What is the small grant program UK?

The small grant program in the UK refers to a range of funding opportunities available from the government, charities, trusts and foundations to support small community groups, charities and social enterprises. These grants usually provide relatively small amounts of funding, from a few hundred to a few thousand pounds, to help these organizations deliver projects and services that benefit their local communities.

What types of small grants are available in the UK?

There are a wide variety of small grant programs available in the UK that support different causes and groups. Some of the main types include:

Community grants – these provide funding for grassroots community groups and charities to support local projects. Key funders include the National Lottery Community Fund, local authorities and charitable trusts.
Arts and culture grants – organizations like Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund offer grants to support the arts, museums, galleries, libraries, heritage and cultural projects.
Sports and recreation grants – Sport England, Comic Relief and other charitable trusts offer funding to help local sports clubs, youth groups and other organizations deliver sporting and recreational activities.
Educational grants – a range of charitable trusts and foundations provide small grants for schools, pre-schools, PTAs and other educational settings to support activities, materials, trips and facilities.
Health and social welfare grants – funders like BBC Children in Need offer grants to charities and community groups delivering health and welfare services and support for disadvantaged people.
Environmental grants – some trusts and foundations provide funding for local conservation, gardening and environmental projects through small grants.

This covers some of the main types of small grant funding available, but there are many more specialized grant programs supporting different beneficiary groups, causes and activities.

What size of grants are available?

Small grants in the UK tend to range from just a few hundred pounds up to around £10,000. Some examples of typical grant size ranges include:

£300 – £10,000 – Awards for All (National Lottery Community Fund)
£500 – £3,000 – Local community and council grants
£500 – £5,000 – Comic Relief Community Fund
£300 – £5,000 – BBC Children in Need grants
£500 – £2,000 – Young Roots (Heritage Lottery Fund)
£1,000 – £10,000 – Arts Council Project Grants

However, some grants may go up to £50,000 or occasionally higher. As a general guide, funding for capital projects (building renovations, equipment purchase etc) tends to be at the larger end, while grants for running costs, staffing and small projects are often smaller.

Who can apply for small grants?

Eligibility for small grants varies by which program you apply to. But some typical organizations who can apply include:

Small community and voluntary groups
Registered charities
Not-for-profit organizations like social enterprises
Town and parish councils
Schools and PTAs
Sports clubs and youth groups
Faith organizations like churches and temples
Arts organizations and museums
Village halls and community centers

Some grant programs focus on grassroots organizations so may exclude larger or national charities. Others require you to have a formal constitution or charitable status to apply. Each grant funder sets their own criteria so check you meet the eligibility requirements before applying.

How to find and apply for small grants

There are various ways to find relevant small grant schemes to apply to:

Check databases like GrantFinder and Funding Central which list thousands of grant funding opportunities.
Look at national grant makers’ websites like National Lottery Community Fund, BBC Children in Need, Arts Council England.
Contact your local authority or council for community grants and local funding advice.
Research trusts and foundations that support your cause like sport, youth, environment etc.
Visit specialist sites like My Funding Central which list grants for certain sectors.
Search for your local area name and grant funding to find region-specific grants.

Once you’ve identified possible grants, check you meet the eligibility criteria before starting an application. Pay close attention to the objectives and priorities of the grant program – your project should closely align with these to have the best chance of success.

Many small grants require a simple online or paper application form, asking for basic details on your organization, finances, project activities and intended outcomes. Larger or more competitive grants may need more in-depth applications, budgets and supporting documents.

Ensure you follow the funder’s guidelines carefully and submit your application before the deadline. It can help to speak to the funder before applying to check eligibility and alignment with their priorities. Allow plenty of time to complete high quality applications.

Tips for successful small grant applications

Follow these top tips when applying for small grants:

Read the criteria thoroughly – check you meet all the eligibility and priority requirements.
Highlight community benefit – emphasize how your project will help local people and address area needs.
Quantify impact – use numbers to estimate how many people will benefit and how.
Focus on outcomes – explain the positive change your project will bring about.
Sell your capability – demonstrate your organization’s track record of delivering successful community projects.
Budget realistically – make sure costings are accurate and represent good value.
Plan for sustainability – explain how impacts will last beyond the initial grant period.
Follow guidelines – stick to word counts, formatting requirements and meet the deadline.

Getting an objective outsider like a fundraiser or advisor to review your application can also help identify improvements before submission.

What can small grants be used for?

Small grants can fund a wide range of costs and activities, but common examples include:

Staff and volunteer costs – salaries, training, expenses.
Project running costs – materials, venue hire, transport, equipment.
Facilities and capital costs – building works, maintenance, equipment purchase.
Organizational running costs – overheads, utilities, insurance.
Community events and activities.
Sports, recreation and play activities.
Education and skills training.
Health and wellbeing services and support.
Cultural and creative activities – arts, music, drama.
Environmental and conservation projects.

However, grants cannot be used to benefit individuals or make profit. Check the grant guidelines for any restrictions on what funding can cover. Capital costs may need quotes evidencing value for money.

Key funders of small grants in the UK

Some of the main national funders of small grants in the UK include:

National Lottery Community Fund – awards over £500m per year in grants supporting community activity.
BBC Children in Need – provides £25m annually in small grants to projects for disadvantaged children.
Arts Council – support arts, culture and creative projects through grants from £1,000.
Sport England – gives grants to grassroots sport and physical activity from £300 upwards.
Heritage Lottery Fund – grants £3,000-£10,000 to preserve local heritage.
Comic Relief – offer community grants up to £10,000 for locally-run projects tackling social deprivation.

There are also numerous regional and local funders like community foundations, councils, trusts and corporate funders supporting local groups with small grants.

What are the rules and regulations?

Organizations receiving small grants need to follow some basic rules and regulations, including:

Spending the grant on the agreed purpose and activities outlined in the application.
Maintaining records of grant expenditure – e.g. receipts and invoices.
Complying with any monitoring, reporting and evaluation requirements.
Participating in any publicity, events or case studies requested by the funder.
Acknowledging the funder in publications, websites or plaques.
Having appropriate policies and procedures in place around equalities, safeguarding, data protection etc.
Having suitable insurance and qualifications where required.
Complying with any statutory regulations relevant to the project activities.

Failing to meet the grant conditions or spending the funding inappropriately can result in the grant being withdrawn or repayment required. Grant recipients should stay in regular contact with the funder and seek approval for any significant changes.

What are the reporting requirements?

Most grant funders require some level of reporting to evidence what the grant has been spent on and the outputs and outcomes achieved. Typical reporting requirements for small grants include:

Basic expenditure statements – listing grant spending against budget.
Activity and output reports – e.g. number of events, participants, sessions etc.
Case studies and quotes evidencing project delivery and impact.
Photographs, videos and samples of work demonstrating activities.
Feedback forms and survey results summarizing outcomes and learning.
Evidence of funder acknowledgement on materials, website, social media etc.

The specific grant monitoring requirements should be outlined in the offer letter. Funders may also want interim reports during longer projects in addition to end of grant reports. Accurate project documentation is key to easy grant reporting.

What happens after submitting the end report?

After submitting your end of grant report, here are the typical next steps:

The funder reviews the report to ensure grant conditions have been met and funding spent appropriately.
They may come back with queries or request supporting evidence like receipts if anything is unclear.
Assuming everything is in order, the funder will provide acknowledgement the grant has been satisfactorily closed out.
In some cases, the funder may arrange a monitoring visit or interviews to further verify project activities and impact.
Favorable reports demonstrating strong delivery and community benefit can support future grant applications.
For larger grants, there may be requirements for longer-term follow up monitoring after project completion.

It’s important to stay engaged with your funder even after the grant period. Let them know of issues during delivery and any changes to future plans that build on their grant investment.

Can grant funding be extended?

It may be possible to extend the time period of a small grant if:

The original project timeline was too short or underestimated delays.
New opportunities or partnerships have developed that warrant the project extending.
Additional community needs not originally anticipated have emerged.
Key activities have taken longer than expected to complete.

To request an extension, contact the grant funder in writing providing:

The reasons for needing an extension.
Evidence of project progress and grant expenditure to date.
A revised timeline for completing the outstanding activities.
A budget for any remaining grant funds.
Plans demonstrating the extended activities still meet the original project objectives.

The funder will review requests on a case-by-case basis. They are more likely to approve extensions if delivery has broadly kept to schedule and an end point is in sight. Extensions are unlikely if activities have diverged significantly from the original grant purpose.

How to maximize the impact of small grants

To help maximize the difference small grants can make, consider:

Involving service users, beneficiaries and the community in designing projects to ensure activities meet real needs.
Partnering with complementary local organizations to share resources, knowledge and extend reach.
Leveraging extra value through volunteer time, donated goods and services, other funding sources.
Investing in thorough monitoring and evaluation to evidence outcomes and learning for future replication.
Prioritizing sustainability – how can impacts be sustained when funding ends?
Using grants as seed funding to pilot innovations with potential to attract larger funding.
Focusing on building community capacity as well as direct project delivery.
Promoting achievements to raise awareness and participation.

Taking time to carefully plan the project and maximize community engagement, partners and additional resources can help small grants go further.

Can small grants lead to larger funding?

Yes, succeeding with a small grant can provide a stepping stone to securing larger funding in future. Ways small grants help build towards bigger funding include:

Proving concept – successfully delivering a pilot demonstrates your organization’s capability and that the need exists.
Evidence of impact – monitoring and evaluating small projects provides evidence of outcomes to support more funding.
Credibility – grants help demonstrate an organization’s legitimacy to bigger funders.
Improved services – small grants allow organizations to refine and improve their services.
Reputation – successful delivery of grants builds organizational profile and credibility.
Partnerships – grants help build relationships with key partners who can then support larger funding bids.
Track record – a history of well-managed grants reassures larger funders.

With careful planning, small grants provide the experience and platform for organizations to bid for and secure more substantial funding in future.

Case studies of successful small grant projects

Some examples of small grant funded projects that delivered significant community benefit include:

Happy Healthy Holidays, £2,000, Stockport

This project from charity Stockport Without Abuse provided activity packs and online resources for children during school holidays to learn about healthy relationships. It reached over 300 disadvantaged children leading to improved awareness.

The Yarn Collective, £4,800, Bristol

This community knitting group enabling vulnerable and isolated women to connect received National Lottery funding. Over 50 women took part, building skills and social networks.

Bryncynon Community Centre kitchen, £7,500, Rhondda Cynon Taf

The local authority awarded funding to overhaul the dated community centre kitchen facilities. This enabled improved nutrition for elderly lunch club attendees and more rentable space.

Youth Wellbeing Garden, £3,200, Dorset

A grant from a local trust helped a youth club create a wellbeing garden for excluded teens to learn horticulture skills, build confidence and improve mental health.

Conclusion

Small grants from a few hundred to around £10,000 play a vital role supporting impactful grassroots projects across the UK. With many funders and programs available, the key is finding grants aligned to the specific needs of your community or group. Planning realistic, sustainable activities that maximize engagement and demonstrate measurable community benefit is central to securing and making the most of small grant funding.