Grants and External Funding

New Biffa Operation Sites

We have recently added more sites of Biffa operations, which means you may now be eligible for funding if you weren’t before. Take a look by using our postcode checker on the Biffa Award website to see if you meet distance criteria.   Home Page - Biffa Award (biffa-award.org)

Introducing Grantway: an innovative, user-friendly new search portal designed to make it easy for charity and volunteer organisations to find and obtain essential funding. What’s more, it won’t cost you a penny.  Grantway | Find your funding opportunities

Grants are available to support environmental improvement and community engagement across Greater London neighbourhoods. The deadline to apply is 15 December 2021 (12 noon).

Grants are available to registered charities promoting healthy lifestyle choices in children and young people. The deadline is 12 November 2021 (11.59pm). It is expected that winning charities will be contacted by 1 December 2021.

Investment funding and support services are available to UK entrepreneur-led ecommerce businesses to boost their growth and development.  Support may be accessed at any time.

Grants are available to support partnerships between UK and international organisations to deliver arts projects which address contemporary social themes.  Applications will be accepted until 4 November 2021.

Launching soon, a new government innovation fund aims to make clean heat systems smaller, easier to install and cheaper to run.  

Schools and community groups in the UK have until 1 November to submit their application for funding to increase youth engagement with nature.  The deadline for applications is 1 November 2021.

Grants are available to public, private and third sectors organisations in England and Wales to support performance improvements to existing district or communal heating projects.  The deadline for applications is 31 October 2021 (23:59 BST).

Loans are available to support UK charities and social enterprises who have been impacted by coronavirus/COVID-19 and need funds to help them to survive, recover and grow.  The deadline for applications is 21 November 2021 (midnight).

Grants are available for individuals and organisations in the UK for research and other projects that enhance the understanding and knowledge of castles.  The deadline for applications is 1 December 2021.

Blended loan and grant investments are available to creative and culture businesses who deliver social impact to disadvantaged communities, and are operating in the 11 northern Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas - including Cumbria.  Applications may be made at any time.

Funding for local not-for-profit organisations working with food banks, toy banks, housing and accommodation and poverty relief in the UK.  The deadline for applications is 31 December 2021 (23:59).

Funding for charities and not-for-profit organisations that provide support to serving and former members of the British Armed Forces who are in need.  The final deadline for 2021 applications is 12 November for consideration in December 2021.

Funding for small to medium sized UK registered charities supporting disadvantaged people in the UK, Africa, or Central and South America.  The next deadline for applications is 31 December 2021 for consideration in February 2022.

Small grants are available for local projects, activities and organisations that have charitable aims and that will be of real direct benefit to families in England, Scotland and Wales.  The next set of quarterly deadlines are: 8 November 2021, 7 February 2022, 9 May 2022 and 8 August 2022.

Funding is available to UK registered businesses for research and development projects to improve the competitiveness of the Foundation Industry sector by helping it to become more environmentally sustainable.  The deadline for applications is 1 December 2021 (11:00 GMT).

Support is offered to water companies from England and Wales, together with private sector partners, to develop bids addressing the sector's most pressing challenges. The deadline for the Catalyst Stream is 8 December 2021 (12:00 GMT). The Stage 1 deadline for the Transform Stream is 16 November 2021 (12:00 GMT).

UK businesses will be funded to support the development and trials of solutions to switch industry from high to low carbon fuels.  Applicants must register in order to be able to apply to the competition. The deadline for Phase 1 registrations is 22 November 2021 (14:00 GMT).

Funding is available for UK businesses to research, test and develop step-change circular economy approaches.  The deadline for applications is 8 December 2021 (11:00 GMT).

Grants available for public sector bodies in England to fund energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation measures.  Phase 3 applications must be submitted by the deadline of 3 November 2021 (2pm).

Grants are available to voluntary and community organisations in the United Kingdom for small-scale projects to take action on climate change. Grants of £1,000 to £10,000 are available. The deadline for applications is 18 November 2021 (5pm).

Grants are available for community organisations and schools operating within a 15-mile radius of a Moto site for projects and activities that deliver benefits to local communities.  Applications may be made at any time and will be considered on a monthly basis.

Grants are available to UK charities running sports projects which provide opportunities for people who are disabled or otherwise disadvantaged to fulfil their potential and develop personal and life skills.  Applications may be submitted at any time.

A small number of grants are available each year to small not-for-profit groups which can demonstrate a positive impact on the communities they serve across the UK.  The next deadline for applications is 26 November 2021 (5pm), for awards on 7 December 2021.

Grants are available to help sport and activity groups, clubs and organisations providing sport and physical activity respond to the immediate challenges of returning to play in a coronavirus-safe way.  The programme will remain open until the end of 2021.

Loan funding is available to a wide range of incorporated organisations based and operating in England to deliver projects using sport and sporting facilities that generate sustainable revenue and deliver long-term community impact.  Applications can be submitted at any time.

Grants are available for schools, community groups, clubs, societies or other organisations in England to improve the education and development of children and young people through educational, cultural, sporting and other activities.  Applications can be submitted at any time.

In a move designed to jump start the UK’s cultural and creative sectors following the coronavirus lockdown, the Culture Secretary has announced the launch of a Government-backed scheme for domestic film and TV productions struggling to get COVID-related insurance.   This scheme will now remain open for applications until 30 April 2022.

Funding is available to support creative sector organisations and individuals in the four nations of the United Kingdom towards international partnership development and co-creation projects.  The fund will open to applications on 21 October 2021 and close to applications on 11 November 2021.

Grants are available for grassroots charitable organisations in the UK providing support that enables people to enter the labour market or gain additional skills to further develop their career.  The deadline for stage 1 applications is 15 October 2021 (6pm).

Funding for emerging documentary filmmakers and audio producers from anywhere in the world to tell original and authored stories with honesty, professionalism and wit.  The deadline for applications is 31 January 2022 (24:00 GMT).

Funding to support local good causes with priority given to projects that provide food and support to young people.  Applications accepted on a ongoing bases.   

Large grants are available to voluntary and community organisations in England for projects that make positive changes in their communities. The grants can be used for the following costs: Direct costs associated with delivering activities in the community, Organisational development, and Core/fixed costs to support the day-to-day running of the organisation.   Applications may be submitted at any time.

Community groups in the UK can apply for grants to create events or activities that engage under-represented audiences as part of British Science Week 2022.   The deadline for applications is 5pm on 8 November 2021.

Grants are available to support the development of collaborative research projects between UK cultural sector organisations and academic researchers.  

• Cultural sector organisations: Expressions of Interest may be made between 18 October 2021 and 24 November 2021.
• Academic researchers: Expressions of Interest may be made between 6 December 2021 and 26 January 2022.

This scheme aims to increase the range of options available to UK industry to enable them to decarbonise at a faster rate.  The Registration and Application deadlines have been extended to 14 October and 29 October 2021 respectively.

British charities can apply for a large grant to help them deliver the project they have always dreamt of, but never had the opportunity to bring to life.  This years themes are Environmental Systems Change, Social Inequality, and Pandemic recovery.   Stage 1 applications will be accepted from 1 October 2021 to 1 November 2021 (5:30pm).

Funding is available for UK-based businesses and research organisations to support the best game-changing or disruptive R&D ideas, with a view to commercialisation.  The competition opens on 7 October 2021 and closes on 5 January 2022 (11:00 GMT).

Grants are available to UK-based community groups that aim to bring musical projects to their local communities.  The next deadline for applications is 29 October 2021.

Owing to the fragility of the economy in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis, a multi-million package of support is being provided to help working age adults secure employment and training.

Get up to £10,000

Crowdfunder and the National Emergencies Trust have teamed up to make more than £1.2m match funding available to help voluntary and community organisations in the UK overcome the effects of the pandemic. This exciting new opportunity aims to support long-term sustainability and open up new avenues of income for brilliant local groups who are making a real difference to the people in their communities.  Applications for the fund are open until 22 October.

This year funding can go towards any of the below projects: 

• Improving mental wellbeing
• Enabling community participation in the arts
• Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty
• Supporting marginalised groups and promoting equality
• Improving biodiversity and green spaces
• Enabling participation in physical activity
• Responding to the climate emergency and promoting sustainability 
• Increasing community access to outdoor space

Grants are available for charitable, not-for-profit organisations whose work benefits communities in Cumbria, Dumfriesshire, Lancaster, Preston and Haltwhistle.  The Cumbria Community Foundation is particularly keen to help grassroots community groups and small-to-medium-sized voluntary organisations.  The next deadline for applications is 5 November 2021.

Grants for local community projects that reduce isolation and promote integration; supporting post-COVID recovery in local Armed Forces communities affected by isolation. This year (2021), the programme will support ideas that need small amounts of funding to deliver nimble and focused local projects to Armed Forces communities or small grants to support services, projects and activities that are used by Armed Forces communities, but which are struggling as a result of the impact of the Covid pandemic.   Round 3 - deadline of midday on 19 November 2021 with a decision by 28 February 2022.

Funding for the purchase of essential items to meet the most basic needs of children and young people in the UK who are facing exceptionally difficult circumstances.  Application deadline: None specified

Funding is available to help businesses with high energy use reduce their carbon outputs.  The Phase 2 Autumn window is now live. The deadline for applications is Monday 6 December 2021.

A public initiative is inviting community groups in the UK to put forward their project ideas.  The deadline for applications for the latest round of funding is 23.59pm on 5 October 2021.

Funding for local community groups who are driving change by drawing on the expertise of people with lived experience of the issues being tackled.  The deadline is 29 November 2021, but the fund may close earlier if enough applications are received.

Funding opportunities for 12 international development projects that seek to end extreme poverty.