GrantRadar

Sussex Resilience Forum (administered by Sussex Community Foundation)

Sussex Community Resilience Fund (CR2 Programme 2026)

Grants of up to £5,500 from the Sussex Resilience Forum, run by Sussex Community Foundation, for practical community projects that help people in Sussex prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies in the Sussex Community Risk Register (flooding, severe weather, utilities failure and similar). Open to voluntary and community organisations and also to statutory bodies such as local authorities; around 10 grants are expected. Applications open 2 November and close 14 December 2026, with outcomes in mid-March 2027.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £5,500
Deadline
51 days left
14 December
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Not-for-profit, voluntary and community organisations based in or working for Sussex communities (East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove): registered charities, CIOs, companies limited by guarantee, CICs limited by guarantee, unincorporated associations, community groups, community benefit societies, CASCs and registered societies
  • Statutory bodies such as local authorities are also eligible
  • Applicants other than statutory bodies must have an annual income of £2 million or less, be governed by at least three unrelated trustees or directors, and have at least two unrelated bank signatories
  • Organisations must use income and assets for charitable purposes only
  • Priority goes to projects focused on risks in the Sussex Community Risk Register, working with people and places most at risk or in high deprivation, engaging seldom-heard communities, building lasting resilience, and working in partnership with local organisations, statutory services or emergency responders

What it funds

Practical, community-based work that helps Sussex residents and local groups prepare for emergencies such as severe weather, flooding, storm damage, coastal or transport disruption, public health emergencies, utilities failure, and other major incidents identified in the Sussex Community Risk Register. These could be:

  • Emergency planning
  • Community response training
  • Volunteer coordination
  • Welfare support
  • Communications campaigns
  • Equipment
  • Work with vulnerable or isolated residents

Projects should deliver one or more of these outcomes: better community preparedness for local emergencies; more people know what to do before, during and after an incident; stronger support for vulnerable residents; improved local coordination, communications or volunteer response; reduced impact of disruption on daily life, services and wellbeing. Grants must be spent within 12 months.

What it will not fund

  • Individuals
  • Companies and CICs limited by shares
  • Organisations that do not benefit Sussex communities
  • Organisations that unlawfully discriminate
  • Activity that has no clear link to local resilience or emergency preparedness

How to apply

  1. Read the CR2 criteria and the Sussex Community Risk Register, and check your governance, accounts and bank arrangements meet Sussex Community Foundation's requirements
  2. Register or log in to Sussex Community Foundation's funding portal
  3. Submit an application between Monday 2 November and Monday 14 December 2026, with a short project summary, the community need and which risks it addresses, who will benefit and how many, expected outcomes and how success will be measured, a budget, how the work will continue beyond the grant, and evidence you meet the eligibility criteria
  4. Outcomes are circulated in mid-March 2027
  5. If funded, provide a short progress update after six months and a final monitoring report within 12 months

Questions go to grants@sussexcommunityfoundation.org or 01273 409 440; reference this fund.

Have ready

  • Project budget
  • Evidence that you meet the eligibility criteria (governance, accounts and bank arrangements)

Sussex Community Foundation's standard portal documents are a signed constitution, latest accounts, a bank statement dated within three months and an equal opportunities policy.

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