Activities that enable residents to be active, healthy and well. This could include:

• access to sport, leisure, culture and green spaces
• low or no-cost opportunities that increase participation for those facing barriers
• activities that build social connection through volunteering or community participation

Projects should support people to make positive lifestyle choices and improve overall wellbeing.

Activities that help residents feel safe and proud of where they live, including improving the quality, safety and accessibility of local environments. This could include:

• support for people who feel vulnerable
• improvements to green and public spaces that create a stronger sense of pride and belonging

Projects should contribute to neighbourhoods being places people feel comfortable to live in and move around in.

Activities that help people feel connected to their community and reduce social isolation, particularly for those most at risk. This could include:

• opportunities to take part in community life, volunteering
• initiatives that celebrate diversity and create inclusive, welcoming spaces

Projects should enable people to build relationships, feel valued, and have a voice in shaping their local area.

Activities that ensure people can access the right information, advice and support when they need it, particularly those facing the greatest challenges. This could include:

• advocacy, targeted support services or partnership approaches that help people navigate systems and improve outcomes

Projects should increase people’s confidence and ability to manage their situation and reduce inequalities in access to support.

We will fund a Community Interest Company (CIC) if:

• the company’s activities clearly deliver public benefit
• the grant is used for community purposes
• the company can demonstrate social impact

To establish this, as well as your governing document we will require additional information including:

• Community Interest Statement (CIC36)
• Annual Community Interest Report (CIC34)
• business plan

All CICs are legally required to operate with an asset lock, providing assurance that the organisation's assets will be retained for community benefit and protected from unrestricted private distribution. Therefore, we will not fund CICs that do not have an asset lock.

CICs limited by shares are not eligible to apply for this funding programme. Although these organisations are established to deliver community benefit, they are permitted to distribute a proportion of their profits to shareholders.

Because our grant funding is intended to support organisations that reinvest all surpluses for public and community benefit, only charities, charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs), and CICs limited by guarantee are eligible to apply. You should ensure that your legal structure meets the eligibility criteria before you apply.

We understand that directors, shareholders and connected persons may legitimately provide services to a CIC, and we are not seeking to exclude such arrangements. However, we need to understand any potential private benefit arising from the grant.

Where grant funding may be used directly or indirectly for the benefit of a director, shareholder, family member, connected person, or a business connected to them, we will consider the circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

The information you provide will help us assess any potential private benefit and inform our discretionary decision-making on whether the proposed use of grant funding is appropriate and eligible for support.

We expect CIC governance arrangements to include sufficient independent scrutiny to provide assurance that public or charitable funding will be used for community benefit and not confer undue private benefit.

Grant funding advisory note

We do not normally award unrestricted grants to CICs. We generally provide grants for a specific project, activity or community benefit, to ensure there is a clear public purpose for the funding and because unrestricted grants can give rise to tax and accounting considerations for the recipient.

CICs are responsible for obtaining their own independent professional advice regarding any tax implications of receiving a grant.

Your group:

• is independently set up for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes and does not operate for private, commercial or personal profit or gain
• has a strong and established presence across the city, delivering significant benefit to local residents
• is incorporated
• complies with all statutory and legal responsibilities applicable to the organisation and its regulatory body, if relevant
• has a legal structure appropriate to the size and nature of the organisation with a governing document defining their aims and procedures
• has been established for a minimum of three years
• is not a statutory body, was not established by a statutory body, and is not wholly or partly managed by a statutory body
• has a minimum of three unrelated, elected volunteers who decide policy and overall management. By ‘unrelated’ we mean people who are not:
  • family members, such as siblings, parents and children
  • married couples or civil partners
  • or people living at the same address
• does not promote or appear to support a political party or ideology
• does not have a ‘person of significant control’ listed on the Companies House register of ‘persons with significant control’ where an individual has the right to or power to:
  • appoint and remove the majority of the company’s directors
  • hold more than 50% of the company's shares
  • hold more than 50% of the voting rights
  • exercise (whether directly or indirectly) a considerable degree of influence or control over the company or its activities
• meets the legal responsibilities of an employer and adopts, implements, and monitors good employment practice, if relevant
• has successfully delivered a city council grant previously, including managing grant conditions and monitoring requirements submitting accounts or other information requested in connection with any previous funding from us on time
• has up-to-date, appropriate and adequate insurance cover
• shows good governance and management by having up to date policies and procedures that are followed, kept under review, and meet legal requirements
• employs at least one paid staff member, or the grant should enable this
• if a Community Interest Company (CIC):
  • an asset lock
  • not be limited by shares

Your group:

• keeps accurate financial records that comply with legal standards and your governing documents including annual accounts
• can provide up-to-date whole organisation accounts, showing income and expenditure (profit and loss) against current budget
• ensures that effective financial systems and procedures have been established, are being consistently followed and are in line with best practice and legal requirements, for example has a reserves policy, presents finances to a board or committee for scrutiny
• has a dual-controlled bank account (two signatories) in the organisation’s name
• ensure that the bank or building society account in which you hold our grant funds is regulated either by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and is safeguarded by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
  • Check which firms the PRA regulates.
  • Use the FSCS’s bank and savings protection checker.
• keep an annually updated reserves policy outlining total reserves, distinguishing restricted and unrestricted funds, explaining their purpose and calculation, and including designated reserves where relevant
• can demonstrate they need financial support for the activity

Your group must provide:

• the latest version of a governing document
• a bank statement from within the last three months showing organisational name and address
• a list with names of two signatories for the bank account
• latest set of annual accounts including profit or loss, cash flow and balance sheets
• up-to-date whole organisation accounts, showing income and expenditure (profit and loss) against current budget
• An external examiner’s report (signed and dated), where the annual income is £25,000 or above
• a list of trustees, directors or committee members
• a trustee’s or director’s report (signed and dated)
• insurance certificate(s)
• if a Community Interest Company (CIC):
  • the Community Interest Report (CIC34)
  • a business plan
  • form CIC36
• policies (including date of adoption and date for review) on:
  • complaints
  • data protection
  • environmental
  • equality and diversity
  • health and safety
  • reserves
  • safeguarding

We are unable to fund organisations whose core purpose does not directly support community benefit. This includes:

• groups based outside the UK
• membership-based organisations where access to services or activities is restricted to paying members such as uniformed groups
• groups that have not complied with the monitoring requirements or grant conditions for any grant previously received from us
• faith-based organisations whose primary mission is religious worship or evangelism

You must have permission from the landowner if your activity will take place on land that you do not own.

For activities on land owned by us, you must submit a statement of intent. Please allow four weeks for us to decide whether to allow it to take place.

• Hiring a park or open space for your event

Monitoring will be carried out through twice-yearly partnership meetings with us. These meetings will provide an opportunity to review progress, share learning, discuss challenges, and ensure that the funding continues to support your sustainability and impact.

You will be required to submit your statement of accounts and annual report through the grants portal every year.

We are also introducing an additional monitoring process to help refine the grant scheme. This will also help us identify pressure points facing voluntary and community organisations that we can try to address through our Community Wealth Building Strategy.

Monitoring will focus on:

• overall health of your organisation
• financial stability
• governance
• existing and anticipated pressures
• impact of the organisation on its beneficiaries
• the difference that an unrestricted, multi-year grant award has made