Deadline: 17-Mar-25
The Project Groundwater Innovation Grant Programme is dedicated to empowering and engaging local communities across the Chiltern Hills and Berkshire Downs to address groundwater flooding issues to help them become more resilient to groundwater flooding.
This grant will enable local community organisations and individuals to access funding for projects that will encourage using grassroots knowledge to drive solutions for managing groundwater flooding, ensuring the outcomes align with the needs of the community.
Objectives
- The activities funded by the Project Groundwater Innovation Fund will be designed to also make a significant contribution to a number of wider social and environmental objectives, notably:
- Increasing awareness and education on groundwater flooding
- Developing innovative solutions to mitigate groundwater flooding
- Actively monitoring flood events and improving warning systems
- Supporting sustainable water management practices
- Enhancing community resilience to flood events
- Strengthening community involvement in environmental stewardship
- Fostering collaboration between local groups
Funding Information
- They offer two tiers of grants:
- Standard grants of £5,000 to £10,000
- Flagship grants of £10,001 to £20,000 for larger stand-out projects, or projects that link several targeted communities
Eligible Activities
- There are many ways to address groundwater flooding. Below are some examples of activities your project could include:
- Developing sustainable drainage systems (SuDS)
- Enhancing natural flood management techniques
- Creating water storage or infiltration areas
- Planting trees or vegetation to support water absorption and biodiversity
- Installing rainwater harvesting systems
- Conducting educational campaigns or workshops on groundwater management
- Increasing access to flood-resilient infrastructure for vulnerable groups
- Encouraging community driven monitoring and maintenance of flood prone areas
- Developing a better flood alert system for groundwater flooding
Eligibility Criteria
- The Project Groundwater Innovation Fund supports local organisations and individuals in nine pilot communities across the Chiltern Hills and Berkshire Downs:
- Chalfont St Peter
- Chesham
- Colnbrook with Poyle
- Hinksey Park
- Kimpton
- The Lambourn Valley
- Luton
- Marlow
- The Pang Valley
- To apply for funding, you must deliver a project within one of the nine supported pilot areas as outlined above, and be proposing a project that tackles groundwater flooding and benefits the local community. The fund is open to a wide range of groups, including:
- Formal organisations such as small or medium sized enterprises, educational establishments, registered charities, local authorities, religious organisations, and companies limited by guarantee
- Community focused organisations such as not-for-profit CICs, social enterprises, constituted community organisations, tenants or residents’ associations, and friends of groups
- Informal or unconstituted groups that do not have a formal structure or governing documents, typically made up of individuals who come together to work collaboratively on specific projects, such as a group of neighbours
For more information, visit Groundwork.