Guidance for community project grant applications

How to complete the application form for a grant of up to £2000 to support a community project.

Please read this guide carefully before completing your form. It explains how the different sections will be checked for eligibility and scored by the decision-making panel.

If you are applying for £500 to support an event please refer to the events guidance.

Inclusive Neighbourhoods Grants

The Inclusive Neighbourhoods Grant aims to support events and projects that bring different people together, across faith, generations, places or diversity, integrating residents and strengthening cohesion. We are particularly looking to support our diverse communities, such as our LGBT, Disability and BME communities, as well as isolated older and younger people, to access local activities and groups they may not currently do.

Projects should be resident-led and use local people and places in their delivery. They should also support health and wellbeing, make places safer or improve the local environment. All events and projects must benefit Trafford residents.

Trafford Council are making £100,000 available in 2021 in grants of up to £500 for events and up to £2,000 for projects. A proportion of the £100,000 funding will be released every few months. A panel of Councillors from across the borough will come together within three weeks after each closing date to decide on the applications.

Who can apply?

For grants of up to £500 for community events, Trafford residents and community groups can apply.

For grants of up to £2,000 for community projects, any group or organisation that is constituted, with a minimum of three unrelated members as committee members has its own, non-personal, bank account can apply.

This includes groups of neighbours, friends and small informal community groups, as well as voluntary organisations, local charitable organisations and not for profit social enterprises (Community Interest Company and Charitable Incorporated Organisation).

Who cannot apply?

Any private sector or “for profit” organisations including sole traders and limited companies.
Public service organisations i.e. local authorities, social housing providers, education institutions, health authorities etc.
Events that do not benefit the residents of Trafford
Events that promote specific religious or political views over others

Eligibility criteria

Two unrelated people are named on the application form
The group/organisation is constituted and has two unrelated committee members
The organisation/group has its own, non-personal, bank account
Trafford Council or Trafford Housing Trust Social Investment has not provided you/your organisation with funding for the same or similar activity in the last year or equipment in the last two years.
If the project involves the use of a street, park, land or buildings you have permission to use these.
If the project requires the supervision of children or adults at risk you have a Safeguarding Policy which is in line with the Greater Manchester Safeguarding Partnership. If you are successful we may request a copy before the grant is paid.
The grant will be used to support a project that will deliver activity on multiple occasions. For a single event please use the Event application form.
The project will start within six months of the closing date of funding round.
The maximum amount you have applied for is £2,000. There is no minimum amount. You can apply for any type of cost (including staffing, stationery, equipment etc.). If you are successful, we require quotes/evidence of costs for any item over £200 before the grant is paid.
You have already secured any additional funding you require for the project.
Your organisation/group can only submit one application per funding round for either a project or an event.
Your application must be submitted at least 2 months before the proposed start date i.e. the funding period prior to the project start.
For a group to submit a new bid any outstanding final evaluation forms must have been received by the Partnerships and Communities Team
All submitted applications will be reviewed by the Partnerships and Communities Team to ensure the application meets the eligibility criteria above. Only those that meet the criteria will be put forward to the Decision Panel.

About your project

There are four sections to the form which you must complete. The following table explains each section and how it will be used to check your application.

Four sections of application form
Section	What is it for?	How will it be checked?
Section 1: Details of your organisation	This section lets us know who you are, how we contact you and if you or your project has been funded by us before. It tells us about your group/organisation and that you have the necessary permissions and safeguarding in place to deliver your project.	This section will be used to check that your application is eligible to go through to the Decision Panel.
Section 2: About your group and project	This is where you tell us about the work of your group, what it is you want to do, why the activity is needed and how you know this. It needs to be clear and concise.	You have told us about your organisation. You have described the ‘what, where, when, who and how’ of your project, and how your project will involve local people You have explained how your project will be inclusive to different people within the community You have explained how you know your project is needed and/or supported by local people The project directly benefits the residents of Trafford
Section 3: Monitoring and evaluation	It’s important that funding makes a difference to the people who take part in activities. You need to tell us about the impact your project will have, what will be different after the project, how will you know and what tools you will use to show this. There are lots of different ways to measure difference – like talking to people, questionnaires, online surveys	It is clear what impact the project will have You know what you will measure and how you will collect information to demonstrate success The targets are realistic, the measures are relevant and the methods achievable
Section 4: Budget	This is where you tell us what you want to spend the grant on, how you know the costs are accurate and whether you are getting any help to run the project other than the grant you are applying for.	The budget table is clear and adds up correctly The budget contains reasonable costs You have secured any additional funding or other help towards the project You have identified how you will keep your project going after the funding has ended

Submitting your application

Closing dates for each period are:

31 July 2021
31 October 2021
31 January 2022

You can submit your application by emailing it to neighbourhoodgrants@trafford.gov.uk

All applicants will receive a receipt within five working days once the application is submitted. If you are not contacted to confirm receipt of your application please let us know.

Sharing of information

To ensure the allocation of our grants achieves maximum impact for Trafford’s communities we work closely with other funders in the borough.

Non-personal details of your application will be shared with Trafford Housing Trust Social Investment Board and other services within Trafford Council to ensure there is no duplication of funding and that any previous projects delivered by your organisation which were funded were effectively delivered, monitored and reported.

Decision Panel

All applications which meet the eligibility criteria will be put forward to the Decision Panel consisting of local councillors - three Labour, two Conservative, one Liberal Democrat and one Green Party.

The Panel aim to meet within three weeks of the closing date of each round and you should have a decision with five working days following the panel meeting. Due to the availability of the panel members and high number of applications received this time scale may be extended.

Grant agreement and terms and conditions

All successful grant recipients will be required to complete and sign a grant agreement detailing how they will spend, monitor and evaluate the grant and sign our terms and conditions.
We require quotes/evidence of costs for any item over £200 before the grant is paid.
If the project requires the supervision of children or adults at risk we may request a copy of your Safeguarding Policy, which must be in line with the Greater Manchester Safeguarding Partnership, before the grant is paid.
Your project must start within six months of the closing date for the round of funding you are applying to.
Successful applicants will be responsible for ensuring that there are the necessary policies and procedures, such as public liability insurance and risk assessment, in place to run their project safely.
If your application is successful you cannot submit another bid for the same project within 12 months.
If a group applies to replicate a project or event for a different area of Trafford it may only do so once within a financial year/funding period (this includes both successful and unsuccessful bids)
For a group to submit a new bid any outstanding final evaluation forms must have been received by the Partnerships and Communities Team
If a group submits a similar/same project or event but for a different location in Trafford then you will be required to provide outcomes from this previous project.
Ongoing advice and support will be provided by the Partnerships and Communities Team.
Successful applicants must include on their publicity that the project/event has been funded by Trafford Council, using the council approved logo.

Final checklist

Ensure you have:

Completed every section in the application form
Provided contact details for two unrelated people
Confirmed your organisation/group is constituted, with three unrelated committee members and its own bank account
The necessary permission and safeguarding in place for your project
A copy of the application form for your own records

Help and support

Contact the Inclusive Economies and Communities Team if you need help and support by emailing neighbourhoodgrants@trafford.gov.uk

If you have not received acknowledgement of receipt of your application within five working days of submission please contact us immediately.