Want to apply for a grant?
The application process
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Step 1
Find out if your organisation can apply for grant funding by checking through our eligibility information below.
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Step 2
Complete an expression of interest form. This can be found on each fund page (link at bottom of page) and tells us a bit about your project and how much you would like to apply for.
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Step 3
If your project is suitable for one of our open funds, we will send you a link to a full application. This asks you for more detail about your project, including a budget breakdown.
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Step 4
We’ll get your application ready to be considered by our independent grants panel and may ask you for more information or evidence to ensure the panel have all they need to make an informed decision.
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Step 5
Following the panel, we aim to give you a decision within two months of the full application deadline. If your application is approved we will arrange for it to be paid to you, or if it is unsuccessful we will explain the reason why.
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Step 6
We’ll be in touch once your project has finished to request an end of grant monitoring report. This helps us and you to measure the impact of your project and is a key condition of your grant award.
WHO CAN APPLY?
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Grant applications must come from organisations which are formally constituted, not-for-profit, and operating for the benefit of Buckinghamshire residents. This includes:
- Charities
- Clubs & Societies
- Associations
- Community Interest Companies (CICs) limited by guarantee (we can fund new and expansion projects but cannot fund ongoing core costs)
- Social Enterprises
- Parish Councils (for projects outside the PC’s statutory obligations)
- Faith-based organisations (for projects which do not involve promotion of any particular faith)
- PTAs (for projects which involve and benefit the wider community)
WHAT CAN WE FUND?
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We award grants to a broad range of causes and are able to support the majority of community activities, such as:
New and existing projects, core running costs and capital expenditure.
Throughout the year we also manage specific grant funds with their own criteria and priorities, please see our table of funds below for more information.
WHAT CAN'T WE FUND?
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- Organisations and/or projects operating solely outside of Buckinghamshire, including Milton Keynes
- Activities promoting a particular religious or political belief
- Overseas travel
- Individuals
- Statutory organisations (with the exception of parish councils)
- CICs limited by shares
- Organisations whose principle concern is animal welfare
- Relief of statutory responsibilities
- Schools and private education organisations
- Retrospective funding
HOW MUCH CAN I APPLY FOR?
We can award grants of up to £5,000
From time-to-time we may also manage a fund with a higher limit. When this is the case, additional information will be available on our grant funds page. If your project requires more funding than this you might also be interested in our loan programme, please visit our loans page for more information.
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS
In order for us to award grant funding, organisations must be able to meet the requirements below. If you need any support, please see our resources page where you can find templates for many of the requirements listed.
Sharing your project success
In addition to providing evidence of expenditure, our end of grant report allows you and us to understand the impact of your project and is a great way for us to inspire both donors and other community groups. Behind every grant that we award, there is an individual, family or panel of local people who are interested in seeing the project succeed and the difference it has made. Submitting an end of grant form and supporting documentation is one of the key conditions of your grant award and will enable your organisation to be considered for future grants.
Step by Step: End of Grant Impact Monitoring
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Step 1
Select the right impact themes and outcome categories when completing your grant application.
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Step 2
Check the monitoring expectation from funders. We send the monitoring link with the grant offer letter.
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Step 3
Start collecting the desired evidence as soon as your project starts. Collect data relevant to your impact and consider involving beneficiaries when reviewing your project.
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Step 4
When reporting your project's impact, include qualitative (numbers) and quantitative (stories/feedback) evidence as they provide the context and value of your project.
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Step 5
Share your successes and challenges with funders and stakeholders. We love to use photos and videos to report the impact of your project, just make sure you get consent when recording any activities.
