GrantRadar

North Hertfordshire Council

North Herts Community Grants

Small grants of £500 to £1,500 from North Hertfordshire Council for not-for-profit groups running projects, events or activities that benefit North Herts residents. Each of the district's five Community Forums (Baldock and villages, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston and villages, Southern Rural) has its own budget and deadlines, and councillors on the forum recommend which projects to fund. It can pay for equipment, events, venue hire, training, building works and repairs, but nothing already bought or held.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£500 – £1,500
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Organisations that are volunteer-led or run on a not-for-profit basis, including registered charities, unregistered charities with income under £5,000, constituted groups and clubs, CICs, CIOs and social enterprises, schools and academies (only for activity beyond their statutory responsibilities), sports clubs, resident groups, faith-based organisations (where they include the wider community), and business groups and parish, town and community councils (only where the funding provides additionality)
  • The organisation must operate in North Herts with a client base predominantly of North Herts residents; be formally constituted or show good governance, with a committee or board not all immediately related; have an open-door membership policy and services accessible to all (single-gender groups can apply if they comply with the Equality Act 2010); show financial viability and financial need, including a valid reason for holding 12 months of unrestricted reserves; and show the grant adds to its existing provision
  • Organisations must not receive more than £315,000 in subsidy from government sources over three years
  • Projects involving building or outdoor works need the freehold or a lease with at least five years to run after the work, plus any permissions
  • Groups working with children, young people or vulnerable adults need a safeguarding policy, DBS checks and safeguarding training
  • Individuals, sole traders and business improvement districts cannot apply

What it funds

  • Activities
  • Events
  • Equipment
  • Publicity and publications
  • Repairs and maintenance
  • Site and building works
  • Training/workshops
  • Travel and transport (not overseas)
  • Venue hire
  • Refreshments (not alcohol)

capital spending (buying or improving assets used for more than one year) and revenue spending (the additional running costs of improving or developing your service, such as additional staff hours) can both be funded. Priority is given to projects that address local needs, encourage community involvement and offer good value for money.

What it will not fund

  • Retrospective funding, e.g. items already purchased or events that have already happened (items or events cannot take place before the funding has been received)
  • Goods and services already received or paid for
  • Purchase of alcohol
  • A service that the state is obligated to provide
  • Charitable donations
  • Contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest
  • Land or building where ownership (freehold or eligible lease) is not yet established
  • Political or religious activities
  • Purchase of items on behalf of another
  • Recoverable VAT
  • The same project within 12 months
  • Business improvement districts, individuals and sole traders

How to apply

  1. Check the Community Grants Criteria Policy (March 2025)
  2. Create or sign in to a North Herts MyAccount
  3. Complete the online application form, choosing the relevant Community Forum, and upload your documents (one forum per form; a project spanning several areas needs a separate application for each)
  4. Submit before midnight on your forum's closing date. Remaining 2026/27 deadlines are: Royston and villages 11 October 2026 and 3 January 2027; Letchworth 18 October 2026 and 3 January 2027; Southern Rural 10 January 2027; Baldock and villages 24 January 2027; Hitchin 24 January 2027
  5. Officers check the application against the criteria, then the Community Forum of elected councillors recommends whether to fund it
  6. You are told the outcome after the forum meeting; payment comes at least three weeks after the meeting
  7. Spend the grant within one year and return the monitoring form with receipts

the online form is deleted if not edited for two days, so draft offline or return to it regularly. Emailed forms are no longer accepted. Late applications can be deferred to the next round. Help with the form is available from community@north-herts.gov.uk.

Have ready

  • Latest published accounts
  • Constitution or governing document
  • Safeguarding policy, plus any related or referenced policies (e.g. Safer Recruitment Policy), checked against the council's Safeguarding Policy Checklist
  • Two quotes for items totalling more than £100 from one supplier (formal quotes or website screenshots)

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