BETTER COMMUNITY BUSINESS NETWORK GRANTS
A limited number of grants for up to £3,000 are available to UK registered charities and voluntary/community groups for revenue projects that aim to improve the quality of life of people in disadvantaged communities.
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o Application deadline: SUNDAY 16th FEBRUARY 2025 (the Fund opened to applications on Monday 2nd December 2024).
o Funder: The Better Community Business Network Limited (founded 2013. Charity number 1151484. Total value of grants awarded during the year ended 31 July 2023: £30,284 (2022: £95,355).
o Who can apply: UK registered charities (including branches of national charities), voluntary and community groups and organisations with charitable aims.
o Key words: Arts and Culture, Disability, Education, Elderly, Environment. Ex-Offenders, Health, Homelessness, Social Inclusion, United Kingdom.
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Each year, the Better Community Business Network earmarks a budget of £36,000 from which it will award up to 12 grants, with a maximum single grant of £3,000 (although higher awards are sometimes made) for initiatives across the UK that aim to improve the quality of life and expectations of people and their communities, especially those who come from disadvantaged or socially deprived backgrounds.
Although this is not an exclusive list, eligible organisations should be working in one or more of the following areas:
1. Arts and Culture, including sport activities and seeking funding for libraries.
2. Disability, including help lines and social inclusion.
3. Education, including schools and extra-curricular clubs.
4. Elderly, including befriending and social clubs.
5. Environment, including natural disasters and regeneration projects.
6. Ex-offenders, including mentoring and rehabilitation.
7. Health, including cancer research, healthy eating and hospitals.
8. Homelessness and poverty, including Food Banks and shelter, and
9. Social inclusion.
To be eligible to apply, organisations must meet the following criteria:
o Able to demonstrate that money awarded will be used for project-specific costs,.
o Be addressing a community issue or supporting a local community initiative.
o Be UK-based, and
o Providing benefits to the local population.
Details of a number of previous grant recipients are provided on the charity’s website (scroll down to the ‘Beneficiaries’ heading), while all grantees are listed on page 15 of its annual accounts.
Funding is not available for:
o Building projects.
o Endowments, loans, deficits, general appeals.
o For-profit initiatives.
o Grant-giving charities.
o Individuals and individual sponsorship.
o Items that the funders do not consider essential.
o Multiple applications: successful applicants may only apply once per year and unsuccessful applicants may apply in the next quarterly term.
o Overseas projects.
o Part-funding of projects.
o Party political activity.
o Professional associations or training of professionals.
o Running costs and expenses, or
o Travel and accommodation.
The key dates for applications to Round 1, 2025 are:
o Application deadline: Sunday 16th February 2025.
o Shortlisted applicants notified by Monday 10th March 2025.
o Awards announced: Friday 28th March 2025. Please note that only successful applicants are notified.
A second and final round for 2025 is expected to open in June.
Applicants are required to complete a ’60 second’ grant eligibility quiz prior to downloading the application form. For eligible applicants, the completed application form should be emailed to grants@bcbn.org.uk.
Further information, guidelines, and an online application form is available on the Better Community Business Network website.
Contact details for the fund are:
The Better Community Business Network
50 Havelock Terrace
Nine Elms
London
SW8 4AL
Email: grants@bcbn.org.uk