Ward grant applications

To apply for a grant from your ward budget, to get funding for your group or organisation, you'll need to understand:

• who can apply for a grant
• what type of projects can be funded

Funding from ward grant applications is given for a single year, often to fund the start up costs for an organisation or project.

Each ward has its own deadline for grant applications and may also have a limit on how much you can apply for. You should check the information for each ward for which you are making an application:

• York wards

For organisations in their first year of existence there is a limit on funding of £4,500.

Ward grants will not be issued to fund ongoing projects and the associated staffing costs. You should consider the costs of sustaining your ward project once grant funding has been used up.

• Ward grant application proposal template
• Apply for a ward grant
• Projects eligible for funding
• Awarding grant funding
• Repayment of ward grants

If you have any queries or require help preparing your application, contact the Communities Team; they'll explain anything you're unsure of and help to make sure your group is eligible for a grant.

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Apply for a ward grant

Once you've gathered together your supporting information, apply for a ward grant online.

Ward Grant Application Form

If you’d prefer a ‘paper copy’ to be posted to you contact the Communities Team.

Ward grant applications can only be made by groups or organisations (not individuals) from:

• the voluntary sector
• community initiatives
• residents’ associations
• community halls
• sports and other clubs
• parish councils (if providing financial stake to support a project)
• 'friends of’ schools (but not schools)

The organisation applying must:

• be constituted
• hold a bank account
• have a sponsor organisation that can hold funds on their behalf (if no bank account is held)

Organisations working in more than 1 ward can apply for a grant in each area, if their project meets the requirements and there are identifiable needs and outcomes in each ward.

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Projects eligible for funding

Funding spending proposals should be guided by the 4 Council Plan priorities of:

• Health and Wellbeing
• Tackling the Cost-of-Living Crisis
• Environment and Climate Emergency
• Equality of Opportunity

Your application must also demonstrate that your project:

• helps to achieve ward priorities
• is based in the ward
• provides a service in the ward where you're applying
• will spend the funding within the financial year in which it is awarded

Applications from organisations operating in more than 1 ward, or across the city have to demonstrate that the project will:

• help to achieve the ward priorities
• be based in the wards
• be tailored to each particular ward

Types of projects which cannot be funded include:

• projects which have already been completed; funding cannot be awarded retrospectively
• established projects which have ongoing revenue costs that cannot be met by the group
• projects where the funding awarded cannot be spent in the financial year in which it is awarded
• commercial projects such as shops and businesses
• projects which have party political or religious goals
• projects which do not comply with our policy and decisions
• projects which are not legal

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Awarding grant funding

Ward councillors consider grant applications at ward meetings (you may be asked to attend).

Any funding applications they decide to support are passed to the Corporate Director of Customer and Communities for approval.

You'll receive written confirmation if your application is approved; you must:

• return a signed grant agreement form before payment is made (by BACS - Bankers Automated Clearing Services)
• spend your funding within the financial year in which it's awarded (unless an alternative agreement has been made)
• provide a final report showing how funds have been used (by the end of June of the following financial year, or 3 months after completion of the project, whichever is soonest)

Please note that there is no right to appeal if your application is not approved.

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Repayment of ward grants

The organisation will be asked to repay all or part of the grant if:

• the money isn't used for the purpose specified, unless changes are made by prior agreement between ourselves and the organisation
• the organisation isn't able to provide project details as requested in the monitoring reports
• the organisation isn't able to spend the sum within the financial year in which it is awarded
• the organisation is wound up or ceases to exist

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Also see

• York wards
• Sustaining your ward project