UK: Greater Manchester Green Spaces Fund (Round 3)

Deadline: 9-Jun-23

Applications are now open for the Round 3 of the Greater Manchester Green Spaces Fund to support community-led projects that increase the amount and quality of accessible, nature-rich green space in the city region, particularly in the areas where people need it most.

Greater Manchester is launching the fund, with an initial value of £2.6 million. Small grants will be available for communities experiencing inequalities who want to create new green spaces or improve existing ones in their area. These might be unused areas that people want to open up for wider public access, a community garden, greening a street, or creating a small park or parklet. They are particularly interested in hearing from communities in greatest need, to ensure the fund is used to empower those facing inequalities.

The fund is focused on three principles:

• To benefit communities in greatest need of quality green spaces
• To tackle the climate and biodiversity emergency
• To encourage and empower communities to get involved with nature

Funding Information

The fund has two types of grants available.

• Small grants up to £15,000
• Large grants between £15,000 to £40,000

What can be funded?

• The fund will be used to support projects which will increase the amount and/or quality of green spaces, by either creating new green spaces or improving spaces by making physical enhancements to create more and better spaces for nature.
• They will prioritise projects which will benefit communities experiencing inequalities (for example those experiencing social or economic disadvantage) and lack public access to green space (for example in areas without a public park nearby or lacking greenery).
• These grants will support a wide range of projects on publicly accessible spaces, making physical improvements to the space by creating new green spaces on brownfield land or unused land or paved public space or streets, or improving existing green spaces for people and nature. Projects must be fully costed and can apply only for the specific amount needed for the work.

Duration: They require a commitment to maintaining the project, as delivered, for a minimum of 3 years following completion of the project.

Eligible Projects

Examples of the type of projects the Green Spaces Fund could support include:

• Enhancing or creating publicly accessible green spaces for people and wildlife and engaging communities with these new spaces
• Permanently greening streets or turning unused viable land into green community spaces
• Creating new permanent parklets or pocket parks and engaging people with these new spaces
• Cleaning up and restoring green spaces, streams, rivers, canals or ponds with local communities
• The development of green corridors linking parks, community gardens or other green spaces
• Projects that significantly improve the biodiversity of the area and engaging communities with these new spaces

Location: All applications to the fund must be for projects located in Greater Manchester and must be able to provide information on the site where the fund will be spent. They will prioritise project proposals in areas experiencing socio-economic disadvantages and lacking quality green space.

Eligibility Criteria

• Organisations
  • Applications are open to:
    • Community Groups, associated or unincorporated community associations
    • Registered charities, including Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
    • Social Enterprises or Community Benefit Societies
    • Community Interest Companies (CICs)
    • Tenant and or Resident Associations or groups of residents
    • Schools and academy trusts
• Accountable bodies
  • An accountable body is organisation that is responsible for receiving the grant funding and ensuring it is spent in accordance with the conditions for which it was given. Types of groups who are eligible to apply for the fund are also eligible to act as an accountable body. Private organisations may act as an accountable body.
  • Please note: not all organisations will require an accountable body. The types of groups that may need an Accountable Body are newly formed groups who are unconstituted and do not have a bank account established in the name of the group. Organisations, such as registered housing providers, local authorities or local parish councils, can act as accountable bodies to support an application from a community group or organisation.

Ineligible

• Sole individuals
• Groups that consist of one family
• Statutory bodies
• Profit-making organisations i.e. limited companies
• Political groups or activities promoting political views
• Projects promoting a political or religious belief

For more information, visit Greater Manchester Environment Fund.