What you can spend money on
We are funding projects up to £1.5 million over 2 to 5 years, with most projects over £500,000. Minimum grant £500,000.
You can spend your funding on:
- staff costs
- volunteer expenses
- general project costs
- engagement activities
- learning and evaluation
- utilities or running costs
- organisational development and management costs
- some capital costs - this could be for buying equipment or buying, leasing, refurbishing or developing land and buildings, or other construction-related work.
While we can fund capital elements of your project, you should be able to provide evidence of ownership or lease with guaranteed access to the land for a minimum of 5 years. You must meet our specific terms and conditions if you are buying, refurbishing or developing land or buildings with our funding. You may need help from a legal professional to make sure you meet our requirements.
If your project involves capital funding, you should have told us about it at your early-stage application form. Our team will be in touch to provide further information if your project progresses to the next stage.
We are mostly funding revenue costs
Our focus on increasing participation with climate action and supporting behavioural change means we expect that most of our funding will go towards revenue costs. We’ll consider funding capital costs if the partnership can show how:
- it might facilitate lifestyle and behavioural change
- it'll broaden participation
- it'll be financially sustainable (for example, where our funding might unlock more financial investment from other sources).
We cannot fund:
- political activities that promote a particular political party, political belief or any targeted action to influence elections
- alcohol
- items which will only benefit an individual or family, rather than the wider community
- contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest
- electricity generation, such as from solar panels, wind turbines, biomass boilers, anaerobic digestion plants or combined heat and power (CHP)
- religious activities (although we can fund religious organisations if their project benefits the wider community and does not include religious content)
- profit-making or fundraising activities
- VAT you can reclaim
- statutory activities
- costs that have already been incurred
- activities that improve educational attainment - personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), English
- overseas travel or projects that take place outside of the UK.
Considering your environmental impact
We're committed to helping you protect the environment. You can check our guidance on reducing your environmental impact.
Our Climate Action Hub also has information about our approach to tackling the climate emergency, including learning and insights, stories and funding.
Delivering your project in Wales
If one of the countries you’ll be working in is Wales, you'll need to deliver your services bilingually (in Welsh and English). This is part of our grant condition. You can read our guidance on managing your project bilingually.
If your project works with children, young people or vulnerable adults
You need to have a policy in place that explains how they'll be safe. We might ask to see this policy if we decide to give you funding. Get more information in our safeguarding expectations for grant holders.
UK’s subsidy control commitments
Our grants come from public funds and successful applications will be asked to comply with the UK's International Subsidy Control Commitments listed on the GOV.UK website. You should seek independent legal advice if you need more guidance.
Our funding must be additional and distinct from public funding
This means we cannot substitute or replace public funding. We cannot fund anything that is the statutory, or legal, responsibility of government or the public sector, such as direct education and healthcare. However, we can potentially fund work that complements or adds value to public funding.
If your project has onward granting
You should tell us as soon as you can. Onward granting means using our funding to then give out grants to other organisations.
We’ll need to understand how you intend to deliver this part of your project as there are limitations to what we can and cannot support in this area. We’ll need details of your plans as part of our assessment, and we will then provide further information and guidance.
