Your group must be set up for charitable or philanthropic purposes. It must be one of the following:

• a constituted not-for-profit organisation such as a registered charity
• a company limited by guarantee
• an unincorporated association or club
• a community interest company
• a charitable incorporated organisation
• a group of local residents who keep simple financial records and have a dual-controlled bank account
• a partnership of constituted groups and local residents

We do not normally fund any incorporated organisation that has individuals listed on the Companies House register of ‘persons with significant control’ where those individuals:

• hold more than 50% of the company’s shares
• hold more than 50% of the voting rights
• have the right or power to exercise (whether directly or indirectly) a considerable degree of influence or control over the company
• have the right or power to exercise (whether directly or indirectly) a considerable degree of influence or control over the activities of a trust or firm that would otherwise satisfy one of the other four conditions if it were a legal person

We will not fund an organisation where there is a person of significant control who has the right to appoint and remove the majority of the company’s directors.

For further information, read the government’s guidance about people with significant control. If you have any questions or concerns about ‘persons of significant’ influence, contact us before you apply.

Your group must meet the following conditions or be actively working towards meeting them.

• You must have a constitution or set of rules defining your aims and procedures
• You must decide policy and overall management practice through a committee of at least three unrelated, elected, unpaid volunteers. By ‘unrelated’ we mean people who are not immediate family members, married couples or civil partners, or people living at the same address
• You must meet the needs of Cambridge residents and be open to all eligible people
• You must have structures in place to manage your affairs efficiently, hold regular meetings to plan and monitor activities, keep meeting minutes, and circulate information to group members
• You must meet the legal responsibilities of an employer, if relevant
• You must recruit and support volunteers appropriately
• You must adopt appropriate health and safety policies and practices before any funding will be awarded, including:
  • risk assessments for activities
  • safeguarding measures for children and vulnerable adults, if appropriate to the activity
• You must adopt appropriate data protection, environmental, and equality and diversity practices if your application is successful
• You must keep proper financial records and show that financial help is needed
• You must have a group bank account or be taking steps to identify an organisation that could hold the funds for you

Groups we cannot fund

We cannot award funding to:

• individual applicants
• organisations that were set up or are managed wholly or partly by a statutory organisation
• groups based outside the UK
• groups that operate for private gain
• groups that are connected with any political party, involved in party politics or promote any political party or view
• uniformed groups
• groups that have not complied with the monitoring requirements for any grant previously received from us
• groups seeking a grant for religious instruction or worship
• groups with surplus funds that could be used for the activity

• Improving physical activity levels for people who are currently inactive.
• Swimming for people who cannot swim more than 25m without help.
• Informal sport and recreation.
• Approaches to tackling obesity.
• Reducing inequality in opportunity to be physically active, for example through low income, disability, gender or cultural need.

We will only consider funding equipment as part of a fully costed activity that meets our requirements.

Our broad and open definition of arts and culture includes music, drama, visual art, film, and other creative activity.

• Activities for groups of people who face barriers to accessing art, to enable participation.
• Inclusion activities to bring people together to improve mental and physical wellbeing.
• Targeted projects to improve access to the arts, including activities for minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities or on a low income.

• Activities that reduce social isolation and improve wellbeing, excluding clinical health activities.
• Activities that bring people from different communities together to improve and develop cohesion and integration.
• Activities that reduce inequality, particularly for those on a low income.
• Activities that bring people together to have a voice and to be able to influence services that affect them.

• Activities to support people on a low income to maximise their income and minimise their costs, including advice about debt, finances and benefits and support to reduce energy and water costs.
• Activities that promote and direct people to sources of affordable finance and can demonstrate the accessible, affordable offer available.
• Activities that focus on raising skills and employability for people on low incomes which are not the remit of others and have clearly defined and measurable outcomes.
• Activities to help people on low incomes get online and develop digital skills to access services and benefits, communicate with friends and family, or to develop digital skills needed in the workplace.
• Activities to support people experiencing food poverty.
• Activities to promote volunteering, particularly for residents on a low income.
• Activities to improve physical and mental health outcomes for people on low income, such as those that focus on promoting physical activity, healthy diets and healthy lifestyles; and outreach advice services for residents experiencing mental health issues associated with living in poverty or on a low income.
• Activities to address specific barriers experienced by groups of people more likely to experience poverty and social isolation, including older people, children and young people, low-income families, disabled people, minority ethnic people, women, and LGBTQ+ people.

We will not fund clinical activities for residents with physical or mental health needs.

• Activities which enable people to meet regularly to develop relationships within their local community.
• Activities for groups more likely to experience social isolation.

We cannot fund activities and support that are the remit of another statutory organisation. This includes:

• Cambridgeshire County Council, including:
  • children’s centres, childcare, school curriculum activities
  • breakfast and afterschool clubs, general youth clubs
  • education for young people aged 18 and under,
  • young offenders,
  • personal care, carer’s groups, day centres, older people’s lunch clubs
  • literacy and library, community education
• health authorities or services, including:
  • clinical health or issues groups and projects
  • medical support groups, counselling or therapy
  • activities for people in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction
• other authorities and partnerships, including:
  • Homelessness
  • Community safety (victims of domestic violence, reducing crime and anti-social behaviour)
  • immigration advice
  • uniformed groups
  • toddler and playgroups

We cannot fund:

• apprentice schemes
• language or cultural classes
• activities that are for religious instruction or worship, or involve proselytising. We will not fund trips to religious places of worship. Religious groups can apply for non-religious activities but will need to demonstrate that the activity is inclusive to all faiths and religions and does not promote a religious view in any way
• activities that promote or appear to support a political party, or publicity that appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party
• personal care services or funding for individuals

We cannot fund activities that:

• have already happened or are for any spending commitments made before the date of the grant agreement being signed or that will take place before 1 April 2025 or after 31 March 2026. Round two applicants cannot apply for activities that take place before mid-July 2025 or before the grant agreement has been signed and payments released
• have expensive food and refreshments that are not integral to the activity’s aims
• have high or disproportionate administrative or publicity costs and are not good value for money
• include the hire of a bar or the purchase of alcohol
• will lead to private, personal or commercial profit
• are for fundraising purposes, including for charity shops
• are for people who can afford to pay
• are competitive
• are held outside Cambridge, unless there is no suitable provider in the city
• include trips outside the United Kingdom or other unreasonable locations. We will only consider funding activities that include entrance fees and the use of cars in exceptional circumstances
• include equipment, unless it is a small part of a fully costed activity.
• include gifts or prizes
• have publicity that is not related to an eligible activity and is not reasonably costed

We cannot fund staff, self-employed people or contractors whose wages or salary exceed those agreed for city council workers. However, we encourage organisations to pay or to work towards paying the Real Living Wage.