Sizewell C
Community Fund

We welcome applications from:

• voluntary and community organisations
• registered charities
• social enterprises, including community interest companies
• group of organisations led by a voluntary or community organisation, or a social enterprise
• town or parish councils

We cannot accept applications from:

• individuals
• sole traders
• organisations based outside the UK
• anyone who is applying on behalf of another organisation
• organisations without at least three unconnected people on its board or committee
• organisations which are not inclusive. Projects and activities which target specific groups of people for good reason are eligible, however the organisation itself must be inclusive
• companies that are aimed at generating profits for private distribution
• grant-making organisations (who award grants to other organisations or individuals)

Priority will be given to applications for projects that:

• benefit communities located within 5km from a Sizewell C development site
• are in communities significantly affected by the impacts of Sizewell C and can evidence need relating to this
• are supported by the wider community
• clearly address the impacts of Sizewell C, or make the most of the opportunities it creates
• are inclusive – to make sure everyone can benefit, although we appreciate some projects may need to target specific groups of people with good reason
• offer good value for money
• consider sustainability beyond the duration of the funding

Based on decisions from the Awards Panel, the following are less likely to be funded. This may change from time to time, and will be kept under review:

• passenger transport vehicles (e.g. minibuses)
• projects that are not able to demonstrate the existance of a need now, or within the next 6-12 months
• projects addressing themes or issues covered by other Sizewell C mitigation funds, as set out in the Deed of Obligation (e.g.: community safety; transport or highways; early years provision; tourism and loss of income; employment, skills and education; loss of wildlife habitat, increasing biodiversity, rewilding)
• where the applying organisation is unable to demonstrate strong local connections to the area they’re looking to deliver the project
• applications that cannot demonstrate community support for the project (e.g. community consultation, user feedback from an existing project) – this could include where there is support for the organisation more broadly, but no evidence of support for the project
• where multiple projects of a similar type, or addressing a similar theme/issue have already been funded in the area (e.g. 3G sports pitches)
• projects where the beneficiaries are drawn from a larger area than just the local community. In such cases, an award to fund a proportion of costs based on the participants from Sizewell C impacted communities may be considered – please consider this when deciding how much to apply for
• speculative applications where groundwork in establishing impact, need, community engagement and support has not been conducted

We will fund both revenue costs, which are the day-to-day running costs of the project, and capital costs, which are one-off items which last for several years.

Revenue costs could include:

• staffing (such as recruitment costs, salaries, travel, training and DBS checks)
• volunteer expenses
• accommodation (such as rent, insurance and utilities)
• overheads or core costs (such as management or administration, up to 15% of award)
• meeting costs (such as room hire and refreshments)
• consumables (such as stationery, printing and postage)
• planning and legal fees
• development work which helps get a project up and running, providing that there is a clear plan of action to deliver the project after this development stage
• costs relating to achieving a formal governance structure
• feasibility studies, research pieces or community consultation/engagement work – where the organisation can evidence groundwork has been undertaken to establish impact and need directly relating to Sizewell C, and where there is a clear plan of action to deliver a project based on the results
• evaluation costs

Capital costs could include:

• buildings and building improvements
  (for major capital works, we may ask to see a full and comprehensive business plan for the project as well as planning permissions in place)
• vehicles
• IT equipment and software
• office equipment and furniture
• other equipment (such as polytunnels, gazebos or tools)

Please see our Capital Assets policy regarding the number of quotes we require as part of your application.

Our Small Grants programme awards grants of up to £10,000 a year, for a maximum of 3 years.

In theory, there is no maxmimum grant amount for our Large Grants programme. However, in reality this is limited by the overall size of the Community Fund (£23m) and the need to ensure money is spread across communities impacted by Sizewell C and encompasses a variety of themes and issues.

As a result, we advise you to be realistic when considering an amount to apply for – ensuring that the amount requested is proportionate to the number of people who will benefit and the impact the project will have. Please have a look at the list of successful grants for an idea of the amounts awarded.

Eligible organisations can hold one grant per project at a time.

Groups are welcome to make further applications at any time for different projects, but the Panel will take into account the number and amount of awards made to organisations previously. As such, groups may want to prioritise their planned applications and consider the timing of these.

Yes! You can apply to us for up to 100% of your project’s costs. If you are applying to the Large Grants programme then, depending on the amount you are asking for and the type of project you wish to deliver, we may encourage you to seek additional sources of funding to contribute towards the costs. These may include another grant, volunteer time and in-kind services e.g. grass cutting for a park project.

If your project will draw people from a wide geographic area to benefit, including from communities not signficantly impacted by Sizewell C construction, then we may only fund a proportion of your project’s costs – please consider this carefully before applying and when deciding how much to request.

We may be able to signpost you to other funders who you could approach for additional funding for your project, including other grant programmes administered by Suffolk Community Foundation. Please contact us if you’d like more information about other potential funders.

We will not fund:

• Projects and activities looking to address any existing needs in East Suffolk, except where these existing needs have been exacerbated by the impact of Sizewell C.
• Projects and activities looking to address new needs which are not as a result of Sizewell C
• Duplication of projects or activities already taking place.
• Non-charitable or unlawful projects.
• Corporate sponsorship.
• Projects and activities which promote or support religious or political causes.
• Projects that might reasonably be deemed offensive or have a disproportionately negative impact on the environment
• Animal welfare projects, except those which provide clear benefits to the wider community.
• Projects that have already taken place or will take place before any grant award has been confirmed
• Projects delivering services that are a statutory responsibility.
• Projects or groups that are directly opposed to Sizewell C’s interests.
• Projects which are inconsistent with local plans (such as those drawn up by town or parish councils, Suffolk County Council or East Suffolk Council)
• Grants to meet the personal needs of individuals or families.
• Groups with significant free or unrestricted financial reserves
• Contributions to endowment funds, payment of deficit funding or the repayment of loans.
• Overseas travel or expeditions.
• Sponsored or fundraising events or groups raising funds to redistribute to other causes, including those that are grant makers.
• Medical research and equipment for statutory or private healthcare.
• Commercial ventures, unless the group is a registered as a not-for-profit organisation.

Please note this is not an exhaustive list and may be subject to change.

We will not pay VAT if your organisation is able to claim this cost back from HMRC.

We will ask successful applicants to contribute to a monitoring report so that we can show local people, as well as other organisations who are considering bidding for funds, the impact the money is having. This might be during as well as at the end of the grant period.

To help us do this, you will need to carry out benchmarking at the start be able to provide relevant information or data during your project to clearly show on the difference your project has made in relation to the outcomes you tell us about in your application. This could include information about the number of people accessing a service, for example, or changes which have taken place as a result of the funding.

 We will also ask you to send us anonymised case studies to demonstrate the impact of your work and help inspire others who may be considering applying for money.

 In addition, we will arrange visits during or after the funding period to discuss your project with you and those who are benefitting from it, and to see the difference it is making.

 We will regularly send out press releases and include stories about successful projects in newsletters, reports and other publicity materials, such as social media posts. This shows the people who support us the difference their generosity is making while also helping to publicise your work more widely.

 Please speak to us if you have any concerns about including your group in our publicity.

Successful applicants will be required to acknowledge Sizewell C Community Fund, Sizewell C and Suffolk Community Foundation when promoting or reporting on their project. Clear branding guidelines with logos will be provided and recipients will be asked to share examples of promotion where appropriate.

Projects receiving large grants for capital items such as buildings may also need to display a permanent funder logo in the form of a plaque or similar.

The successful grants awarded page will be updated after each Awards Panel to provide information about the grants awarded.