Social Firms Wales Newsletter

Weekly information including upcoming funding deadlines. Become a member it’s free! click here for the form

UnLtd Start Up Scale Up Awards

UnLtd finds, funds and supports social entrepreneurs with solutions for a better society.

The grants are for founders of the enterprise. UnLtd provide funding and support to start or grow.

Starting up - £8,000 maximum: You have an idea or have started to make a difference to people's lives, your community, or have ambitions to create change at a national level.

Scaling up - £18,000 maximum: You are already running a social venture that is making a positive difference and you have compelling evidence of your impact. You are looking for our support to realise your potential to grow your impact and expand.

UnLtd recommend getting your application in early so that we have time to ensure they have everything they need to assess it.
There are usually 4 application rounds every year – check the website
Podcasts about entrepreneurs : UnLtd - Podcasts |
UNLTD - AWARDS | FUNDING AND SUPPORT TO GROW YOUR IMPACT |

Ashley Family Foundation

Wales based funder.

£500- £10,000 (prefer applications for less)

Mainly for project costs providing arts &/or community & social welfare. Unregistered charities must be supported by a registered charity.

Apply anytime – panel meets 3 times a year – check website.

For: Wales, Rural, Arts, Communities - small scale arts & community projects, community museums, organisations, farms & gardens. Will not fund sport.

Arts Council Wales – Capital Lottery Funding

Funding for small capital projects:

• Improving access

• Sustainable energy initiatives

• Minor adaptations to buildings

Please contact them first if you want to apply for a grant.

Email: [email protected]

Awards for All – National Lottery

£300 - £20,000 for up to 2 years.

Projects & activities that strengthen & connect people & communities; support communities facing challenges.

Apply anytime

Allen Lane

Average grant: £5,000-£6,000

Apply anytime – check website:

• Fund smaller organisations with an income of £100,000 or less.

• Cross UK work income must be £250,000.

Priorities: Young People, Asylum seekers & refugees, Gypsy, Roma & Travellers. Offenders & ex-offenders, Older people, People experiencing mental health problems, People experiencing violence or abuse.

Architectural Heritage Fund Wales Guidelines

Capital grants – buildings

Apply anytime - Monthly decisions.

• Just starting out - Project Viability Grant Up to £10,000.

• Ready to move forward: Project Development Grant Up to £20,000 Monthly decisions.

• Ready to restore your building Capital Work Grant Up to £50,000. Decisions once a year.

• General guidance: the project involves an historic building.

• Listed - Category I, II – Please check website.

BBC Children in Need Wales (CiN)

Project grants: Projects under £15,000 have a quicker response.

For projects/ organisations supporting children & young people living in the counties of:
Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf , Vale of Glamorgan, Ynys Môn (Isle of Anglesey).

Apply anytime

Core funding: As above, but a 2-stage process.

Applying for more than £15,000 - must be a registered charity/ registered with Companies House or a regulator.

Funding for 1-3 years

Maximum is £120,000 (e.g., £40,000 over 3 years). Funder is making fewer larger grants.

Bernard Sunley

For: Charities, CIOs, Certain organisations with exempt status such as cooperatives, community benefit societies. specialist schools, scout & guide groups, housing associations.

1-year grants

What We Fund - Bernard Sunley Foundation

Mainly capital costs - building or refurbishment & minibuses.

Funding themes : Community, education, health & social welfare.

Supports charities working to raise the quality of life and provide greater opportunities for the young, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged.

Comic Relief

Please check website for updates – Comic Relief are reviewing their funding.

Clothworkers Foundation

Capital Projects for charities & not for profit organisations with an income of less than £250,000.

Larger projects of £100,000+ will receive 10% or more of the balance to be raised.

Smaller projects of less than £10,000 will freceive 50% - 100%

Apply anytime.

Grants for: Buildings; fixtures & fittings; equipment. Vehicles: unlikely to fund the total cost of a new vehicle; no leasing.

Digital infrastructure guidance.

At least 50% of service users benefiting from the capital project must be from one or more priority groups:

Alcohol/substance, older people, prisoners/prison leavers, visual impairment, people with disabilities, domestic violence, sexual abuse, young people, disadvantaged minority communities.

Video of grants information

Coalfields Regeneration Trust Wales

£500 – £7,000

Revenue or capital grants.

Apply anytime - A Wales Grant Assessment Panel meets quarterly.

Please check website for eligible areas

For community organisations that support projects in Welsh coalfield communities’ areas that create jobs, increase skills, improve health & well-being, broaden childcare provision, or develop community facilities.

Stage 1: Complete the Enquiry Form:
CCG-Enquiry-Form-V11-Fillable1.pdf (coalfields-regen.org.uk)
Ffurflen-Ymholiad-Grant-F12.pdf (coalfields-regen.org.uk)

Community Facilities Programme Welsh Government

Capital only for community buildings; encourage / prefer partnership projects.

£5000- £25,000 - response within 60 working days

£25,001- £300,000 – 2 stage process (stage 1 response 30 working days) & at least 3 partners

Apply anytime.

Capital: Purchase / physical improvement of community facilities; can include building & professional fees directly related to the physical works (including non-recoverable VAT).

Equipment: eligible where a project includes the fitting out of a new facility such as a kitchen or IT suite.

Will not fund vehicles, replacement of furniture, equipment or updating of ICT.

Community Foundation in Wales (CFIW)

A range of local, regional or national grants from 1-3 years e.g., Fund for Wales.

• Subscribe to their newsletter

• Check for grants available on the interactive map.

• Look at their tips for better applications.

• Book a call with a grant officer.

Application dates vary – please check the website

Development Trusts Association Wales (DTA) – Community Ownership Fund

The Development Trusts Association (DTA Wales) Wales is the Welsh delivery partner of the Community Ownership Fund. The £150m Fund exists to help communities across the UK to take ownership of assets at risk of closure from parks to pubs, lidos to libraries. It will run until 2024/25.

Groups can apply for up to £250k to purchase or lease a local asset or to help pay for refurbishments.

Councils & Local Authorities

Check your local council website for community or business grants. Also find out about Town Council funding – sometimes there are small grants available.

Many councils also provide Welsh Church Act Funding (WCAF) for community activities.

DWR Cymru Welsh Water

£1000 maximum for 1 year for registered non-profit organisations.

Apply anytime.

Priorities: Improvements to the environment or local community initiatives promoting health, wellbeing & environmental objectives

Decision: 8 - 12 weeks.

Esmée Fairburn

Grants and social investment /loans

Minimum grant £30,000

Minimum social investment £100,000

Median grants are about £180,000.

Organisation must have a turnover of at least £100,000; work must be legally charitable.

Aim: Improve the natural world, secure a fairer future, and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK.
Strategic, high impact grant making – please check website.

Watch: January 2024 webinar with BSL interpretation
Pre-application Q&A webinar, 31 Jan 2024 (youtube.com)

Fore

Maximum grant £30,000 (average grant £23,000)
The Fore funds Registered Charities, CICs CIOs, Community Benefit Societies.

(Not funding social enterprises that are only Company Limited at present but check for updates)
Unrestricted grants 1-3 years

For developing organisational resilience & sustainability.

Encourage applications from grassroots organisations working with underserved communities.

Fund for Wales - Community Foundation Wales

£500 – £2,000 for small, volunteer-driven community organisations for improving life chances, wellbeing, the environment, heritage & culture.

Grants for full or partial costs of projects, small capital items / equipment, core costs, activities & programmes.

Funding towards core costs for up to 3 years if the applicant group can provide accounts for at least the last 12 months & the amount being applied for is less than 50% of annual turnover. EG. To apply for a grant of £2,000 per year, your annual income should be at least £4,000.

They hope to be able to make at least one three-year grant per year.

Garfield Weston

For registered charities only

Amount not specified

Grants for

• About 10% General running costs – will not fund specific salaries.

• Project/specific activity grants

• Capital grants - !5 of the cost & £30,000 maximum for community buildings

Henry Smith Charity: Improving Lives

£20,000 – £70,000 per year for running costs, salaries, and projects

Guidelines

Most grants are for 3 years.

Organisation must :
• be at least 18 months old & have at least 1 year’s accounts.
• have an income of at least £50,000 - £3 million

Will not fund more than 50% of an organisation’s current annual running costs.

Apply anytime.

For:
• Disadvantaged people living in the 15% most deprived areas of Wales.
• Running costs, salaries & projects.

2 stage process, decisions within 6 months.

Henry Smith Charity: Strengthening Communities

£20,000 – £70,000 per year for running costs, salaries, and projects

Guidelines

Most grants are for 3 years.

Organisation must :
• be at least 18 months old & have at least 1 year’s accounts.
• have an income of at least £50,000 - £3 million.

Will not fund more than 50% of an organisation’s current annual running costs.

Apply anytime.

For:
• People that experience disadvantage.
• Running costs

2 stage process, decisions within 6 months.

Hodge Foundation

Wales based funder. Charities only –Welfare, education, Medical, Religion

Apply anytime.

Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme - WCVA

February 2024 – under review.

For updates sign up to WCVA Newsletter

Mary Homfray Trust

Wales based funder. Charities only. Funds wide range of causes. Recurrent themes include Alzheimer’s /dementia, homelessness, wildlife conservation.

Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust

£7500 Regional maximum

£2500 Local maximum

Application deadlines: Funding Timetable – The Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust (millenniumstadiumtrust.org.uk)

Arts, community, environment, sport to improve the quality of life of people in Wales - promote education, history, language, culture, music & folklore, particularly for those who face discrimination or disadvantage.

Moondance Foundation

No amounts specified. Their accounts on the Charity Commission website give an idea of what they fund.

Apply anytime.

Support for the most vulnerable in Wales. When applying for a grant, please consider priorities carefully & only apply for essential needs.

They cannot be contacted by phone – email or write to them

National Lottery Community Fund Grants

Awards for All £20,000 for up to 2 years

People & Places Medium Grants £20,000 - £100,000 revenue or capital; up to 5 years. 2 stage process. (Approx 6-8 months)

People & Places Large grants: £100,001–£500,000 revenue or capital; up to five years. 2 stage process. (About 6-8 months)

Apply anytime.

For Medium & Large grants:
Projects that are:

• supporting organisations to adapt or diversify to respond to new & future challenges 

• supporting communities adversely affected by COVID-19 

• supporting communities & organisations to become more resilient to help them to respond better to future crises. 

Peoples Postcode Lottery

Peoples Postcode Lottery Grants 2024

Round 1: 23rd February 9am to 1st March 12 noon.

Round 2: 27th May 9am to 3rd June 12 noon.

Round 3: 26th August 9am to 2nd September 12 noon.

Physical activity, arts, preventing / reducing impact of poverty, tackling inequality.

Environment

Mental health

Funding guide 2024

Screwfix Foundation

£5000 maximum capital grants

Apply anytime.

Repair, maintenance, improvement, construction of homes, community buildings & other buildings.

Types of projects: Improved energy efficient lighting & heating. Installation of new kitchen, bathroom, sensory room; General painting & decorating; Improving safety & security of a building.

Social Investment Business (SIB)

Supports community organisations with funding packages of mixed loan & grant fund of up to £50k. The emphasis of the fund is impact in the community.

More information about Social Investment here

Social Investment Cymru (SIC)

Supports social enterprises in Wales with a range of grants and loans.

SIC invest in organisations that want to generate more income or expand their range of services, and organisations that have previously struggled to attract grant funding for new projects.

Sport Wales

Be Active Wales Fund

£300 - £50,000 for projects that

• reduce inequality.

• create long-term sustainability.

• introduce new or different ways of operating.

Funding for promoting sport & physical activity:

Crowdfunder Match (until April 2023 but check website ) – support & up to £15,000 match depending on progress with the Crowdfunder campaign.

Trusthouse Major Grants

£10,000-£300,000

1-3 years

Apply anytime.

Core costs, salaries, running & project costs.

Charities/ not-for-profit organisations in areas of high deprivation check on: https://wimd.gov.wales.

Early Intervention, Families Coping with Addiction, Prisoners’ Families.

Trusthouse Small Grants

Single year grants for up £2,000 & £10,000 for core costs, salaries, running & project costs.

Apply anytime.

Need match funding - 50% of total cost are funded.

Grants core costs, salaries, running & project costs of up to 50% to charities & not-for-profit organisations in areas of high deprivation check on https://wimd.gov.wales/

Tudor Trust

Closed to applications in 2022/2023 – check website , Twitter, newsletter

Woodward Charitable Trust Summer playscheme

Annual Summer Play Scheme grant for children aged 5-16 from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Closes around March/April each year. Response by end June – check website.

Registered charities, CICs, CIOs, Exempt charities can apply.

Small local schemes providing wide-ranging programme - inexpensive activities e.g., crafts, cooking, outdoor activities, sport; for large number of children; past users come back & help as volunteers.

Programmes minimum 2 weeks, 10 full days or 20 half days during summer holidays.

Programmes minimum 2 weeks, 10 full / 20 half days during summer holidays.