Apply for a grant

• Community Warm Spaces

  This Fund for local third sector organisations was announced in October 2022. Fife Council has made available funding to provide small grants to community organisations to deliver warm spaces and activities over the winter period 2022/23. This is one of a number of direct responses by Fife Council to the current cost-of-living crisis.
  
  It is being managed by Fife Voluntary Action, with support from Fife Council.
  
  This page contains all of the latest information about the local funding position, how organisations can apply and how to access support. Further down you will see a list of questions and answers to help organisations understand the Fund and how to apply. Significant support is available from FVA to help organisations to apply to the Fund and to manage any grant award. This page sets out the key criteria for eligible organisations and projects.
  
  The application process went live on Friday 14 October 2022, closing on 04 November 2022.
  
  Please remember, we are available to provide support with your project idea and application.
  
  Applications can be started from: 14/10/2022
  Application deadline: 04/11/2022
  
  Minimum amount you can apply for: £500, maximum: £5,000
  This funding has made been available thanks to Fife Council.
  
  

  Guidance Document

  We have produced a guidance document to help organisations to consider an application to this Fund. It also includes guidance on how to answer the questions in the application form. We strongly recommend that you read this guidance document before submitting an application.
  
  To download the guidance document (a PDF file) click on the link on the right-hand side where it says Read More...
  

  Start an Application

  You should read the information about this grant before starting an application on behalf of your organisation - there are further details on this page, see below. Please pay particular attention to information about eligibility and what can and cannot be funded to avoid spending time on a grant application that cannot be considered.
  
  Please only start a new application once you are satisfied that you and your proposal are eligible.
  Start a new application
  
  

  Resume or Review an Application

  If you have already started a grant application, or submitted one, you can open it by clicking on the link you received by e-mail when you started the application. If you cannot find the link, please supply your e-mail address and - if it is the e-mail address associated with a grant application - you will receive a new e-mail with the link. If you have any other problems, please contact us.
  
  To be reminded of the link to your grant application, please provide your e-mail address and click Submit:
  

   

  Grant Details

  This list is designed to help organisations to determine whether or not their project/funding proposal will be eligible for a grant:
    • your organisation must be a constituted third sector organisation operating in Fife (unconstituted groups can contact FVA for free support to consider how best to become constituted and apply for the grant);
    • the bank account must be in the organisation's name.
    • there are no size restrictions for organisations - most of the funding will be prioritised for smaller organisations, but organisations of any size can apply;
    • minimum grant amount is £500;
    • we anticipate most grants to be around £1,500, so please use this figure as the 'normal maximum';
    • in exceptional circumstances we may award grants of up to £5,000;
    • partnership bids are welcome, but they must be led by, and most of the activity undertaken by, a third sector organisation;
    • the grant is for grassroots projects working at a locality level - things that benefit at-risk/priority groups in local communities in Fife;
    • activity must specifically target at-risk/priority groups and tell us which one(s) (see the beneficiary list below);
    • we cannot fund budget gaps - this must fund additional activity or enhance existing activity;
    • grant awards are designed for revenue activity, but we will consider applications for capital costs (small equipment or minor improvements).

  Beneficiaries

  The Fund is for working people of any age in local communities. We will ask you in your application about the types of groups of people you will specifically be looking to support, asking you to choose at least one group from a list that we will provide.
  

  Fund Outcomes

  All funded activity must contribute to one of the following 4 local fund outcomes:
  1. People in Fife will have increased access to services which will tackle poverty and the current cost-of-living crisis;
  2. People in Fife will be able to access facilities, where they will be able to have social interaction with the local community;
  3. People in Fife will have increased access to facilities where they will be able to engage with meaningful activities;
  4. People in Fife will have access to meaningful volunteering opportunities that will encourage integration in their local communities.  

  Items that CAN and CANNOT be funded

  What CAN be funded:
    • Equipment
    • One-off events
    • Hall hire for community spaces
    • Provision of food/refreshments
    • Small capital spend for essential equipment/minor improvements
    • Staff costs
    • Training costs
    • Transport
    • Overheads - utilities costs
    • Volunteer expenses
    • Helping people to stay safe (PPE for small gatherings, activity, etc)
    • Childcare and other caring costs
    • Costs releated directly to the current cost-of-living crisis
  
  What CANNOT be funded:
    • Giving money, vouchers or similar to people
    • Contingency costs, loans, endowments, or interest
    • Electricity generation and feed-in tariff payment
    • Political or religious campaigning
    • Profit-making/fundraising activities
    • VAT you can reclaim
    • Statutory activities
    • Overseas travel
    • Alcohol
   

  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  When can organisations start applying to the Fund?
  The online application system will go live on Friday 14 October 2022. We will send out an e-mail bulletin to alert everybody, so please make sure you are signed up to receive them. This page will always contain the latest information, so check back here every now and again.
  
  Who can apply to the Fund?
  It is for third sector organisations who can evidence a contribution to the fund outcomes. Most of the funding will be prioritised for grassroots organisations. If your group does not yet have a constitution then please get in touch with us to discuss where you are in your formation journey, and we can advise on your readiness to apply as well as the support we can provide.
  
  Is this funding one-off monies?
  Yes, this is one-off funding made available by Fife Council to support community activity over the winter period 2022/23.
  
  Can we get help to apply?
  Yes - we can help organisations with their project idea and to apply. Support is also available to manage the grant and submit the required monitoring information. Support staff cannot give definitive feedback on how successful an application might be and they are not involved in the assessment process, but they have extensive experience of supporting grant applications and know more about this Fund than anybody else.
  
  Where can I get the form to complete?
  There isn't a form - grant applications will be done on this website. You do not have to complete it in one sitting or on the same device, you can get other people to fill out parts of it for you, if you want to.
  
  Can I get a copy of the application that I submit?
  Yes - every time you submit something on our grant application system you will receive a receipt and full copy of what you submitted by e-mail, automatically.
  
  How much can we apply for?
  The minimum is £500, the maximum is £5,000. Applications that are closer to £5,000 will need to demonstrate why they require a greater proportion of funding.
  
  Can new organisations without a bank account apply?
  No. They can partner with another third sector organisation who will be the grant recipient and held accountable for the grant. Contact us if this is a concern for you.
  
  Must the money be spent by the end of March 2023?
  Yes, this funding is specifically for the winter period 2022/23.
  
  Can we apply for capital costs?
  Yes, for small items of equipment or improvements to premises up to the maximum value of the grant (£5,000).
  
  Our SCIO status isn't confirmed yet, can we still apply?
  Please contact us - we want to allocate all of this money and fund good community activity, so we will do what we can to support you to apply. By working with us, we can assess risk and still support applications from organisations who are working towards registration but haven't yet achieved it.
  
  Can colleagues work on the application form with me?
  Yes, the online application system allows you to save your answers as you go, close out and resume where you left off. You don't need to complete it in order either. You can share your unique website link with anybody you choose.
  
  Can an organisation submit more than one application?
  Yes, within reason. You can submit more than one if the projects are different. If, for example, it's the same project but in different areas, it's one project for a larger amount. We are focussed on the quality of the activity and the impact on the at-risk groups.