The Voluntary and Community Sector have a vital role to play in supporting the response to COVID-19, both locally and nationally. On 20th January the City Council launched a £50,000 support fund which local voluntary and community sector organisations can apply into to receive financial support in the form of a grant. If you are providing support to residents in the city affected by COVID-19 you can apply for a grant to fund service delivery.
There is no maximum limit for grant applications. However, bids for more than £2,500 will require further evidence and be subject to additional scrutiny and ongoing monitoring. In deciding which applications will be approved, priority will be given to charities or community groups which are based in the city and delivering services to Stoke-on-Trent residents which address one or more of the following areas:
- Provision of food and other essential supplies (particularly to harder-to-reach groups and communities);
- Providing support around payment of energy and water bills;
- Providing other essential support or services to low income families with children or other vulnerable households who are particularly affected by the pandemic.
You will need to show in your application how the support that you provide addresses one or more of these priorities.
The funding allocated during this funding round must also be spent in full before the start of the new financial year. You must confirm in your application that you will be able to spend any grant money you receive by 31 March and provide details of how it will be spent before the deadline (this is particularly important if you are bidding for larger sums of money). You may be contacted where we require further information regarding your ability to spend the grant. You should bear in mind that, if your bid is successful, you may not receive the funds until mid-February at the earliest, which may affect your ability to spend the money in the time permitted.
The closing date for applications has now closed.