Funding opportunities
Current funding streams open for applications
On this page, you can find out more about current funding opportunities. Please scroll down:
Local Growth Fund
North East Supporting Young People and a Greener Economic Recovery Fund
We currently have funding available to support voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) projects in the North East.
This fund is open to applications from VCSE organisations with operations in the North East LEP area to help deliver short-term projects (by 31 March 2022).
The objective of the VCSE Capital Grant programme is to support communities across the North East LEP area to recover from the Covid-19 crisis.
Grant awards will support either:
- New or enhanced community facilities that support the health and economic wellbeing of young people, particularly those aged 16-24 and from disadvantaged backgrounds who have been disproportionately and adversely impacted by the pandemic.
- Improve, through green infrastructure projects, our urban or rural environments, making connections to education, vocational learning, and employment opportunities through paid or voluntary positions.
Projects that meet both priorities are particularly welcomed.
This capital grant programme is restricted to applications from VCSE organisations who are invited to submit applications of between £50,000 and £150,000, for either a ‘stand-alone’ project or a phase of work that forms part of a wider or longer -term capital investment scheme.
We expect to make up to eight awards with all projects being required to start by or before 31 March 2021.
An application form and guidance notes can be found here. For further information or to receive these documents in Word form, please contact Alex Murray via email at: [email protected]
Closing date: 12noon, 16 October 2020
COVID-19 Patent Protection Scheme
High-value proposition (pre-commercial) health and life science businesses negatively impacted by the coronavirus crisis and at risk of losing their patents and intellectual property due to lack of funds can apply for grants of up to £25,000 through the North East LEP’s new COVID-19 Patent Protection Scheme.
Closing date is 30 September 2020.
A guidance document for applicants can be found here.
To request an application form, please email: [email protected]
North East Investment Fund
The North East Investment Fund is currently open for applications. Find out more here.
European Funding
There are currently a number of opportunities for organisations to apply for European Funding that are listed below:
Rural Community Energy Fund
The Rural Community Energy Fund aims to support rural communities across England to develop community led renewable energy projects. Developing renewable energy at a community level helps meet climate commitments whilst also offering benefits to the local community. The fund offers an opportunity to cover the up-front costs that are often prohibitive to community scale energy projects. Some of the technologies that can be explored include solar PV, heat pumps, hydropower and low carbon heat networks.
There are two stages to the funding. The first stage is for communities that are just beginning to explore options for renewable energy generation, this stage offers grants of up to £40,000 to cover consultancy and professional costs to determine if the project idea is feasible. The second stage offers a grant of up to £100,000 to look at creating full business cases for projects that stand a good chance of securing planning permission and being delivered.
Housing Associations
The Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) is also open to applications and Registered Social Landlords with rural housing stock are invited to apply. The fund offers grants of up to £40,000 to determine the technical feasibility of community scale renewable energy projects.
How to apply
For more information about the fund and to discuss any initial ideas or thoughts please contact Josh Sawyer on 07584154510 or [email protected]
