Aims/priorities: The Royal Countryside Fund launched their new strategy on 26 April 2024 in which they set out their vision for the Fund’s work over the next four years (2024 to 2028).
The Fund will be taking a more holistic approach to support; facilitating, connecting, and funding, with a focus on long term sustainability. The aim is to “power up, not prop up” communities, to inspire change and encourage economic vibrancy.
The Fund is planning to launch their new, reshaped grant programme on 10 January 2025.
The new funding programme is for projects that fall under four key themes:
- Keeping young people in the countryside – support for projects which increase access to skills training and employment opportunities in rural communities, creating greater opportunities for young people to stay, live and work in the countryside.
- Powering up rural communities - support for organisations which aim to provide financial benefits to the locality through developing innovative, replicable projects which address local needs.
- Increasing environmental sustainability - support for community-driven projects which aim to increase the environmental sustainability of their community through reducing emissions/environmental impact, creating positive benefits for the community and improving the quality of the local environment.
- Building emergency resilience in rural areas – support for communities to develop preventative measures and plans to respond to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events, helping them to be better prepared to cope with and recover from emergencies.
The new programme is also looking for organisations to demonstrate how they meet one or more of these key characteristics:
- Community-led.
- Working towards a long-term vision.
- Facilitate collaboration/connectedness.
- Demonstrate innovation.
Who can apply? Applications will be accepted from properly constituted, not-for-profit and community-led organisations in rural areas with a turnover under £500,000 per year, that can demonstrate how beneficiaries will be drawn directly from the local rural community.
The following types of organisations may apply:
- Constituted voluntary or community organisations
- Registered, exempt or excepted charities
- Charitable incorporated organisations (CIO)
- Not-for-profit company limited by guarantee
- Community interest companies (CIC)
- Community benefit society
- Co-operative society
Support will be focused on isolated rural areas with populations usually less than 4,000, where the project is required due to a lack of alternative services in that locality.
Grant amount: Up to £25,000 to be spent over a period of up to 24 months.
Application process: A webinar for prospective applicants will be held on 17 December 2024 (18:00). Registration is required and can be done on Zoom.
The Fund's new, reshaped grant programme will open on Friday 10 January 2025.
There is a two-stage application process:
- The first step is to send a short video and complete a simple ‘Expression of Interest’ (EOI) form by the deadline of 21 February 2025.
- Shortlisted organisations will be invited to submit a full proposal between 8 March 2025 and 5 April 2025.
Successful applicants will be notified in May 2025.
Deadline: Friday 21 February 2025.
Contact information: Email: grants@countrysidefund.org.uk
Website: Home - The Royal Countryside Fund