Call for Applications: Express Grant Programme (United Kingdom)

The Quartet Community Foundation Express Grant Programme provides grants of up to £5,000 to small grassroots and community organisations working in Bristol, Bath and North-East Somerset, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire. The programme supports activities, services, core costs, equipment, and other projects that address local inequalities, poverty, disadvantage, and exclusion.

About the Express Grant Programme

The Express Grant Programme is designed to strengthen local communities across the West of England by supporting small and medium-sized voluntary and community organisations.

The programme focuses on organisations working with people who experience:

• Poverty or low income.
• Unemployment and economic disadvantage.
• Social exclusion.
• Barriers to accessing appropriate services.
• Inequality and disadvantage.
• Limited access to affordable support and opportunities.

Funding can support both new initiatives and continuation of existing work, allowing organisations to maintain essential services as well as develop new community activities.

Why the Grant Matters

Grassroots organisations often work directly with communities experiencing the greatest inequalities but may have limited financial resources.

The Express Grant Programme aims to strengthen these organisations by providing flexible funding that can be used for different aspects of community work.

The programme can help organisations:

• Address poverty and economic disadvantage.
• Improve access to essential services.
• Support underserved communities.
• Maintain community services.
• Develop new activities and projects.
• Strengthen local community infrastructure.
• Purchase necessary equipment.
• Carry out eligible refurbishment or capital improvements.

Who Is Eligible?

The programme is aimed primarily at small grassroots and community organisations operating within the eligible West of England areas.

Eligible applicants include:

• Constituted voluntary organisations.
• Community organisations.
• Registered charities.
• Not-for-profit companies.
• Community Interest Companies (CICs) limited by guarantee, where most directors are unpaid.

Applicants must be based and working in one of the following areas:

• Bristol.
• Bath and North-East Somerset.
• North Somerset.
• South Gloucestershire.

Priority for Smaller Organisations

Priority is given to small local charities and community organisations.

Particular preference is given to organisations with an annual income of:

• Less than £1 million, and especially
• Less than £500,000.

This focus helps ensure that funding reaches smaller organisations that are closely connected to local communities and may have fewer alternative sources of financial support.

What Can the Grant Fund?

The Express Grant Programme offers relatively flexible funding and can support several categories of expenditure.

Core and Running Costs

Funding may contribute toward eligible core or running costs required to deliver community work.

This can be particularly valuable for grassroots organisations that need flexible funding to maintain their activities.

Project and Activity Costs

Grants can support the direct costs of delivering activities, projects, and services that address local inequalities and disadvantage.

Examples may include:

• Community support activities.
• Services for underserved groups.
• Activities addressing economic disadvantage.
• Projects improving access to affordable services.
• Community development initiatives.

Capital Costs

Capital expenditure can also be supported where eligible.

This may include:

• Equipment.
• Refurbishment.
• Other appropriate capital requirements connected to the organisation’s community work.

Applicants should clearly explain how each proposed cost contributes to the intended community outcomes.

Grant Amount

Organisations can request up to:

£5,000 per grant

The average grant awarded is approximately £4,000.

The programme aims to fully fund eligible requests where possible. However, partial funding may occasionally be offered depending on the circumstances and available resources.

How to Apply

Step 1: Confirm Your Location

Check that your organisation is based and working in one of the four eligible areas:

1. Bristol.
2. Bath and North-East Somerset.
3. North Somerset.
4. South Gloucestershire.

Step 2: Check Your Organisation’s Eligibility

Confirm that your organisation has an eligible legal or community structure, such as a constituted voluntary or community organisation, registered charity, or qualifying not-for-profit company.

Step 3: Identify the Inequality or Disadvantage

Clearly explain the local problem your organisation is addressing.

For example, your project may focus on:

• Poverty.
• Low income.
• Unemployment.
• Social exclusion.
• Lack of access to affordable services.
• Other forms of local inequality or disadvantage.

Step 4: Describe Your Activities

Explain what you will do with the funding.

Keep the explanation practical and specific. Show how the proposed activities will directly benefit people experiencing disadvantage.

Step 5: Prepare Your Budget

Prepare a realistic budget showing how the requested funding will be spent.

The request can cover eligible:

• Core costs.
• Running costs.
• Project costs.
• Activity costs.
• Equipment.
• Refurbishment or other eligible capital costs.

Step 6: Demonstrate Community Impact

Explain who will benefit, how many people you expect to reach, and what changes the funding will help achieve.

Strong applications should make the connection clear:

Funding → Activities → Beneficiaries → Outcomes

What Makes a Strong Application?

A strong application should demonstrate:

• A clear understanding of local inequality.
• Direct engagement with disadvantaged or underserved communities.
• A strong connection to the local area.
• Realistic and achievable activities.
• A clear explanation of how funding will be used.
• Evidence of community benefit.
• Appropriate financial planning.
• A strong reason why the organisation needs the funding.

Small organisations should also emphasize their grassroots connection and ability to reach people who may not be well served by larger institutions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

• Applying when the organisation does not operate in an eligible area.
• Failing to explain the specific inequality being addressed.
• Providing a vague description of beneficiaries.
• Requesting funding without explaining individual costs.
• Focusing primarily on organisational benefit rather than community benefit.
• Providing unrealistic budgets.
• Failing to demonstrate why the proposed activity is needed.
• Ignoring the programme’s emphasis on grassroots and smaller organisations.

Key Details at a Glance

• Grant programme: Express Grant Programme
• Funder: Quartet Community Foundation
• Geographic focus: Bristol, Bath and North-East Somerset, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire
• Maximum grant: £5,000
• Average grant: Approximately £4,000
• Funding approach: Flexible support for eligible core, running, project, activity, and capital costs
• Primary beneficiaries: People experiencing inequality, poverty, economic disadvantage, exclusion, or limited access to appropriate services
• Priority applicants: Small local charities and community organisations
• Preferred organisational income: Under £1 million, particularly under £500,000
• Application type: New activities and continuation of existing work may be supported

FAQ

What is the Quartet Community Foundation Express Grant Programme?

The Express Grant Programme provides flexible grants to grassroots and community organisations working to address inequality and disadvantage across Bristol, Bath and North-East Somerset, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire.

How much funding can organisations receive?

Applicants can request up to £5,000. The average grant awarded is approximately £4,000, although the final amount depends on the application and available funding.

What types of organisations can apply?

Eligible applicants include constituted voluntary and community organisations, registered charities, and qualifying not-for-profit companies such as Community Interest Companies limited by guarantee with most directors unpaid.

What types of costs can the grant support?

Funding can support eligible core and running costs, project and activity costs, and capital costs such as equipment and refurbishment.

Can an organisation use the grant for an existing project?

Yes. The programme can support both new activities and continuation of existing work, provided the work meets the programme’s objectives and eligibility requirements.

Which organisations receive priority?

Priority is given to small local charities and community organisations, particularly organisations with annual income below £1 million and especially those below £500,000.

What communities should applicants focus on?

Applications should demonstrate benefits for people experiencing inequalities or disadvantage, including people affected by poverty, unemployment, low income, social exclusion, or barriers to appropriate and affordable services.

Conclusion

The Quartet Community Foundation Express Grant Programme offers flexible funding for small grassroots organisations tackling inequality and disadvantage across the West of England. With grants of up to £5,000, the programme can support core costs, community activities, projects, equipment, and eligible refurbishment, making it a useful funding opportunity for organisations delivering practical support to underserved local communities.