Cost of Living Support

A list of external funding opportunities. Please be sure to check who can apply, what the fund is for, and the closing date for each fund.

The Community Winter Warmth and Welcome Spaces Fund

A small local grants programme funded by Essex County Council and is being delivered on their behalf by the Essex Association of Local Councils. 

• The £100,000 fund is for grants of up to £1,000 to support the provision of Winter Warmth and Welcome Spaces and activities for local communities in Essex. These can be the creation of new spaces and activities or to support existing ones.

Fund Priorities

For the purposes of this fund, Winter Warmth and Welcome Spaces are to be warm, free to access to all, safe and supportive spaces that Essex residents can visit during the winter.

They offer somewhere to:

• Keep warm

• Look after your physical and mental health

• Get access to activities, support and advice

Projects should be delivered and all funds spent by 31 March 2023.

Successful applicants must work with Essex County Council to ensure that their project is connected into the local cost-of-living offers of support being developed in their areas to enable project beneficiaries to have greater awareness and access to support available to them. This will include agreement to sharing their contact details with relevant third parties such as District Councils, health partners and other public sector bodies to facilitate this.

Who can apply?

•  Registered charities

•  Unincorporated clubs or associations and small community groups

•  Community interest companies

•  Parish and Town Councils (Please note that Parish and Town Councils MUST provide a minimum of 50% matched funding contribution of the total project cost. If a Parish or Town Council is unable to provide a minimum of 50% contribution then they must clearly state any exceptional circumstances for the Panel to consider) 

How to apply?

Please read through the guidance notes carefully for the scheme’s eligibility and criteria details.

• Application Form 2022/2023

• Guidance Notes 2022/2023

Micro Grants - Community Chest

The Community Chest Fund is designed to help parish & town councils, community groups, clubs, societies and voluntary organisations improve their local community. This grant excludes projects that deliver outside of the administrative area of Essex County Council. Micro-grants are available up to the value of £500 for any one project.

Who can apply?

• Town/Parish Councils

• Formally Constituted Groups

• Community Groups/Associations

• Social Enterprises

• CIC's

• Community Benefit Societies

​How to apply

Please read through the guidance notes which contain details of this particular grant.

Email a completed Micro-grant application to the Funding Officer. These will be reviewed twice a month and then advised if your application has been successful​.

Community Chest Guidance Notes

Application Form

You can apply for both the Community Initiative Fund and the Micro-grant

Micro Grants - Communication & Technology Support (this fund remains OPEN)

This grant supports grassroots organisations responding to the pandemic that rely largely on volunteers to deliver their projects and have no infrastructure to support communications & technology.

Micro-grants are available up to the value of £500 for any one project.

Who can apply?

• Town/Parish Councils

• Formally Constituted Groups

• Community Groups/Associations

• Social Enterprises

• CIC's

• Community Benefit Societies

​​How to apply?

Please read through the guidance notes which contain details of this particular grant.

Email a completed Micro-grant application to our funding team.

      These will be reviewed twice a month and then advised if your application has been successful​.

• Communications & Technology Guidance Notes

• Application Form

If you have any questions regarding this fund or would like to be added to the distribution list, then please contact our funding team on 01371 879722 or email funding@ealc.gov.uk .

Community Challenge Fund

You can bid for between £300 and £5,000 to fund a new, not for profit scheme, group, initiative or idea. This fund is available in Clacton, Harwich, Canvey, Harlow, Rural Braintree and parts of Colchester and Basildon.

You can only apply if you are:

• Applying as an individual

• Applying as a group (The applicant and other individuals they are working with) 

• An un-constituted group (small scale voluntary groups who do not have any employees and who do not pay trustees or staff)

• A Registered Charity, Community Interest Company (CIC) or Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) (where this is a new proposal and not a part of your core business)

Examples of how the grant could be used include:

• Training and equipment to share skills and create training opportunities

• Printing for a local event or newsletter

• Hosting and promoting an online magazine for young people

• Setting up a local seed exchange

• Providing taxi or licensed hire vehicles to bring isolated residents together

• Setting up a clothes swap in a community hall
  
  The deadline for application is the 31st of March 2023.
  All successful applications must spend their funds within 6 months.

How to apply?

For further information on the criteria, what areas are eligible and what the scheme will fund, please click the link below: 

community-challenge-fund-criteria.docx (live.com)

To apply for the fund click the link below:

Essex County Council Community Challenge Fund Application Form (office.com)