Community Funding Grants
Community funding is the way we support the local Voluntary and Community Sector with grant awards to help them deliver important services and activities to our communities.
The grant schemes on offer and the projects / services funded must support, enable or facilitate the achievement of one or more of the Council's strategic aims, objectives or priorities, and must also address an identified local need.
The Community Funding Grants Framework (CFGF) sets out the principles (CFGF Section 3) and standards (CFGF Section 4) that govern how we will award Community Funding to voluntary and community organisations who operate within the geographical area of the Council.
It also defines, for Community Funding Grant purposes, our definition of a voluntary or community organisation (CFGF Section 1.4).
This may be subject to the terms and conditions and the funding location of each grant scheme, but will mainly be:
- registered charities
- voluntary or community groups
- local clubs
- community interest companies (CIC)
- not for profit organisations
The grant schemes on offer and projects / services funded must be consistent with the Council’s evaluation criteria (CFGF Section 4.4) and our strategic aims, objectives and priorities (CFGF Section 4.3).
These include:
- Our Corporate Plan
- Health and Wellbeing Strategy (in development)
- Community Safety Partnership Plan
- Anti-Poverty Strategy
- Integrated Care Northamptonshire ‘Live Your Best Life’ ambitions Strategy 2023-33
- the priorities of the Local Area Partnerships (LAPs) (in development)
See a list of grants:
Current schemes
| Scheme | Skills for Communities Grant Scheme |
|---|---|
| Scheme details | This grants scheme aims to support local people to develop their learning and skills and help them get into work. These grants are available to provide support to the Council’s residents, aged 16+, no longer in full-time education, who would like to develop more or different skills. Examples of how the grant can be used include:
The Skills for Communities grant scheme compliments WNC’s existing Multiply programme which is already delivering numeracy skills to local people. The grants cannot be used to fund activity already supported through other funding streams such as the Education and Skills Funding Agency. |
| Location | Urban and rural areas within the geographical area of West Northamptonshire Council. |
| Who can apply | Community, voluntary and social enterprise organisations that operate, or are prepared to operate, within the geographical area of West Northamptonshire Council. |
| How to apply | Email [email protected] for an application form. |
| Minimum value of the grant | £10,000 |
| Maximum value of the grant | £300,000 |
| Opening date | 1 May 2024 |
| Closing date | 5pm on Friday 24 May 2024 |
| Contact details | If you have any questions, please email [email protected]. Please quote "Skills for Communities Grant Scheme" and include a contact telephone number in your email. |
This page will be updated as our 2024/25 grant schemes open.
| Year awarded | Recipient | Purpose | Grant Scheme | Grant award £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire (in partnership with Daventry Volunteer Centre and South Northants Volunteer Bureau) | Local Infrastructure Organisation Support Fund - Local Priorities: 2024/25 and 2025/26 | Local Infrastructure Organisation Support Fund | £260,000 |
| 2024/25 | Ability CIC | Freedom - Rural Transport Capital: 2024/25 | Community Transport Grant | £437,181.00 |
| 2024/25 | CommMiniBus Ltd | Community Transport Service in WNC - Capital: 2024/25 | Community Transport Grant | £110,000.00 |
| 2024/25 | Ability CIC | Freedom - Rural Transport Revenue: 2024/25 and 2025/26 | Community Transport Grant | £40,000.00 |
| 2024/25 | Cogenhoe & Whiston Parish Council | Village Hopper Community Transport Scheme: 2024/25 and 2025/26 | Community Transport Grant | £26,113.50 |
| 2024/25 | CommMiniBus Ltd | Community Transport Service in WNC - revenue: 2024/25 and 2025/26 | Community Transport Grant | £20,000.00 |
| 2024/25 | Daventry Area Community Transport (DACT) | Daventry Area Community Transport (DACT): 2024/25 and 2025/26 | Community Transport Grant | £120,000.00 |
| 2024/25 | TADD (Towcester Area Door to Door) | Existing services and expansion for residents we carry: 2024/25 and 2025/26 | Community Transport Grant | £40,000.00 |
| 2024/25 | South Northants Volunteer Bureau | Brackley Volunteer Car Service: 2024/25 and 2025/26 | Community Transport Grant | £28,000.00 |
| 2024/25 | Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire (VIN) Northampton | Community Transport: 2024/25 and 2025/26 | Community Transport Grant | £130,000.00 |
| 2024/25 | Home-Start Northampton | Social Action for Ukrainian Families | Creation Of New Volunteering Opportunities through Social Action Projects Grant (resettlement) | £7,500 |
| 2024/25 | Citizens Advice West Northamptonshire and Cherwell (in partnership with the Community Law Service Northampton and County) | Debt and money advice support: 2024/25 and 2025/26 | Debt, Money Advice and Immigration Support Fund | £620,000 |
| 2024/25 | Community Law Service (Northampton and County) (in partnership with the Northamptonshire Rights & Equality Service) | Debt, money advice and immigration support: 2024/25 and 2025/26 | Debt, Money Advice and Immigration Support Fund | £116,164 |
| 2024/25 | Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire (in partnership with Daventry Volunteer Centre and South Northants Volunteer Bureau) | Local Infrastructure Organisation Support: 2024/25 and 2025/26 | Local Infrastructure Organisation Support Fund | £260,000 |
Alternative sources of funding
Free grant finders: Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire and South Northants Volunteers Bureau offer access to free grant finders. These can be accessed via:
The above, and the Volunteers Centre Daventry, can offer a wide range of advice and support, including grant funding, to new and existing voluntary and community organisations in their areas.
Northamptonshire Community Foundation: An independent grant-making charity that delivers a variety of funding to the local voluntary and community sector in Northamptonshire. See details of the grants currently available.
Central Government’s Find a Grant Service: The Government has made it mandatory that all central government departments and their arms-length bodies advertise their competitive grant scheme via their “Find a Grant” digital service.
Contact details
If you represent a voluntary or community sector organisation and wish to speak to the Community Funding Team about your eligibility to apply for a grant please email: [email protected]. Please remember to include a contact telephone number.
Expression of interest
If you wish to register an expression of interest for funding, please complete the form below:
Last updated 02 May 2024