Funding opportunities

The Bath & West Low Carbon Fund (‘the BWCE Fund’) funds community projects in Bath and the surrounding area. To be eligible for funding the project must aim to reduce carbon emissions and/or address fuel poverty in Bath and the surrounding area. The Bath & West Community Energy Fund Grant Programme is open to groups or projects working in Bath and the surrounding area. It is particularly targeted at small organisations with charitable aims. The deadline for applications is 30 October at 1pm. 

The Boring Fund helps small non-profit organisations (based in the UK) cover a bit of the boring costs that keep them running. Boring but essential things like insurance, web hosting, admin time: the stuff that’s always so hard to find funding for. ​​

​It’s partly a funding experiment, partly making a point about the state of the stupid funding system.

Small, grassroots organisations shouldn’t have to jump through endless hoops to get support. We want to take away the red tape that so often makes fundraising complicated, intimidating and unfair for people doing the proper work on the ground, particularly for marginalised groups. (Big funders with wads of cash, please take note!)

The Boring Fund keeps things easy with the simplest application process, £200 grants, and no reporting. 

​Who can apply?

Organisations that: 

• are not-for-profit
• are based in, and primarily delivering work in, the UK
• have a UK bank account in the name of the organisation

​Not-for-profit means any surplus is reinvested into the organisation or its work, not given to individuals. (Not-for-profit doesn’t mean you can’t pay people fairly for work they do for your organisation, it’s just if you have surplus (profit) left over after paying for all your costs, this can’t be given to people as bonus extra money.)

You must be a small organisation. This means at least one – and I’m expecting most of – the following would be true for your organisation (not all of these things have to be the case. e.g. you might have a higher annual income but no staff or fundraising support):
 

• Annual turnover (amount of money coming into the org) under £150,000
• Very small number of paid staff e.g. 0-3 people who do the day to day running of things and juggle all the jobs, probably part time or freelance. (you may have a wider pool of freelance group leaders or volunteers or whatever but I’m talking about main people who put the work in to run the organisation)
• No fundraising team or regular paid fundraising staff member
• No confirmed core funding or significant multi-year funding–doing stuff on a shoestring, making it work, scrabbling to find enough money for the ongoing boring costs

A total of up to £630,000 is available across three funding streams: feasibility, development, and delivery for community energy projects in London. A key objective of the fund is to strengthen the capacity of London’s community energy sector, with up to 25% of each grant available to support the core costs of community energy organisations. Funding is also open to other community organisations undertaking clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives. The deadline for applications is Sunday, 7 December 2025, at 11.59pm.

Aviva has partnered with Crowdfunder to support small charities and community groups with innovative ideas that benefit their communities and are looking to raise up to £50,000. Eligible causes can apply at any time. 

This provides an opportunity for co-operative and community benefit societies to fund vital green measures such as installing solar panels or heat pumps, improving insulation, switching to LED lighting, upgrading to double glazing, draft proofing, and purchasing energy-efficient equipment and transport. Find the full application guidance and eligibility criteria here.

The new Boiler Replacement Hardship Grant Fund aims to support churches/church halls with limited budgets with the costs of replacing a gas boiler with an alternative low carbon heating system. Grants of up to £45,000 are available. Applications are open now.

This fund supports new and existing community businesses in England that are at all stages of a community share issue and has extended its support to 2025 and beyond. The Booster Fund has been hugely successful, having already invested over £4m into 88 organisations alongside. The additional £560,000 allocation will be split, with £200,00 allocated to the development of grants through Co-operatives UK and £360,000 for matched equity investments for community share offers through Co‑operative and Community Finance and their investment partner Community Shares ICOF.

This fund provides loans of between £100k and £1.5m to UK charities and social enterprises based in England, Wales and Scotland. The fund is supported by the Government guarantee scheme – Growth Guarantee Scheme. To be eligible your organisation must have been operating for at least two years and have a minimum turnover of £400k in its last financial year. 

The British Gas Energy Trust, is an independent charity funded by British Gas, and was set up to support individuals and families who are struggling to pay their bills, regardless of energy provider. The Trust currently offers two funds: Individuals and Families Fund , which is currently open to credit and pre-payment meter customers. British Gas Energy Support Fund which is open to applications now. 

Projects should meet NZ Hub priorities: Heat Decarbonisation; Renewable Energy Technologies; Natural Carbon Sequestration; Circular Economy. Proposals should be strategic in nature with a focus on investigating, scoping, informing, demonstrating, evaluating, and developing insights to inform net zero strategy. New submissions to the Strategic Project Pipeline can be accepted at any time and should be sent to enquiries@NEYnetzerohub.com. Submissions will only be appraised within the re-fresh periods in the spring and autumn.

(£1 million for solar and hydro sites)
Baywind Energy Co-operative Ltd is a mature community energy organisation actively looking for solar sites (above 20kW) and hydro sites. They are focused in Cumbria, but are open to support projects across the country. They will also be able to help install, maintain and own solar systems for 20 years at cost of a unit price much lower than commercial rates for those interested. For more information, please contact Steve Lawer.

(supporting staff and employment costs)

This fund is noted as particularly useful for helping organisations support employment and staff costs associated with projects: Awards4All is up to £20,000 – the application window is ongoing. Apply at least 16 weeks before you want to start the activities or spend any of the money.

ACRE offer grants of up to to £75,000 to support larger improvement projects to rural community buildings in England such as full refits and extensions. Awards could be made to cover 20% of eligible project costs, up to a maximum amount of £75,000. There is not currently a closing date for Stage 1 applications. 

ACRE offer grants of up to to £75,000 to support larger improvement projects to rural community buildings in England such as full refits and extensions. Awards could be made to cover 20% of eligible project costs, up to a maximum amount of £75,000. There is not currently a closing date for Stage 1 applications. 

The Stobart Sustainability Fund is aimed at supporting community-led sustainability projects and initiatives lead by non-profit organisations, community groups and educational facilities, such as schools and colleges, to help them transform their local community through projects that tackle climate change, reduce carbon emissions or that protect and enhance the environment.

Outdoor brand Patagonia supports organisations with bold, direct-action agendas and a commitment to long-term change. Patagonia provides funding for organisations that build involvement and civic engagement and work to build an inclusive and diverse environmental movement, among other criteria.