GrantRadar

Cambridgeshire County Council

Crisis and Resilience Fund Large Grants: Winter Readiness - Fuel Poverty, Resilience and Warm Homes

Grants of up to £25,000 from Cambridgeshire County Council, using the government's Crisis and Resilience Fund, for not-for-profit projects that tackle fuel poverty and build winter resilience. Projects should complement the county's Warm Homes Single Point of Contact service, for example with energy advice, outreach to households at risk, help for people with medical energy needs, practical warmth measures or training for professionals. It can be full or match funding and must be spent by 31 March 2028. Applications close on 9 November 2026.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £25,000
Closes in
19 days left
9 November
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • Not-for-profit organisations working in Cambridgeshire: registered charities, community and voluntary organisations, constituted groups, companies limited by guarantee and other not-for-profit organisations with appropriate governance
  • They must have a bank account in the organisation's name, safeguarding and equality policies, public liability insurance, DBS arrangements where appropriate, and the capacity to manage public funds
  • The project must benefit Cambridgeshire and be completed by 31 March 2028

What it funds

Projects that support and strengthen Cambridgeshire's Warm Homes Single Point of Contact service, adding value rather than duplicating it, and provide:

  • Energy advice and support to help residents understand, manage and reduce the impact of household energy costs and bills
  • Outreach and proactive engagement with households at risk of fuel poverty, particularly those who may not access existing support services
  • Support for residents with additional energy needs due to health conditions, disabilities or the use of essential medical equipment
  • Practical interventions that help residents create and maintain a warmer, safer home, improve energy affordability, and reduce the long-term risk of fuel poverty, such as draught-proofing, energy-saving measures, home warmth initiatives, or other preventative approaches
  • Proactive training for professionals and organisations to help them to identify and support people living in cold, damp, or mouldy homes
  • Projects that build residents' knowledge, confidence and financial resilience, helping them manage future energy and cost of living challenges

projects should build long-term resilience rather than only provide short-term crisis support; a limited element of crisis support may be included where it leads to resilience-building. Budgets may include staff, sessional workers, volunteer expenses, equipment, room hire, transport, publicity, professional fees, training and materials.

What it will not fund

  • Payment of personal fuel or utility debts
  • Large-scale home improvement, renovation or heating replacement schemes where alternative funding is available
  • General community activities with no clear link to financial resilience, fuel poverty or winter preparedness
  • The ongoing operating costs of warm spaces (targeted resilience activity delivered through warm spaces may be considered)
  • Food provision as the primary activity
  • One-off events with no lasting impact or follow-on support
  • Retrospective funding of activities that have already taken place
  • Political or religious activities
  • Projects already funded through another source for the same activity
  • Business or profit-making activity
  • Activity delivered outside Cambridgeshire
  • Projects that duplicate existing provision without clear unmet need, additional demand, innovation, specialist provision or added value

How to apply

  1. Optionally discuss your proposal with your local Place-Based Communities Coordinator or Connector (communities@cambridgeshire.gov.uk)
  2. Read the CRF Large Grants Guidance and download the Winter Readiness application form (Word)
  3. Email the completed form and supporting documents to crisis.resilience@cambridgeshire.gov.uk by 9 November 2026
  4. Stage 1: eligibility check (9 to 12 November 2026)
  5. Stage 2: panel scoring out of 100 (12 to 20 November 2026), then moderation and approval
  6. Decision letters are issued on 3 December 2026; grant agreements are signed and funding released 3 to 17 December 2026

successful projects send quarterly monitoring returns.

Have ready

  • Completed application form with a detailed budget
  • Safeguarding / Child Protection policy
  • Equal Opportunities / Equality & Diversity policy
  • Public Liability Insurance
  • Constitution
  • Most recent accounts
  • Bank statement less than 3 months old
  • Three quotations for individual items over £500

DBS checks where required.

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