County Councillor grants

Each County Councillor (Member) receives an annual budget to support local projects, initiatives, or organisations within their Division. Grants are available to legitimate groups or organisations - not individuals.

Organisations cannot apply for grants for the same purpose every year e.g. for the same project or event. Grant awards from the previous two years will be taken into account when applications are assessed.

Who can apply?

Applications are welcome from a wide range of organisations serving Hampshire communities.

To qualify, an organisation must have a bank account and meet at least one of the following:

• Independently verified accounts or a letter from a qualified examiner
• A published statement of objectives
• A governing body (e.g. committee or board)
• Minuted meetings and an Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Applications from religious groups are considered if the project delivers wider community benefit. Statutory bodies (e.g. schools, councils, NHS) may apply only if the grant supports additional community benefit and does not fund core services. These applications typically come via fundraising arms, for example school Parent/ Teacher Associations.

Examples of eligible organisations include:

• Scouts, Guides, Boys’ and Girls’ Brigades
• Local Shopmobility and Citizens Advice
• Riding for the Disabled
• Village/community hall associations
• Religious groups (for wider community benefit)
• Local branches of national charities, e.g. Age Concern, Mencap, Home-Start
• British Legion and service charities
• School Parent/Teacher Associations (PTAs)
• Locality promotion groups
• Nursery education groups

Parish and Town Councils are still eligible to apply; however, grants should not support normal business operation or projects that can be revenue funded (including through precepts) or funded through alternative sources like the Community Infrastructure Levy.

Who can't apply?

Grants will not be awarded to:

• Individuals (e.g. for personal sponsorship)
• Political parties or affiliated groups
• Lobbying or campaigning organisations (unless for a specific community-benefiting project)
• National fundraising organisations (unless funds are used locally)
• Single-issue pressure groups
• Groups formed solely to oppose County Council policies

This list may be updated periodically.

Eligible Projects and Initiatives

Funding is available for both revenue (one-off) and minor capital projects. Revenue grants should support short-term, project-specific costs – for example, a time-limited activity group for children.

General revenue funding for core operational costs will only be considered if:

• The applicant is not a statutory body (e.g. Council, school, NHS)
• The support is one-off in nature
• The organisation has a viable financial plan for future years
• The organisation will remain operational during the funded year

Grants are expected to benefit a wide range of groups and activities, including:

• Vulnerable children and adults
• Youth initiatives
• Facilities for older people
• Community spaces
• Minor school traffic/safety works
• Environmental and community safety projects

Timing

The application window is generally open from 1 June to 28 February each financial year. Any changes to this timetable will be highlighted at the top of this page.

Applications must be submitted within a reasonable timeframe to give Members plenty of time to consider and process them. Grants for time-specific activities, such as seasonal events, and projects must be awarded before the event takes place, otherwise they will be automatically rejected.

Retrospective applications for activities and projects already taken place will not be accepted.

Financial considerations

• Minimum Grant: £100.
• Maximum Grant Limit: £1,000.
• Grant awards are one-off.
• There is no expectation of future funding.
• Organisations cannot apply for grants for the same purpose every year e.g. for the same project or event. Grant awards from the previous two years will be taken into account when applications are assessed.
• Grants should support specific projects, not general operational costs.
• Recurring annual costs are generally not supported, except where they relate directly to a time-limited project.
• Match Funding - May be used to support match funding but not required.
• Feasibility Support - The County Council does not provide feasibility assessments or bid-writing support, beyond advising on the application process.

Application Assessment

Grant applications must demonstrate how the proposed project or initiative supports one or more of Hampshire County Council's four priority commitments in the Strategic Plan:

• Keeping you healthy, well and independent
• Giving your communities the best chance to thrive
• Keeping you, your families, and friends safe
• Providing innovative services you need and value

Approval process

Applications must be submitted via the electronic form with supporting information if required. Guidance notes for completing the application form are available on the link at the bottom of this page.

Members are responsible for:

• Checking applicant eligibility and project suitability
• Ensuring no duplicate funding from other County Council sources
• Deciding which applications to support
• Informing applicants of the outcome

Members must consider:

• The public sector Equality Duty, including eliminating discrimination, advancing equality, and fostering good relations across protected characteristics (e.g. age, disability, race, religion, sex, etc.)
• The County Council’s Climate Change Strategy, including goals for carbon neutrality by 2050 and climate resilience.

Final approval is made by Officers, based on the Member’s recommendation, in line with current decision-making arrangements.

Conflicts of Interest

Members must comply with the County Council’s Constitution when recommending grants for approval and declare any Personal Interest in a grant application. These are interests that could reasonably be seen as affecting their own, their family, or a close associate’s wellbeing or financial position more than that of other residents.

The Member must not take part in the decision-making process and will refer the application to the Leader of the Council with a recommended amount, to be assigned to another Member for consideration and approval.

Publicity

• The scheme will be publicly available (e.g. on the County Council website).
• The Corporate Communications Team will not assist with publicity for individual Members' grants.
• Members are responsible for:
  • Handling all correspondence and media enquiries.
  • Ensuring it is clear that the grant is provided by the County Council in support of its priorities.
• All projects supported through the scheme must clearly acknowledge County Council funding in all promotional materials. This requirement aligns with the County Council’s brand permissions, full details of the policy are available at Hampshire County Council brand permissions

Payments

Payments are made by BACS and it is essential that the correct bank account information is provided in the application form to ensure payments are made promptly following grant approval.

Audit and Reporting

• The scheme is subject to internal and external audit, like any other County Council budget.
• Approved grants will be published on the Council’s website, in accordance with the requirements of the local government transparency code 2015.
• Successful applicants must report to the approving Member on how the grant was spent, either via:
  • A letter, or
  • A set of accounts detailing the expenditure.