Applicants must be:

• a non-profit group or organisation based in South Cambridgeshire or benefiting South Cambridgeshire residents
• a South Cambridgeshire parish council
• an informal community group or local business that has partnered with an eligible non-profit organisation (the lead applicant must be the non-profit organisation and will be required to demonstrate an appropriate level of involvement in the project).

Commercial businesses are not eligible to apply. 

Schools and any other organisations can apply for a grant for a project which is accessible to the community and not just for educational purposes.

Grants of between £2,000 and £15,000 are available.

As well as capital costs we can fund:

• salaries of project workers
• salaries of management staff. These should be in proportion to the staff time spent on the project
• reasonable expenses of project staff and volunteers
• marketing and publicity for the project (as appropriate)

We cannot pay for the following:

• activities, events or services which have already taken place, including staff development time
• activities that benefit individuals, rather than the wider community
• activities that generate profits for private gain
• religious activity or content (although we are able to fund religious organisations if they are providing benefit for the wider community)
• activities that replace or supplement government funding (for example, we can only fund school activities that are additional to the curriculum) 
• EV charging points. Government grants are available to install chargers, as well as our Electric Vehicle Charge Point (ECVP) grant.
• loan repayments
• renewable energy installations where it is intended to claim Renewable Heat Incentive payments or any other payments where the use of public grants renders the installation ineligible for such payments.

Organisations that are awarded a grant will be expected to comply with the following conditions as a minimum:

• funding must only be used for the agreed purpose and must be spent within 12-months of the award being made except where exceptional circumstances apply, and an extension is agreed with the grants officer in writing
• where a proposal anticipates financial savings or income, the applicant will need to show this will be for the benefit of the community
• publicity must take place acknowledging the award provided by South Cambridgeshire District Council
• any unused grant must be returned to South Cambridgeshire District Council
• an end of project report with photographs must be submitted to us one calendar year after the grant award.

In your application please include: 

• a copy of your organisation’s constitution or mission statement (except parish councils)
• a copy of your latest accounts (audited if available)
• a copy of your organisation’s safeguarding and equal opportunities policy
• any quotes received for the project (please note, for solar PV projects we require organisations to seek quotes from 3 installers).

All eligible grant applications will be reviewed by the Grants Advisory Committee, who will make recommendations to the lead Cabinet Member for Finance for decision. We aim to let applicants know of the decision within 2 months of the application deadline. 

Project proposals will be scored and prioritised for funding based on how well the answers to the questions fulfil the objectives given for each theme. Each theme will be scored differently as set out in grant information document.

A funding agreement will be prepared for all successful applicants. This will include arrangements for payment of the grant. Projects will be required to measure and report on their progress one calendar year from the award of the grant. This allows us to continue to report on the annual impact of the grant.

Your project should aim to achieve the following: 

• the project reduces the production of carbon emissions or reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
• the project achieves wider community engagement and behaviour change around climate change
• the project contributes additional value (for example funding contributions; volunteer time/expertise 
  from other sources; collaboration between organisations, and/or evidence of local and/or Member support; communication of the project to the local community)
• the project is sustainable and will have a ‘lifetime’ impact on the local and wider community.

In your application, you will be required to calculate the reduction in carbon emissions that will result from your project. Further information is provided in our application guidance.

Community buildings

Projects which provide improvements to community buildings to reduce its carbon emissions (for example, the need for grid electricity, gas or oil). 

Ideas for Community Buildings Projects:

• energy conservation measures: Draught proofing, insulation of walls, ceilings, roofs, floors and pipes and replacing doors or windows.
• energy efficiency measures: Lighting upgrades, smart heating control units or infrared heating. We will prioritise these where they have been recommended on an energy survey.
• solar PV and/or battery storage system for solar PV: feasible energy conservation and efficiency measures must have already been undertaken or be planned to be undertaken. 

Buildings must be open to the whole community, for example village halls. Multi-purpose church buildings or halls and Scout and Guide buildings are eligible where clearly advertised as multi-purpose. 

School buildings are not eligible for funding through this grant scheme.

Transport

Projects which engage the community to reduce the reliance on car travel, encouraging walking, 
cycling and low carbon transport. 

Ideas for transport projects:

• community cycling events: funding for events or projects that promote sustainable lifestyle 
  choices, or cycling
• cycle shelters or stands: Cycling infrastructure improvements which encourage cycling 
  connectivity around the district on publicly accessible land. 

Events, campaigns and education

Projects which engage the community to encourage them to reduce their carbon emissions through waste and recycling, diet or interacting with nature.

• food waste reduction projects: such as recycling or composting campaigns
• community allotment projects: to encourage people to grow their own food and engage with nature
• biodiversity mapping: to encourage people to get out into nature and engage with nature, or to 
  understand what they can do in their own gardens
• climate festival: to showcase climate action and engage others to take action. 

The Zero Carbon Communities Grant has now provided over £500,000 of funding, this video celebrates some of the projects funded since the grant began in 2019.

Here are the projects we have already funded through the Zero Carbon Communities Grant scheme.

Download the PDF of case studies for previous projects [PDF, 0.8MB]. 

Hope Against Poverty 

Received £15,000 to replace a diesel van with an electric vehicle for its mobile food bank.

Cambridge Carbon Footprint 

Received £15,000 to expand their network of repair cafes. The grant will also set up new cafes in South Cambridgeshire. They will also use the grant to train volunteers to run cafes and provide them with support and resources to thrive – including a new toolkit supported by local businesses. 

They also received £11,095 to help people upgrade homes and reduce energy use. They will provide thermal camera loans, free tours of low-carbon homes, and a Home Energy Officer to guide people in reducing energy consumption and retrofitting their homes. 

Hardwick Parish Council 

Funded £5,292 to set up an e-bike rental scheme with Cambridge Electric Transport.