GrantRadar

East Suffolk Council

Enabling Communities Budgets

Each of East Suffolk Council's 55 elected members holds a £7,500 Enabling Communities Budget to spend on community projects in their ward. Grants to an individual project run from £100 up to the £7,500 maximum, and councillors can pool their budgets where a project spans more than one ward. The route in is through your district councillor, who must approve and submit the application on the group's behalf.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£100 – £7,500
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Constituted not-for-profit community or voluntary groups; registered charities; Charitable Incorporated Organisations; charitable companies limited by guarantee; local branches of national organisations; community and social enterprises; schools providing community or extracurricular activities; village hall and recreation ground committees; residents associations; and town and parish councils
  • Other groups can be considered where the lead organisation is best placed to deliver or acts as accountable body for a group that cannot meet the governance requirements itself
  • Payments direct to individuals are not supported
  • Services providing childcare are strongly advised to be Ofsted registered

What it funds

  • Projects with clear community benefit that stimulate new community activity to address a gap in provision, or extend existing activity in East Suffolk
  • Projects providing local solutions to local needs with clear outcomes
  • Either 100 per cent of project costs, or projects that have or need partnership or match funding

Past examples include play equipment, village hall and community centre refurbishment or equipment, one-off events, new community initiatives including staff and support costs in the pilot phase, projects supporting disabled people and their carers, defibrillators and associated training, and youth groups and activities.

What it will not fund

  • VAT that the applicant can reclaim
  • Items or projects benefiting only an individual, such as bursaries or sponsorship
  • Projects with high ongoing maintenance costs unless sustainability is demonstrated
  • Travel or expeditions outside East Suffolk without clear community benefit, and never overseas travel
  • Groups operating as a business for profit
  • Loss of profits or income
  • Statutory obligations such as curricular activity in schools and highways projects
  • Medical research and equipment for statutory or private healthcare
  • Endowments, deficit funding and loans
  • National and regional organisations without a local base or a project directly benefiting East Suffolk people
  • Activities promoting political or religious beliefs
  • Sponsored or fundraising events
  • Individuals or families in personal need
  • Retrospective funding
  • Repeat funding for the same activity in consecutive years
  • Projects displacing existing provision
  • Animal welfare
  • Passing a grant on as a donation to another group

How to apply

  • Contact your district councillor to discuss the project idea, read the scheme guidance, then complete and sign the application form in liaison with the councillor
  • The councillor approves it and submits it to the council's Funding Team
  • Applications for one-off events must be sent at least three weeks before the event start date

Have ready

The signed application form, completed with the local councillor.

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