Community Grants Fund
Grants for not-for-profit groups to deliver community climate projects in eligible parts of Chesterfield, including cleaner travel, repair and reuse, greener buildings and adaptation.
Denne finansieringsmuligheten er foreløpig beskrevet på engelsk.
You can seek funding for community projects that cut emissions, help people respond to climate change or involve residents in measurable climate activities. Examples include walking and cycling, repair and reuse, food growing, energy efficiency or renewables at community buildings, raingardens and shade. The council particularly welcomes climate projects; strong positive climate impact can receive additional scoring.
Smaller projects can request £500–£6,000. Larger capital projects can request up to £50,000. Capital means buying new assets or substantially refurbishing existing ones: they must benefit the wider community and be expected to last at least five years. Grants can also support activities, events, training and workshops, with limited funding for each type of work.
The council combines Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) neighbourhood funding and Pride in Place funding in one application process. Its Community Development Worker determines which source, or combination, fits the project. CIL supports infrastructure or demands arising from local development; it cannot fix existing infrastructure shortfalls unless development makes them worse. Pride in Place supports projects aligned with its regeneration plan and can be spent only within the orange boundary in guidance Appendix B, excluding Staveley and Brimington.
Successful groups sign a grant agreement setting outputs, outcomes, monitoring and evaluation. Payment is upfront by bank transfer, processed within 28 days after the council receives the signed agreement and required invoice and banking details. If you can recover VAT, your grant is calculated on eligible costs excluding that VAT. Failure to monitor and evaluate on time, or spending on something different, may lead to withdrawal or repayment and refusal of later applications.
Eligibility
Your organisation must be not for profit, have a constitution or written rules and make its accounts available for inspection. You need a bank account in the group’s name with withdrawals requiring two unrelated signatories; contact the council if your group has no account. The group must be able to run the activity, and both its grant contact and form signatory must belong to the group or its management committee.
The activity must benefit eligible Chesterfield communities. Staveley Town Council and Brimington Parish Council areas are excluded. Appendix A lists the non-parished wards as Brampton East and Boythorpe, Brampton West and Loundsley Green, Brockwell, Dunston, Hasland, Linacre, Rother, Spire, Walton, Whittington Moor and Whittington, plus the Tapton part of Brimington South. Funding-source restrictions also apply as described above.
Your group or activity must be open to everyone. If access is restricted, explain why so the assessment panel can decide whether it is eligible. Evidence of need must relate to your specific project and target community, rather than general national statistics. Explain who benefits, what changes the project should achieve and how you will measure them. Whole-community benefit is preferred; a project reaching fewer people should explain its depth of impact and wider benefits.
Activities and costs must start after you receive the grant. Spend the entire grant and complete funded activities within 12 months of receipt; larger capital projects may have a longer period set in the agreement. A group that has received an award may apply again later only for different or additional reasons.
The fund excludes ongoing running costs of existing projects, such as wages, rent or room hire, although extensions to projects may be considered. It also excludes private gain or profits for private distribution; activities without clear local benefit, evidenced need or fit with the fund themes; religious or political promotion, campaigning or lobbying; pre-award costs; statutory bodies’ normal responsibilities; loans, debts or endowments; flat-rate volunteer expenses rather than actual out-of-pocket expenses; anything bringing the council into disrepute; costs you could reasonably fund yourself; individual-benefit costs; and activities targeting people or work outside eligible areas.
How to apply
- Status
- fristen er utløpt
- Åpner
- Søknadsfrist
- Vilkår for søknadsrunden
- Discuss the project with a Community Development Worker before completing the application.[^c15]
Before completing the form, discuss your project with a Chesterfield Borough Council Community Development Worker at communitygrants@chesterfield.gov.uk or on 01246 959657 / 01246 959415. The worker will give you the reference number needed to proceed. Normally submit only one application per tranche; exceptions need clear justification and demonstrable additional benefits.
Read the guidance, then download the application form and return it by email or post to Community Grants Fund, Chesterfield Borough Council, Town Hall, Chesterfield, S40 1LP. The current tranche is open and closes on 23 October 2026.
Explain your budget, outputs, outcomes and monitoring. If project costs exceed your requested grant, explain how you will cover the balance and disclose existing or pending grants for the project. Provide your constitution and relevant supporting documents, including safeguarding information and a climate impact assessment where relevant. The form asks about adequate insurance and appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for people working with children or vulnerable adults.
For capital work, provide information about planning and landowner permission and discuss council-owned land or property with the relevant council service. Obtain quotes for the capital items. The form lists one quote for £0–£5,000, two for £5,000–£10,000 and three for £10,000–£50,000; agree the applicable requirement with the worker when an item is exactly £5,000 or £10,000.
Applications are screened for eligibility and then scored by the Chesterfield Health and Wellbeing Partnership’s Commissioning Panel. Highest-scoring applications are prioritised, and the council may use either funding source or a combination.