Community fund
Grants for registered charities combining climate action with social benefits for people in Swale or Medway, Kent.
Αυτή η ευκαιρία είναι προς το παρόν διαθέσιμη στα Αγγλικά.
You can seek support for a project that cuts emissions or helps people adapt to climate change while also addressing fuel poverty or supporting vulnerable or disadvantaged groups. The guidance gives LED lighting that reduces carbon emissions and building running costs as an example.
The fund supports projects over one or two years. Its indicative grant range is £2,000–£6,000 per project in any single year. Some project overheads and administration costs can be included in your budget.
Projects may start from 1 January 2027 or soon afterwards. Plan to finish a one-year project by December 2027 or a two-year project by December 2028; a later completion date may be accommodated. For ongoing projects, provide a brief written progress report before the annual general meeting (AGM), and a final report by 31 December of the applicable year or the agreed later end date. Successful applicants are invited to the appropriate autumn AGM.
Eligibility
- Your organisation must be a registered charity. Previous grant recipients can apply again and will be assessed on their merits.
- Your project must benefit people living in Swale and/or Medway districts of Kent. It cannot benefit just one individual.
- For the climate projects covered here, address climate change mitigation and/or adaptation, together with at least one social objective: alleviating fuel poverty or supporting vulnerable or disadvantaged groups.
- Applications from Medway are particularly encouraged, but all proposals are judged on their merits. Projects benefiting people in Sittingbourne may receive favourable consideration if they meet all criteria.
How to apply
- Κατάσταση
- κλειστό
- Κλείνει
- Όροι του κύκλου αιτήσεων
- Applications are open for projects delivered in 2027 and 2028.[^c2]
- One-year projects should finish by December 2027 and two-year projects by December 2028; a later completion date may be accommodated.[^c9]
Download the 2026-27 summary form and applicant guide from Orchard Community Energy’s applicant page. Submit the completed summary as the first page of a single file, followed by up to three sides of supporting text. Word is preferred; PDF is accepted. Use Arial 11pt, margins of at least 1cm and numbered pages. State whether you seek one or two years of funding; for two years, give the split between Year 1 and Year 2.
Explain the project’s need, how it meets the environmental and social criteria, who benefits and where they live, and your budget. Say how costs beyond the grant and unexpected costs will be met, including whether other funding depends on another grant application. Describe the wider environmental impact, delivery timeline and the organisation and people delivering the work. Provide a referee’s contact details and complete the summary form’s applicable boxes.
Confirm the form’s data-processing declaration and that you can legitimately supply the personal data. Mark personal data outside the public domain with an asterisk. Orchard Community Energy cannot accept applications that do not allow the stated processing; publicity of successful grants follows agreement in the grant offer letter.
Email the application to grants@orchardcommunityenergy.org by noon on 31 October 2026. Shortlisted applicants will discuss their project with a committee member, with a visit arranged if appropriate. Decisions and grant payments are intended by 31 December 2026.