Erewash Borough Council

VCS Sustainability & Activation Grants

Grants of £5,000 to £50,000 for voluntary and community organisations working in and supporting Erewash residents, either to sustain the organisation (day-to-day running costs, staffing, premises) or to activate a new, innovative project, or both. Applications are taken in month-long windows; Round 3 runs through November 2026 if funding remains, with Round 4 in March 2027. The council's smaller Fast Funding grants are currently suspended and its Members' Grants have closed for 2026-27.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £5,000 – £50,000
Deadline: 43 days left; 30 November
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

Voluntary or community groups and organisations, including registered charities, Community Interest Companies and social enterprises, that work in and support Erewash residents and meet the definition of a 'qualifying organisation' in the council's Community Grants Policy 2025-2028
Organisations can normally receive only one community grant per scheme per year
The panel takes financial position into account: you must state your reserves and explain why any significant surplus cannot be used

What it funds

Sustainability funding for infrastructure costs (day-to-day running costs to keep the organisation operating), and/or activation funding to set up and deliver a brand new, innovative project or activity, for example:

Maintaining an organisation's base building, including heating, lighting and other basic costs
Maintaining necessary levels of staffing to keep the organisation running at safe levels
Supporting or improving the organisation's communications infrastructure, for example upgrading communications methods or platforms for engagement
Making improvements to facilities so the organisation continues to have a fit-for-purpose space
Making changes to facilities to support a new activity being run from them
Setting up a new project or activity, including staffing, training or other costs

each application must support at least one Corporate Strategy priority: Economy and Regeneration; Supporting Communities; Sustainable Environment

What it will not fund

Projects or activities already funded through other sources (unless it is match funding)
Contracts, agreements or purchases made before the Panel's decision is shared

How to apply

Download the Word version of the application form from the council's grants page to prepare in advance
Submit the online application at www.erewash.gov.uk/grants during an application window (Round 3: 1 to 30 November 2026; Round 4: March 2027), closing 23:59 on the last day of the month
Applications are screened, then scored by the Community Grants Panel against a published scoring matrix
Panel decisions are moderated by a member of the Corporate Management Team and communicated, normally by the end of the following month

Rounds 3 and 4 open only if funding remains; the council publishes remaining funding after each round

nothing can be added once submitted; there is no appeals process

Have ready

One quote for each item or service with a unit price between £1,000 and £5,000
Two quotes for each item or service with a unit price over £5,000
Details of match funding, where the grant does not cover all costs
Your current level of reserves

if the award counts as a Minimal Financial Assistance subsidy, you must complete subsidy control notification documents before payment

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