Community Infrastructure Fund

This scheme closed for applications on 19 July 2024. The scheme will open for applications again in Spring/Summer 2025 and you can find information on our other grants scheme on our Funding for the community and voluntary sector page.

The council recognises the value of community activity and the need to have sustainable infrastructure to deliver this. Through the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), community and voluntary sector organisations can apply for grants of up to £50,000 to make physical improvements to their premises to improve the user and resident experience, increase income generation and reduce costs and make environmental improvements.

Who can apply for the fund

The following organisations located within the borough can apply:

• constituted voluntary or community organisations
• registered charities
• constituted groups or clubs
• Community Interest Companies (CIC)
• Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO)
• not-for-profit companies
• Parish or Town Councils

Schools and colleges can apply for funding but only where they manage community facilities that are distinct from their statutory education provision which are open and accessible to the public during school hours.

Churches can apply where they manage or share a facility that is primarily used for community activities rather than for the advancement of religion or use by the usual church congregation.

Organisations/facilities who have received capital funding from the council in the past can apply. However, if the fund is oversubscribed we will prioritise areas and/or premises that have received less funding in the previous five years.

Level of funding that can be applied for

You can apply for grants of between £5,000 and £50,000.

Applicants can apply for contributions towards larger projects but only where the additional funding required is already secured.

Types of projects that could be supported

This scheme is not designed to fund large new build projects but to enable existing facilities to be enhanced, improved, modernised and retrofitted to enable them to better meet the needs of their communities now and in the future.

The types of projects eligible for funding could be:

• extending/expanding existing community premises to increase the number of users, widen the community reach, attract new audiences, improve the facilities’ sustainability or address gaps in current provision.
• improving and/or modernising existing community premises to ensure continued operation, comply with health and safety requirements, address accessibility issues or attract more users.
• retrofitting of existing community premises to reduce carbon emissions, lower energy bills, support the council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan.

Community premises are those that are made available for community benefit most of the time and accessible by a broad range of persons and sectors of the community. The predominant use of the premises should be for community benefit rather than for private hire and the general use of the premises should not be contingent upon membership of a particular organisation.

When referring to premises we mean the building and the immediate surroundings managed and used by the organisation in the course of their community activities.

Exclusions for funding

What the funding will not cover:

• revenue funding (staff and general running costs)
• equipment and non-fixed fittings such as furniture or curtains
• normal repairs or maintenance work
• feasibility studies
• projects where there is an alternative primary source of funding
• projects involving work that would normally be the responsibility of another organisation (such as borough or county council or government agency)
• works on private property where public access is not secured or that mainly benefit an individual or for-profit organisation
• projects that exclusively promote political or religious activities
• projects that have already started before a funding decision is made
• projects based outside of the borough

How to apply for funding

This is a two-stage process:

Stage one – submit brief project proposal

If you are considering applying to the scheme you will need to complete a project proposal form. At this stage you will need to provide us with information about your organisation, your premises and an outline of your project, the potential beneficiaries, what support you have and the approximate project cost. This is not an application to the fund and at this stage you do not have to provide a detailed project plan or supporting documentation.

You will also need to tell us about any permissions or surveys you will need to secure before your project could go ahead and whether you have already applied for these or sought advice on what you will need.

You cannot move to stage two of the application process unless you have submitted a project proposal by the published deadline and been invited to submit a full application.

Stage two - full application

Proposals will be assessed against the scheme criteria. If we receive a high number of proposals we may only invite those that most closely match the grant criteria and are most ready to deliver their project to submit a full application in this round. Organisations invited to submit a full application will be sent a pack containing further guidance.

To be considered for funding applicants will need to provide evidence with their full application which demonstrates that:

• the project meets the grant criteria and all eligibility requirements
• there is a need for the project and the proposal is supported by the local community, users, volunteers, ward councillors and any other key stakeholders
• the proposal offers value for money
• the applicant cannot fund the project themselves
• the applicant has the necessary permissions, plans and capacity to carry out the project
• the proposal will address deprivation and tackle inequalities
• the proposal supports our overall carbon neutral target

Please note that invitation to move to the full application stage does not guarantee that you will receive funding. It is a competitive process with limited funds available and not all proposals received can be funded.

See section below for deadline dates to submit your proposal and full application by.

Timeline for new applications

The expected timescales for the 2024/25 application process are given below:

Deadline for proposals: 5pm on 19 July 2024
Eligible applications invited to make full application: 5pm on 12 August 2024
Deadline for full applications: 5pm on 20 September 2024
Likely decision date: 18 October 2024

Previously awarded grants

Details of the grants awarded through the 2023/24 are shown in the document below:

CIF grant recipients 2023(PDF) [88 kb]