• Please note: the bidding process for major and housing grants for the period 2019 to 2022 has now ended. 

Major and Housing Grants are awarded for spending in a three year period.

The Council has allocated £203,000 a year for each of the three years from 1st April 2019 to 31st March 2022 to be distributed as Major Grants of £10,000 or more and a further £56,500 to be distributed as Housing Grants to deliver the following priority services:

• Advice and Financial Inclusion services
  
• Youth engagement services and activities
  
• Services to homeless people, those at risk of homelessness and vulnerable people with a history of homelessness
  
• Services which promote voluntary and community activities and organisations through the provision of comprehensive information, advice, training and other support services to the full range of not-for profit organisations. 

The council will not fund:

• Major capital works or projects
  
• Any project that duplicates services already provided and funded elsewhere.

In 2020/21 grants of up to £5,000 are available through our small grants programme. Applications for this grant are currently closed.

Community groups applying for these grants must demonstrate that they are working with volunteers for the benefit of Eastbourne residents, with the aim of improving the range of services and activities on offer in the town. Successful applications must meet one or more of our priorities. The priorities this year are:

Projects which promote the inclusion of groups protected under the Equality Act 2010.

Projects focused on developing initiatives to support people with mental health needs.

Initiatives designed to develop volunteering or self-help activity and which need funding to get started. They will focus on one or more of the following:

• Supporting carers
• Reducing social isolation
• Tackling financial exclusion
• Tackling digital exclusion

With agreement from the Grants Task Group, we have omitted the Expression of Interest stage for 2020/21’s small grants programme. Instead, we have an extended application period and interested groups are encouraged to attend a training session which we are holding in collaboration with 3VA. This will be held on Tuesday 17 September from 10am to 1pm at Eastbourne Town Hall.

• Book a place on the bid writing training session - 17 September 2019

If you have any queries about the application or the eligibility of your group, please email funding@lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk. We can arrange a convenient time to ring you back if you’d prefer. 

The Eastbourne Local Lottery is raising funds that will be given out annually as small grants to local charities and community organisations, from 2019. Visit our Eastbourne Local Lottery page to find out more.

Eastbourne borough council has 35 properties which are currently in community use. The Council’s policy is to assess and charge the full market rent for any property it leases. Not-for profit organisations, who are leasing one of these properties, may be invited to apply for Rent Support Grant in recognition of their social value. 

Rent Support Grant will only be awarded where it is clear that the property is being used to support the Council’s Corporate and Service priorities and being used to its full potential and there is a clear need for grant to support rent payments.

The Disability Inclusion Fund is now closed for 2020/21 and no longer accepting applications. We hope to renew the fund for 2021/22.

The Eastbourne Disability Inclusion Fund will provide money for interventions that improve access to facilities, events or services for people with disabilities, including those with a hidden disability, in Eastbourne. The fund will support and kick-start interventions to help tackle the barriers experienced by disabled children and adults in actively participating in all aspects of life.

A new Disability Inclusion Task Group comprising three Eastbourne councillors and a council officer will decide on applications that can be made by voluntary and community groups in Eastbourne, as well as by the council itself.

Awards of up to £1,000 will generally be made to any single organisation, although higher awards may be considered in exceptional circumstances.

Criteria for the allocation of funds are;

• Interventions which aim to improve the experience of people with disabilities in the borough
• Interventions which enable children with disabilities to be more fully included in mainstream activities, events or services
• Interventions which, in particular, aid the inclusion of those with a hidden disability