation's Main Grants and The Somerset Fund programmes and can pay for project, capital or core costs, including work a group already does. The fund is closed now; the next window runs from 16 November 2026 to Wednesday 6 January 2027, with a further round expected in April 2027. The Foundation has up to £350,000 to award from the fund this year and usually supports 2 out of every 3 applications.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£40,000 – £5,000
Deadline
80 days left
6 January
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Community-led groups based in Somerset (excluding BANES and North Somerset) that meet the Foundation's minimum standards
  • Priority goes to smaller groups with an annual income under £250,000; larger groups can apply but are deprioritised if the fund is oversubscribed
  • Eligible: registered charities and CIOs with at least 3 unrelated trustees; community groups/unincorporated associations with a governing document containing charitable aims for public benefit, run by at least 3 unrelated community members (groups with income regularly over £5,000 must be registered with the Charity Commission); CICs registered with Companies House that are clearly trading (not almost wholly grant-funded) with at least 3 unrelated directors, for start-up, growth or side projects; Community Benefit Societies registered with the FCA; social landlords (contact first); schools (PTAs preferred; no statutory or school-day activity); town and parish councils only where no suitable community group exists; faith groups for projects open to all
  • Private companies cannot normally apply
  • All applicants need a bank account in the group's name with at least two unrelated signatories, annual accounts no more than 18 months old (new groups without accounts can still apply), no more than 12 months' running costs in free reserves, and a dated safeguarding policy and procedure reviewed in the last 12 months with a named safeguarding lead
  • More likely to be funded: groups clearly run by the community they serve, communities that have had little previous grant funding, work that connects with other local work, and good reporting on past grants

What it funds

Grants for three main types of community group:

  1. Groups that build stronger relationships across a community, such as events or activities that connect people, projects engaging people who feel left out of community life, community transport (particularly in rural areas), and community organising and decision-making
  2. Groups that run places and spaces that matter to communities, such as village halls where there is no other community building, community centres, children's and adult sports clubs, community-run cafés and libraries, parks and green spaces, and performing arts venues
  3. Groups providing targeted services to people who need extra help, such as better access to counselling for young people, peer support groups for adults, and projects reducing isolation and loneliness among older people

The list is not exhaustive.

Project costs, capital costs (equipment or small building projects) and core running costs (rent, energy, insurance) can be funded, and the Foundation will consider match funding other funders.

You do not need a new or 'innovative' project.

What it will not fund

  • Applications from individuals
  • Onward grants to individuals
  • Activities the government and other public bodies have a statutory responsibility to provide
  • Groups or activities supporting a political party
  • Activities intending to influence people's religious choices
  • Activities that solely support animal welfare
  • Arts or sports projects with no significant community or charitable element
  • Medical research, equipment or treatment
  • Costs incurred, paid or committed before a grant is awarded
  • Activities that raise funds for other organisations
  • Groups holding more than 12 months' running costs in free reserves (unless justified by a reserves policy)

How to apply

  1. Check the minimum standards on the FAQs for Groups page and take the eligibility quiz
  2. Optionally talk to the Programmes Team (info@somersetcf.org.uk, 01749 344949) or book a time with Kirsty Campbell, Senior Programmes Manager
  3. Between 16 November 2026 and Wednesday 6 January 2027, click 'Apply Now' on the fund page and register your email address
  4. Use the emailed link to complete the online application form, saving as draft if needed
  5. Attach your supporting documents at the end of the form and click 'Submit'
  6. A member of the team assesses the application, may contact you with questions, and the Programmes Team panel makes the final decision

Time-sensitive requests should be discussed with the team before applying.

Funded groups complete an online end-of-grant report.

Have ready

  • Governing document
  • Most recent annual accounts (no more than 18 months old)
  • Recent bank statement showing account name, number and sort code
  • Safeguarding policy and procedure (dated, reviewed within the last 12 months)

New groups without accounts can still apply; contact the team if you cannot attach the requested documents.

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