Applications for Cambridge City Council’s community grants (£5,000 and under) are now open for voluntary and community groups, or groups of local residents that need funding to deliver activities to help reduce social and/or economic inequality in the city.
This grant scheme replaces the Area Committee Grants.
The deadline to apply for this round of funding is midday on Tuesday 14 January 2025. Applications for this funding round must be for activities taking place between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.
The council will host a webinar on 3 December 2024 to support groups with their application. Face-to-face appointments are also available on 4 December 2024 if you would like to discuss your activity and completing the application form – booking required. It is strongly recommended that you attend one of these sessions to ensure you are familiar with all the changes to the grant.
Contact the council’s Grants team to book a place at the webinar or an in-person appointment by emailing grants@cambridge.gov.uk or calling 01223 457875.
For groups wishing to run activities between 1 July 2025 and 31 March 2026 there will be a second funding round open on 23 April 2025.
The funding is specifically for activities that benefit city residents with the highest needs.
You can apply for funding for:
- activities that help people be more active
- activities that improve access to arts and culture
- activities that bring communities together
- activities that reduce poverty
- activities that reduce loneliness and social isolation.
The funding can be spent on things like venue hire to host activities; costs to run activities that benefit people on low incomes; or activities that reduce poverty. You can apply for £5,000 or less – this can be for a single activity or split between multiple activities with a combined maximum total of £5,000.
Cllr Rachel Wade, Executive Councillor for Communities, said: “We are pleased to be able to offer grants to voluntary and charity groups and groups of local residents to run activities that will help to reduce inequality.
“I encourage groups and organisations that need the extra funding to apply and use the support available during the application process.
“It is important that we empower local groups to run activities to benefit the community and we hope that this grant will do exactly that.”
The fund has detailed eligibility criteria which is available online. Further information on other funding opportunities is available on the website. Alternatively potential applicants are encouraged to contact the Grants team for further information or guidance.
