Funding for community groups

Funding we provide

We, as a Council, provide funding to certain community groups and projects.

Community Development Grants

We want to encourage - and financially support - new and innovative projects, to help local communities and organisations deliver local initiatives and activities in places where gaps in provision have been identified.

Our Community Development Grants will be available to either revenue or capital projects. There is an allocation within the fund for pre-project costs (such as feasibility studies).

Grants are available to cover up to 100% of your project costs (up to a maximum of £20,000). Successful applicants will need to deliver their project within 12 months of an offer being accepted.

Closed for applications. Will re-open for applications on 1st June 2025

Eye Wind Turbines

Funding is generated on a yearly basis for projects within a 10km radius of the wind turbines at Brome Industrial Park, formerly Eye Airfield. Up to £5,000 can be applied for from community groups or projects within Eye, Yaxley, Brome and Oakley, Mellis and Thrandeston. Additionally, groups in parishes not listed but within the 10km radius of the turbines may apply for up to £1,000. The Grants Team can advise whether Eye Wind Turbines Section 106 would be available or applicable for your project.

Funding is available towards projects or initiatives that promote energy conservation, biodiversity measures, the promotion of renewable energy, landscaping or environmental mitigation. The Grants Team can advise whether Eye Wind Turbines S106 would be available or applicable for your project. Email the Grants Team or view Section 106 Guidance.

Progress Power Community Benefit Fund

This funding has been secured as part of the development of the Progress Power Station at Brome Industrial Park. The fund seeks to support local communities and organisations operating within the parishes of Eye, Mellis, Thrandeston, Yaxley and Brome & Oakley. Applicants can apply for a grant of between £250 and £10,000 for projects which demonstrate a wide community benefit and are fully inclusive.

The Progress Power Community Benefit Fund is open for applications, with applications being accepted until 30th June 2025. Applications are assessed by Officers before being decided upon by a Grant Panel comprised of local representatives. View the scoring matrix used to assess applications. For more information, please read the Progress Power Community Benefit Fund Guidance Notes or email the Grants Team. You can also view projects funded in our first round of applications.

Apply for the Progress Power Community Benefit Fund

Port One Legacy Biodiversity Enhancement Fund (POLBEF)

This funding has been secured as part of the development of the Port One Logistics Park in Great Blakenham. The fund is available to community groups within Barham, Bramford, Claydon, Great Blakenham and Little Blakenham towards projects enhancing biodiversity, wildlife habitats or community gardens. Up to £3,750 can be applied to, for up to 100% of project costs. The Fund opens for applications twice per financial year and is currently closed for applications, with the next application window opening in September 2025.

For more information and detailed guidance, read the Port One Legacy Biodiversity Enhancement Fund Guidance Notes or email the Grants Team.

Suffolk Climate Action Community Match Funder

This fund is designed to assist charities, community interest companies, parish councils, voluntary groups and other not for profit organisations who wish to deliver carbon reduction projects that contribute to Suffolk’s Climate Emergency Plan and our work towards a net zero Suffolk. The fund will support up to 50% of costs (up to a maximum of £10,000) for applications demonstrating that others in the community support the project in the form of contributions from a minimum of two other sources (not including your own funds) to make up the remaining project costs.

What can we fund?

Promoting walking and cycling
The use of sustainable/recycled materials
Raising awareness of climate change through events and campaigns
Energy projects
Bike to school buses
and more!

To be able to demonstrate support from community sponsors, it is recommended that applicants use one of the many community fundraising platforms available online. Whilst we cannot advise you which one will best suit your project, there are many available. The value of time committed by volunteers in the delivery of the project can be counted towards the 50% funding you need to raise; more information is found in the guidelines below.

How does it work?

Plan your project.
Seek funding from others in the community.
Submit a simple online Expression of Interest (EOI). If we think we can support your project, we will issue you with a conditional letter of intent to provide a grant, which may help you secure the remaining funds you need.
Once you have reached at least 50% of your total project costs, comprised of donations from multiple unique sponsors, submit a full application form (part a and part b) to formally request a grant.

The Suffolk Climate Action Community Match Fund only has limited resources each financial year so do contact us early on if you are considering applying.

If you would like to learn more about the project, please contact Jess on Jess.Miller@suffolk.gov.uk. If you are developing an idea and need some advice please contact David Walton on david.walton@suffolk.gov.uk.

Please refer to the Suffolk Climate Action Match Fund guidelines before submitting an expression of interest or a final application.

Fill out the online Expression of Interest Form.

0% Loan Scheme for Homeowners

Looking to fund energy efficiency upgrades such as insulation, solar panels, batteries, glazing, or heat pumps? All are possible with loans of up to £15,000 to be repaid over a maximum of seven years – at 0% interest.
(Representative 0.2% APR).

External funding

Great British Energy Community Fund

Formerly the Community Energy Fund

The Great British Energy Community Fund is a government programme which specifically funds community energy projects to do feasibility and development. £10m was made available through the fund initially in 2023 and the government has recently announced another £5m.

The aim of the fund is to help kickstart projects including small-scale wind farms and rooftop solar partnerships, as well as battery storage, rural heat networks, electric vehicle charging points, and fuel poverty alleviation schemes - all proposed, designed and owned by local people.

The fund will:

support local jobs and encourage growth
build stronger communities
enable communities to directly benefit from clean, affordable and locally sourced energy

The fund is being administered by the Greater South East Net Zero Hub.

For more information - and to apply - please visit their Community Energy Fund webpage.

Aviva Community Fund

The Aviva Community Fund is in place to help local causes build stronger communities across the UK.

Aviva also offers access to volunteering and professional coaching opportunities, to help these causes build their capabilities and achieve long-term success.

Aviva's ambition to build a brighter future depends on how the following two challenges are resolved:

Financial wellbeing: Helping people take control of their wellbeing, by providing them with the tools to be financially independent
Climate action: Promoting healthy, thriving communities by preventing, preparing for, and protecting against the impacts of climate change

The funding is available for organisations who are looking to raise up to £50,000. Eligible projects can apply at any time.

For more information - and to apply - please visit Aviva's Community Fund webpage.

National Lottery Climate Action Fund

The Climate Action Fund is our commitment to help communities tackle climate change. We're supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable.

With Climate Action Fund – Our Shared Future we want to involve more people in climate action. And we want to inspire bold and exciting change.

We’ll only fund projects developed in a formal partnership with other organisations.

We’re looing for partnership projects that reach more people by either:

linking climate action to the everyday lives and interests of local communities. And inspiring them to take action.
influencing communities at a regional or national level. Like linking up groups across locations. Or a campaign that inspires change across one country, or the whole UK.

You do not have to be a climate or environment focused organisation to apply.

We want to reach people who are new to climate action by funding other types of organisations too. And by using people’s everyday activities as a starting point for climate action.

We're particularly interested in projects that involve people, places and communities experiencing poverty, discrimination and disadvantage.

Area: UK-wide

Suitable for: Formal partnerships, working across sectors. Led by community and voluntary organisations or public sector organisations.

Funding size: The minimum you can ask for is £500,000. We expect to fund most projects for between £1 million and £1.5 million over 3 to 5 years. We may fund a small number of larger or longer projects. Contact us if you would like to discuss this. We aim to fund around 25 projects.

Total available: £30 million

Application deadline: You’ll be able to apply until at least the end of May 2025. We will announce the final deadline nearer the time.

Stour Valley Environment Fund

The Dedham Vale National Landscape and Stour Valley has established the Stour Valley Environment Fund (SVEF) to support charities and voluntary groups working to enhance the environment in the Stour Valley.

The Stour Valley Environment Fund is both donation seeking and grant giving, and provides a channel through which individuals, families, companies or charitable trusts can support the Stour Valley landscape.

By pooling donations into one charitable Fund we can have a much more powerful impact to support environmental activities in the Stour Valley. The fund is expected to grow over the years with donations, legacies and investment.

The Fund will consider grant applications of up to £2,500 from voluntary and community organisations working to enhance the environment and community life in the Stour Valley area, on both Essex and Suffolk sides of the river Stour.

To apply to the SVEF

Please visit Essex Community Foundation website for the general grant application form and guidelines.

For further information or to discuss a grant request, please call Essex Community Foundation’s grants team on 01245 356018 or you can email.

Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme

Registered Charities, Community Interest Companies, Co-operative Societies and Community Benefit Societies can apply for funds to deliver energy related projects lasting up to two years.

How much? A minimum of £20,000 can be requested.

No deadline.

Apply for funding

The Stobart Sustainability Fund

Supports non-profit organisations, community groups and educational facilities to transform their local community through projects that tackle climate change, reduce carbon emissions or that protect and enhance the environment.

Who Is Eligible?

We welcome application to the Stobart Sustainability Fund from community groups, educational facilities or small businesses. Applications need to be of a green, ecological or sustainability nature with the project benefiting the environment.

Apply here if you have a green initiative or project that needs help with funding.