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Community grants

We have a number of grant programmes available to voluntary and community sector groups to support activity for people in Middlesbrough.

These grants are for people, small groups, or charities working together to help and improve their local area. You cannot apply for a grant if you're planning to spend the money on yourself. If you're in crisis and need money, you may be able to get help through the community support scheme.

For more information on grants, please email communitygrants@middlesbrough.gov.uk or call 01642 729309.

Looking for funding? Middlesbrough Council and MVDA run Find a Funder, an online funding search tool for Middlesbrough communities.

Please note, due to our current financial situation, we cannot give out grants for street parties to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. If you apply to any of our grants programmes for funding for a street party, we will not consider your application.

Grants for street parties are available through the National Lottery Community Fund. If you're holding a street party, you'll need to apply for a road closure. We'll be repeating the simplified road closure process we put in place for the Platinum Jubilee, to make it easier for you. More information will be available closer to the time.

Find out more about celebrations for the coronation on the King's coronation page.

Community Grant Fund

Grants of up to £1500 are available through the Community Grant Fund.

There are two different funds in the Community Grant Fund programme: the Small Grants Fund and the Community Chest.

Small Grants Fund

Our Small Grants Fund is for residents and small community groups who want to make a difference to their area. If you have an idea but you need some money to get it off the ground, let us know. You don't have to have a bank account or a constitution, we're just looking for people and groups who want to do some good, and need a helping hand to make that happen.

Check the Small Grants Fund guidance before you apply.

Apply for a grant from the Small Grants Fund

Please note, grants from the Small Grants Fund are for people or small groups working together to help and improve their local area. You cannot apply to the Small Grants Fund if you're planning to spend the money on yourself. If you're in crisis and need money, you may be able to get help through the Community Support Scheme.

Community Chest

Our Community Chest fund is for more established groups which have a constitution, bank account, and policies in place. Don't worry if you're not an established group - our Small Grants Fund might be better for you.

Funding is available for groups which are working for the benefit of Middlesbrough residents, and encouraging community participation and activity. Find out more in the Community Chest guidance.

Apply for a grant from the Community Chest

For more information, contact the Voluntary Sector Liaison and Grants Officer on 01642 729309.

Dementia-friendly and age-friendly activities grants

Funding is available to support activities which improve quality of life for our older residents. Funding is available for dementia-friendly activities and age-friendly activities. We want older people in Middlesbrough, including those living with dementia, to stay independent, active, and part of their community. For more information about the funding, check the dementia-friendly and age-friendly activities grants criteria.

The dementia-friendly or age-friendly activities grants are currently closed to applications.

The closing date was 4pm on Friday 30 September.

Community Grant Fund - Levelling Up Grant 2022

We have funding available for voluntary and community sector (VCS) groups to look at addressing some of Middlesbrough's needs which tie in with the government's levelling up agenda. Grants are available in 3 different categories, with different amounts available in each category.

Please read the Levelling Up Grant guidance before applying.

The Levelling Up Grant fund is currently closed to applications.

Development grants

We have around £20,000 in grants available to fund new or emerging projects. This can be used to fund pilot projects:

where a need has been identified and is not already being met
where funding is needed to plug a gap when a grant is in place but is not due to start until a later date, and current funding is due to end before then
where short term funding is needed to progress a business model

To discuss your need for funding from this programme, please contact the Voluntary Sector Liaison and Grants Officer on 01642 729309.

Befriending

This year there is £18,000 available to fund one or two projects in the town to support elderly residents to feel less lonely and isolated. Contact the Voluntary Sector Liaison and Grants Officer on 01642 729309.

Community Fund - Staying Included

Staying Included is a council-run service aimed at helping vulnerable people find solutions to live independently at home and to stay connected to their community. This will allow individuals to live more healthily, become more active, form new friendships, and pursue their ambitions.

This grant is aimed at building capacity within the VCS to support clients beyond the Staying Included support period. Grant requests must be able to demonstrate how the funding will make a difference to supporting people.

Grants of up to £2,500 are available. The total amount to be allocated in 2021/2022 is £12,500.

Apply for a grant from the Staying Included fund

Carers Community Fund

This grants scheme is available to community-based groups who want to support informal carers in their area. There are two programmes a small grant programme for grants £20 to £5000 and a larger grant programme for applications of £5000 to £20,000.

Outcomes for your project should help with one or more of the following:

Reduce carers' social isolation and develop social networks
Help carers, families and communities to achieve and maintain wellbeing
Reach, connect, and support disadvantaged carers.
Build on available community assets and resources to support carers

Successful projects will have high involvement and ownership by the carers within the community, and be driven by them.

Find out more in the Carers Community Fund guidance.

The Carers Community Fund is currently closed to applications.

Short break grants

Do you work with children or young people who are disabled? Grants of up to £3000 are available to groups offering positive activity to children and young people with a disability on evenings, weekends or during school holidays.

Apply to the short break grants fund

Applications close at 9am on Monday 17 April 2023.

For more information, contact the Voluntary Sector Liaison and Grants Officer on 01642 729309.

ESF community grants programme

Middlesbrough Council, in partnership with the four Tees Valley councils, has been awarded funding to support those who are furthest from the labour market to move into work. The programme is jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). Grants of between £10,000 and £20,000 are available for individual projects. Funding is for the purpose of mobilising disadvantaged or excluded unemployed and economically inactive people to facilitate their progress towards employment.

Find out more about the ESF Community Grants Programme and apply.

Find a Funder training sessions

Training sessions on using Find a Funder are available. These sessions are aimed at community and voluntary sector groups looking for grant funding.

Our upcoming sessions are theme-based to encourage networking and learning from each other. Sessions will include a live search using the system, along with advice on completing funding applications. All training sessions are currently being held online.

The next training sessions will be announced soon.

Voluntary and community sector grants awarded - 2021-2022

View details of the purpose and size of grants awarded (2021-2022).