Capital Grants

Funding of up to £10,000 is available for individual projects. However, the grant awarded must not exceed 50% of the total cost of the project.

The council will only fund projects or services where there is a clear financial need due to lack of 
available funds and will not fund projects or services that have already been delivered or work that has already been carried out. 

Organisations applying for funding must fulfil all the criteria below.

• Operate in Ashford borough and serve the borough’s residents  
• Are non-political
• Have a bank or building society account in the organisation's name (requiring two unrelated 
  signatories)
• Have relevant insurances in place e.g. public liability insurance, buildings insurance  
• Have relevant safeguards and policies in place i.e. risk assessments, health and safety policy, 
  safeguarding policy.
• Have effective management/governance arrangements in place
• Promote equalities within their structure and operations 
• Have support for their project from an Ashford Borough Council Ward Councillor or the Portfolio 
  Holder
• Are providing a service(s), project(s) or facilities that are open to any resident in the borough (or 
  have a clear, non-financial justification for targeting or prioritising a client group)
• Do not have more than 12 months’ worth of expenditure in unrestricted reserves or savings
• Have no overdue debts owed to the council

How to apply

You can apply for a Capital Grant online.

You will be taken to a login screen, here you can register if you haven't used the service before or login if already registered.

Please be aware that before you start you will need the following information, some of which you will need to upload directly onto this form. 

• Detailed information relating to the project and costs
• Bank Statements
• Annual Accounts (copy of last end year)
• Constitution/Trust Deed/Articles of Association (N/A if PC)
• Current Insurance Certificate & Schedules
• Health & Safety Policy
• Risk Assessment(s)
• Safeguarding Policy
• Quotations - for projects under £10,000, at least 2 quotations are required. For projects between £10,000 and £25,000, at least 3 quotations are required.

Please save your form as you work through it so, if you need to step away from your computer, your form will be saved. You can access your draft form again at anytime by logging back into the portal and going to the "draft service requests" section. Once you submit the form, it can be found in the "Service requests" section.

Stuck? View a visual example on Scribe.

Application Deadlines

There are three application deadlines per year for all capital grant applications, closing on 31 January, 31 May and 30 September.

Application Assessment & Decisions

Once applications have been submitted, they will be assessed by the Grants and Funding Team to ensure they are properly completed and meet all eligibility criteria. You will be contacted if more information or clarification is needed on your application.

Once applications are fully completed, and if projects meet at least one of the following funding priorities in both section A and section B, they are progressed to a Community Grants Panel.

The Community Grants Panel meets in March, July and November to consider all eligible grant applications.

If your application is progressed, you will be invited to the Community Grants Panel to discuss your project. All applicants are required to attend the Grants Panel.

The grant panel will make a decision on whether or not to fund your project based on:

• Whether your project contributes towards achieving the council’s corporate priorities
• Direct benefits to users and wider social and economic benefits
• Value for money
• A quality service for local people

We will notify you of the decision of the Community Grants Panel within two working days of its meeting. The decision of the Community Grant Panel is final.

Community Grants funding is always subject to the council's budget position. We may be unable to fund every eligible application.

Funding Priorities 

All applications for funding must contribute towards achieving the council’s corporate priorities by 
meeting at least one of the following funding priorities in both section A and section B.

Section A

a. Reduces greenhouse gas emissions and/or increases biodiversity
b. Encourages more active and healthier people and communities 
c. Delivers improved facilities for the local community
d. Fosters good relations between communities 
e. Provides advice/mentoring for vulnerable people

Section B

a. Increases knowledge and skills
b. Reduces loneliness and isolation
c. Improves community engagement
d. Increases understanding of other cultures and faiths
e. Increases personal wellbeing, independence and resilience 
f. Demonstrates value for money

Grant Offer

If your application is successful we will send you a grant offer. The grant offer sets out the amount of grant funding approved, purpose of the funding, any additional grant conditions, monitoring and review requirements and the evidence of spend we require.

In signing your grant offer, you accept our standard Terms and Conditions of Funding [docx] 17KB and any additional conditions stated in the offer.

You will also be informed of how you can claim your grant. You have 12 months from the date of the grant offer to claim your grant.

Who to contact for help

Grants and Funding Team

Email: grantsandfunding@ashford.gov.uk.

Safeguarding

Ashford Borough Council is required by law to safeguard children and to protect public funds. We may use the information you have provided for the prevention and detection of criminal activity and fraud. We may also share this information with those bodies responsible for auditing or administering funds for these purposes.