HPC Community Fund: Small Grants (Easy Access)
Grant details
| Grant size: | Up to £30,000, to be spent in up to 3 years |
| Apply by: | Open year-round. Next deadline is Monday 19 October, by 5pm |
| Decision in: | Decisions made around every 2 months |
Who is it for?Local groups normally running on under £250,000 that are working in areas impacted by Hinkley Point C.
What is it for?To run projects, refurbish buildings or buy equipment.
What can we use this money for?
Hinkley Point C (HPC) is one of the biggest developments that Somerset has ever seen. Building work started in 2017 and is expected to continue until at least 2027. It's making a big difference to the lives of people living nearby, particularly in places like Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea and the surrounding villages.
The differences that people are experiencing have changed over the years. There have been new opportunities for people living in the area, but HPC has also impacted some people's quality of life.
This Fund is for communities living with these changes. You can ask us for money if your group works in one of these communities and you have an idea to make the local area better. Whatever you ask for, it must improve community wellbeing and quality of life.
How much can we apply for?
We’re happy to consider requests for less than £1,000 or up to £30,000 (this is likely to be for multi-year grants). Bear in mind that this is a small grants programme and that most of our grants range from £5,000 to £10,000.
You can spend your grant over a few months, or up to 3 years, depending on what you need for your project. Multi-year grants will be made in instalments, and we’ll ask you for an update at the end of each year.
If you’re applying for a smaller grant (up to £5,000) then we may be able to get you a decision more quickly. If you’re planning to apply for a larger grant (more than £10,000), we’d strongly encourage you to speak to us first.
Which groups can apply?
We can only consider your group for a grant from this Fund if you meet our minimum standards and need money for an area impacted by HPC.
Our minimum standards cover things like:
- the types of groups we can give a grant to and how we expect them to be run
- how we expect groups to manage their finances
- how groups keep people safe.
All of our minimum standards are on our Frequently Asked Questions page, where you can find lots of information about applying for funding. Please ensure you check your group’s eligibility before applying, as it will save you time if you’re not eligible. If you’re not sure, get in touch with us.
If your group is a Community Interest Company (CIC) it’s particularly important that you check the minimum standards information before applying.
When do we have to apply?
This Fund is open all year round. There are 6 deadlines during the year.
How likely am I to get a grant?
Sadly, we can’t give funding to every group that applies to us.
We have around £250,000 to give out from the Fund this year. Across our programmes, we’re usually able to support 2 out of every 3 applications we receive.
We also have a pot of money available to support your group to run well, alongside a grant which we will discuss with you if appropriate.
We’re more likely to give you money if your project is:
- working in communities that have experienced bigger impacts from HPC
- supported by many people in the wider community
- clearly addressing the impacts of HPC, or making the most of the opportunities it creates
- working closely with other organisations to increase impact and reduce duplication
- offering good value for money.
We’ll also consider whether your organisation has received funding through the programme before.
The Socio-Economic Advisory Group (SEAG) monitors a set of core indicators relating to the building of HPC. These are reported to the government, stakeholders and investors. The data included in these reports can be a useful tool when applying to the HPC Community Fund.
How are decisions made?
Your application will be assessed by one of our team. We’ll read through what you’ve written, look at your supporting documents and check places like the Charity Commission and your website. We may contact you if we have any questions or if something is missing from your application.
It won’t matter how clearly your project fits the criteria, if your group isn’t eligible, you won’t be funded – so please do check our FAQS.
We’ll usually then make a recommendation, and a panel will make the final decision. The panel is made up of people from SCF, Somerset Council and EDF, as well as independent community members.
You may find it useful to review our supporting document, demonstrating how we make decisions for the Fund, using a real example of a group.
How do I apply to this programme?
You can apply if your group:
- improves community wellbeing and quality of life in areas affected by HPC
- meets our minimum standards.
The next step is to fill in our online application form. On this page you’ll also find a Word version of the form that you can use to draft your answers before submitting online.
Get help with this funding programme
This funding programme is managed by Olivia Gore, our Programmes Manager. Olivia Gore can help if you:
- aren’t sure if this is the best fund to apply for
- aren’t sure if you meet our minimum standards
- can’t use our online form, need extra support with your application or if English isn’t your first language
- can’t attach the documents we’ve asked for.
You can also book a time to meet with Olivia Gore online.
Grant details
| Grant size: | Up to £30,000, to be spent in up to 3 years |
| Apply by: | Open year-round. Next deadline is Monday 19 October, by 5pm |
| Decision in: | Decisions made around every 2 months |
Who is it for?Local groups normally running on under £250,000 that are working in areas impacted by Hinkley Point C.
What is it for?To run projects, refurbish buildings or buy equipment.
FAQs
You can find our minimum standards and everything else you need to know about applying on our FAQs page.
