Deadline: 28-Jul-21
If you are a voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisation that provides services for vulnerable and disadvantaged people who live in Leicestershire, then you may be eligible to apply for a SHIRE Grant in 2021-22.
Priorities
Leicestershire County Council’s Communities Strategy (2017-21) ‘Working Together to Build Great Communities’ is based around the following four priorities:
- Priority 1: Communities support themselves, individuals and families
- Priority 2: Communities, in collaboration with public services, are supported to design and deliver better outcomes for the people of Leicestershire
- Priority 3: Voluntary and community sector organisations, social enterprises and Town and Parish Councils are supported and empowered to provide a range of effective services and activities for individuals and communities
- Priority 4: The council continues to be outward focussed, transparent, and open to new ways of working.
Themes
- Strong Economy and Infrastructure
- Increased Opportunities
- Keeping People Safe and Well
- Great Communities
- Clean, Green Environment
Funding Information
- To help deliver the strategic priorities of the Council, approx. £900,000 is available for the SHIRE Community Grants programme in 2021-22.
Types of Grants
VCSE organisations, that deliver services and activities to vulnerable and disadvantaged people who live in Leicestershire, can apply for one of the following grants in 2021-22.
- Small Grants
- Small Grants (up to a maximum of £3,000) are available, primarily to support the delivery of smaller scale project activities. This can include funding for core organisational running costs, such as venue hire, staffing costs, utilities, etc. as well as any costs associated with delivering activities which meet the SHIRE Grants criteria.
- Large Grants
- Large Grants (minimum £3,001, maximum £10,000) are available to support the delivery of medium to larger scale project activities. Again, this can include funding for core organisational running costs, such as venue hire, staffing costs, management costs, back office costs, utilities, and general organisational running costs, as well as any costs associated with delivering activities which meet the SHIRE Grants criteria.
- Capital Grants
- Capital Grants (minimum £1,000, maximum £10,000) are available to assist with the purchase of capital equipment, including appropriate building works; ICT equipment; vehicles; or any other large capital items, to enable delivery of services which meet the grant criteria.
- Match Funding
- If your organisation has secured a grant (between £3,000 and £10,000) from the Leicestershire & Rutland Community Foundation, or the National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards for All programme, within the 2021-22 financial year, they will consider offering additional/top up match funding in the form of a SHIRE Grant. However, they can only offer match funding for costs/activities which improve the lives, health and wellbeing of vulnerable/disadvantaged individuals and communities in Leicestershire.
- Partnership Grants
- Funding (minimum £5,000, maximum £25,000) is available to partnerships of two or more organisations who are able to jointly apply for a grant to work collaboratively to develop or deliver a project, service or activity which meets the grant criteria.
Eligibility Criteria
- Grants are available for registered charities, constituted ‘not-for-profit’ community groups, and social businesses/enterprises or Community Interest Companies, who operate a ‘not for private profit’ business model, i.e. where any income generated is re-invested back into the social aims of the group/community.
- Grants cannot be awarded to non-constituted groups
- Leicestershire based Town and Parish Councils can also apply for SHIRE Grants. However, funding for Town and Parish Councils can only be used towards activities which specifically benefit vulnerable and disadvantaged people within the Parish area.
- Organisations that apply for funding will need to demonstrate why the funding is essential to enable them to deliver the project (i.e. demonstrate that they are unable to undertake the project activity with existing resources)
- Applicants need to have a bank account, with at least two unrelated signatories.
For more information, visit https://www.leicestershirecommunities.org.uk/grants/shire-community-grant.html