Our Resettlement Community Grant funds activities that support people displaced by war, conflict, and persecution.
There are two tiers of grant available. To be considered for a grant:
- your project must be for the benefit of refugees and people with experience of seeking asylum who are Cambridge residents or have a connection to the city council
- your project must meet one of the five funding priorities
- your organisation must meet all eligibility criteria
Tier 1 grants:
- provide funding up to £5,000
- are for shorter projects and one-off events
The application window opens on 13 November 2026. It will remain open until the fund is exhausted.
Tier 2 grants:
- provide funding between £5,001 and £30,000
- are for long-term projects – bids are expected to cover a period lasting between six and 24 months
The application window will reopen on 24 February 2027, closing on 7 April 2027.
To apply for a Tier 2 grant, your group must have a track record of working with refugees and asylum seekers. This includes organisations that have successfully delivered a project funded through a Tier 1 grant.
We cannot accept applications for these grants from individuals. You must form a partnership with an eligible organisation to apply for funding. If you have an idea but are not yet a part of a group or partnership, contact us to discuss how you can proceed.
Grant priorities
Your project must meet one of the five grant priorities to be considered for a grant award.
- Welcoming and resettlement – support and advice for people who have recently arrived in Cambridge
- Integration and community cohesion – initiatives that help to:
- promote an understanding of different customs and cultures
- build relationships and ‘bridge the divide’ between different groups
- celebrate diversity, increasing a sense of belonging
- Skills development – provide learning and training opportunities for personal and professional life, such as:
- English language classes
- access to volunteering, employment and entrepreneurship, to pursue career paths and professions that were disrupted by displacement
- Access to specialist and targeted support – initiatives that respond to existing gaps in services and reduce barriers for particular groups, such as:
- women-only activities
- support for people who have experienced trauma
- Wellbeing – activities that support wellbeing, such as:
- arts and cultural projects
- community crafts, cooking and food, gardening and connecting with nature
- sports and other opportunities to experience joy
The funded activities must benefit one or more of the following groups:
- Ukraine visa holders living in Cambridge
- Cambridge or South Cambridgeshire residents on the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) or UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS)
- other refugees who are receiving support from our resettlement team
- Cambridge residents waiting for a decision on their asylum application
When you apply for this grant, it is your responsibility to demonstrate how the activity meets the needs of the beneficiaries listed. Additionally, funded activities that meet the ‘integration and community cohesion’ priority can include other city residents as direct beneficiaries.
Community Interest Companies
We will fund a Community Interest Company (CIC) if:
- the company’s activities clearly deliver public benefit
- the grant is used for community purposes
- the company can demonstrate social impact
To establish this, as well as your governing document we will require additional information including:
- Community Interest Statement (CIC36)
- Annual Community Interest Report (CIC34)
- business plan
All CICs are legally required to operate with an asset lock clause, providing assurance that the organisation's assets will be retained for community benefit and protected from unrestricted private distribution. Therefore, we will not fund CICs that do not have an asset lock clause.
CICs limited by shares are not eligible to apply for this funding programme. Although these organisations are established to deliver community benefit, they are permitted to distribute a proportion of their profits to shareholders.
Because our grant funding is intended to support organisations that reinvest all surpluses for public and community benefit, only charities, charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs), and CICs limited by guarantee are eligible to apply. You should ensure that your legal structure meets the eligibility criteria before you apply.
We understand that directors, shareholders and connected persons may legitimately provide services to a CIC, and we are not seeking to exclude such arrangements. However, we need to understand any potential private benefit arising from the grant.
Where grant funding may be used directly or indirectly for the benefit of a director, shareholder, family member, connected person, or a business connected to them, we will consider the circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
The information you provide will help us assess any potential private benefit and inform our discretionary decision-making on whether the proposed use of grant funding is appropriate and eligible for support.
We expect CIC governance arrangements to include sufficient independent scrutiny to provide assurance that public or charitable funding will be used for community benefit and not confer undue private benefit.
Grant funding advisory note
We do not normally award unrestricted grants to CICs. We generally provide grants for a specific project, activity or community benefit, to ensure there is a clear public purpose for the funding and because unrestricted grants can give rise to tax and accounting considerations for the recipient.
CICs are responsible for obtaining their own independent professional advice regarding any tax implications of receiving a grant.
Activities on council-owned land
You must have permission from the landowner if your activity will take place on land that you do not own.
For activities on land owned by us, you must submit a statement of intent. Please allow four weeks for us to decide whether to allow it to take place.
Tier 1 Resettlement Community Grants
Tier 1 grants are suitable for shorter projects and one-off events. Up to £5,000 is available per project.
You can use the grant to fund the direct costs of running the project. We will consider allowing you to use it to cover a realistic and proportionate share of your organisation’s overheads.
You can only hold one Tier 1 grant at a time. You cannot apply for another Tier 1 grant until your previous project has finished.
Your group can apply only once within any three‑month period. This applies whether previous applications were successful or not.
Who can apply
You can apply for a grant of up £5,000 or less on behalf of:
- a community group, small group of residents, faith group or constituted not-for-profit organisations
- 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 partnership of local residents with an eligible group including refugees and asylum seekers based in Cambridge and surrounding areas. The eligible group must be the lead applicant
Governance eligibility criteria
Your group must:
- have a legal structure that is appropriate to the size and nature of the organisation with a governing document defining their aims and procedures
- be independently set up for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes and does not operate for private, commercial or personal profit or gain
- have a minimum of three unrelated, elected volunteers who decide policy and overall management. By unrelated, we mean people who are not:
- family members such as siblings, parents and children
- married couples or civil partners
- living at the same address
- meet the legal responsibilities of an employer and adopts, implements, and monitors good employment practices and procedures, if relevant
- comply with all statutory and legal responsibilities applicable to the organisation and its regulatory body, if relevant
- recruit and support volunteers
- show good governance and management by having up to date policies and procedures that are followed, kept under review, and meet legal requirements
- not have a ‘person of significant control’ listed on the Companies House register of ‘persons with significant control’ where an individual:
- has the right to appoint and remove the majority of the company’s directors
- holds more than 50% of the company’s shares
- holds more than 50% of the voting rights
- has the right or power to exercise (whether directly or indirectly) a considerable degree of influence or control over the company or its activities
- not promote any political parties, not be involved in party politics, and not promote political views
- return satisfactory monitoring and evaluation, accounts or other information requested in connection with any previous funding from Cambridge City Council on time, if relevant
- have an asset lock clause (not for profit distribution clause) if a Community Interest Company (CIC)
- be limited by guarantee if a Community Interest Company (CIC)
- not be a statutory organisation or not set up by a statutory organisation or not managed wholly or partly by a statutory organisation
- have up-to-date, appropriate and adequate insurance cover
Finance eligibility criteria
Your group must:
- keep accurate financial records that comply with legal standards and governing documents, including annual accounts
- provide up-to-date whole organisation accounts, showing income and expenditure (profit and loss) against current budget
- have a dual-controlled group bank account (two signatories) in the organisation’s name
- ensure that the bank or building society account in which you hold our grant funds is regulated either by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and that it is safeguarded by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
- demonstrate the need for financial support
Required documents
Your group must provide:
- latest version of governing document (signed and dated)
- bank statement from within the last three months showing organisational name and address
- list with names of two signatories for the bank account
- up-to-date whole organisation accounts, showing income and expenditure (profit and loss) against current budget
- latest set of annual accounts (including profit and loss, cash flow and balance sheets)
- trustees or directors report (signed and dated)
- external examiner report (signed and dated) where the annual income is 25k or above
- list of trustees, directors or committee members
- insurance certificates – if you do not have insurance at the point of application, it will be required as a mandatory condition of award
- risk assessments for your projects
- if a Community Interest Company (CIC):
- business plan
- Community Interest Company Report (CIC34)
- Community Interest Statement (CIC36)
- Policies that include date of adoption and review date:
- Safeguarding
- Health and safety
- Equality and diversity
- Data protection
- Complaints
- Environment
If you need help developing any of these documents, read the application support section below.
Funding exclusions
We will not fund:
- individuals and personal care: funding for individuals or the provision of personal care
- commercial gain: activities that generate a direct private, personal, or commercial profit
- statutory responsibilities: activities and support that fall under the remit of another statutory organisation. This includes Cambridgeshire County Council, NHS or health authorities, clinical support such as counselling, or school-day education that is not accessible to the wider community
- other council schemes: activities more suited to our other grant schemes, such as Homelessness Prevention Grants
- religious activities: activities for religious instruction, worship, or religious promotion.
- We do not fund trips to religious places of worship. However, eligible activities can take place within places of worship. Religious groups are welcome to apply for non-religious activities but must demonstrate that the project is inclusive of all faiths and backgrounds.
- political activity: activities that promote or appear to support a political party, and groups that are involved in party politics, or promoting political views
- retrospective or out-of-year funding: activities that have already taken place, occur before funding awards are released, or fall outside the grant award year
- food and refreshments: any food or refreshments over the value of £7 per head, or any refreshments that are not integral to the activity’s outcomes
- equipment: equipment that is not essential to the activity’s outcomes. We will only consider reasonable equipment costs as part of a fully costed project
- alcohol: activities that include hiring a bar or purchasing alcohol
- fundraising: fundraising activities, including costs associated with charity shops
- competitive activities: sports or events that are strictly competitive in nature
- activities outside Cambridge: activities held outside Cambridge, unless no suitable local location exists, such as day trips to the seaside
- travel and entry fees: entrance fees and the use of private cars will only be considered under exceptional circumstances
- unaccredited delivery: activities where the delivery group does not hold the appropriate qualifications or accreditations
- grant redistribution: the redistribution of grant funding to other groups or individuals, such as running a micro-grant scheme for individuals in need
- affordability: activities designed for individuals or groups who could otherwise afford to pay
- disproportionate running costs: core running costs that are unrealistic or disproportionate to the specific activity being delivered
- publicity: marketing or publicity that is not directly related to an eligible activity or is not reasonably costed
- websites: website development or updates, unless the website directly provides and is integral to the funded activity itself
- apprenticeships: apprenticeship schemes
- staffing and wage caps: staff, self-employed, or contractor costs that exceed the standard agreed rates for city council workers. However, we actively encourage organisations that employ people to pay, or work towards paying, the Real Living Wage
Groups we cannot fund
We cannot award funding to:
- groups based outside the UK
- membership-based organisations where access to services or activities is restricted to paying members such as uniformed groups
- groups that have not complied with the monitoring requirements or grant conditions for any grant previously received from us
Apply
You can apply for this grant on our grants portal from 13 November 2026. Applications will remain open year-round until the fund is exhausted.
If you are applying on behalf of a partnership, check the guidance for partnerships and collaborations below.
Next steps
You will receive an automated email acknowledging receipt of your application after you submit it through the grants portal.
We will decide whether to award your grant within six weeks of receiving your application and responses to any follow up questions we may have.
Before we make any payments, you must sign your grant agreement and meet any other conditions, including the submission of any outstanding monitoring reports from previous grants.
You will have no right to appeal against the decision if you are not awarded a grant.
Reporting back on your activity
You are required to complete a monitoring report as a condition of receiving a grant.
The grants portal will generate a report for you to tell us what you did with the grant and what difference it made to the participants. You must submit the report within one month after the completion of your activity.
Monitoring reports should be accompanied by supporting evidence such as publicity material and photographs. We might request further information.
Please keep all receipts and invoices related to the activity, as we might ask to see these.
You must repay in full any award that:
- you do not spend
- you cannot provide evidence that you used it for the allocated purpose
Tier 2 Resettlement Community Grants
The Tier 2 grant is available for long-term projects – bids are expected to cover a period lasting between six and 24 months. Grants of £5,001 to £30,000 are available.
Who can apply
You can apply for a grant of £5,001 to £30,000 on behalf of:
- an established group with a good track record of working with refugees and asylum seekers
- a group with a connection to the refugees or asylum seekers living in the local area. Groups without a connection must submit an outreach plan with their application to be eligible
- 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
The Tier 2 grant has a match-funding requirement – at least 5% of the project costs must be covered by another source. This can include participant contributions or other grants and donations but excludes in-kind contributions and organisational reserves.
Governance eligibility criteria
Your group must:
- have a demonstrable track record of working with refugees and asylum seekers in the UK
- be applying for a project are aimed at refugees or asylum seekers based in Cambridge or are currently receiving support from Cambridge City Council
- be independently set up for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes and must not operate for private, commercial or personal profit or gain
- have a legal structure that is appropriate to the size and nature of the organisation with a governing document defining their aims and procedures
- have a minimum of three unrelated, elected volunteers who decide policy and overall management. By unrelated, we mean people who are not:
- family members such as siblings, parents and children
- married couples or civil partners
- living at the same address
- comply with all statutory and legal responsibilities applicable to the organisation and its regulatory body, if relevant
- meet the legal responsibilities of an employer and adopts, implements and monitors good employment practice and procedures, if relevant
- recruit and support volunteers
- have up-to-date, appropriate and adequate insurance cover
- show good governance and management by having up‑to‑date policies and procedures that are followed, kept under review, and meet legal requirements
- not have a ‘person of significant control’ listed on the Companies House register of ‘persons with significant control’ where an individual:
- has the right to appoint and remove the majority of the company’s directors
- holds more than 50% of the company’s shares
- holds more than 50% of the voting rights
- has the right or power to exercise (whether directly or indirectly) a considerable degree of influence or control over the company or its activities
- not promote any political parties, not be involved in party politics, or not promote political views
- not be a statutory organisation or not set up by a statutory organisation or not managed wholly or partly by a statutory organisation
- have returned satisfactory monitoring and evaluation, accounts or other information requested on time (in connection with any previous funding from Cambridge City Council)
- have an asset lock clause (not for profit distribution clause) if a Community Interest Company (CIC)
- be limited by guarantee if a Community Interest Company (CIC)
- have been established for at least one year if a Community Interest Company (CIC)
- provide any information required to support their application
Finance eligibility criteria
Your group must:
- keep accurate financial records that comply with legal standards and governing documents, including annual accounts
- provide up-to-date whole organisation accounts, showing income and expenditure (profit and loss) against current budget
- ensure that effective financial systems and procedures have been established, are being consistently followed and are in line with best practice and legal requirements for example has a reserves policy, presents finances to a board or committee for scrutiny
- have a dual-controlled group bank account (two signatories) in the organisation’s name
- ensure that the bank or building society account in which you hold our grant funds is regulated either by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and that it is safeguarded by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
- keep an annually updated reserves policy outlining total reserves, distinguishing restricted and unrestricted funds, explaining their purpose and calculation, and including designated reserves where relevant
- demonstrate the need for financial support
- not be reliant on Cambridge City Council funding alone for this funding applications
Required documents
Your group must provide:
- latest version of governing document (signed and dated)
- bank statement from within the last three months showing organisational name and address
- list with names of two signatories for the bank account
- up-to-date whole organisation accounts, showing income and expenditure (profit and loss) against current budget
- latest set of annual accounts (including profit and loss, cash flow and balance sheets)
- trustees or directors report (signed and dated)
- external examiner report (signed and dated) where the annual income is 25k or above
- list of trustees, directors or committee members
- insurance certificates – if you do not have insurance at the point of application, it will be required as a mandatory condition of award
- risk assessments for your projects
- if a Community Interest Company (CIC):
- business plan
- Community Interest Company Report (CIC34)
- Community Interest Statement (CIC36)
- Policies that include date of adoption and review date:
- Safeguarding
- Health and safety
- Equality and diversity
- Data protection
- Reserves
- Complaints
- Environment
If you need help developing any of these documents, read the application support section below.
Funding exclusions
We will not fund:
- personal care or funding for individuals
- activities that will make a direct private, personal or commercial gain or profit
- activities and support that are the remit of another statutory organisation such as:
- county council
- clinical and health and social care services including counselling
- education delivered during the school day that is not accessible to the wider community
- activities that are more suited to our other grant schemes such as Homelessness Prevention Grants
- activities that promote religion or worship
- trips to religious places of worship. However, eligible activities can take place within places of worship. Religious groups are welcome to apply for non-religious activities but must demonstrate that the project is inclusive of all faiths and backgrounds
- activities that promote or appear to support a political party, and groups that are involved in party politics, or promoting political views
- activities that have already happened or happen before funding awards have been released, or are outside the grant award period
- food and refreshments that are not integral to the activity’s outcome or are over £7 per head
- equipment that is not integral to the activity’s outcome, reasonable equipment costs will only be considered as part of a fully costed activity
- the hire of a bar or buying alcohol
- fundraising activities such as raffles, lotteries or any other secondary fundraising activities
- competitive activities including costs for judges, competitions, winners, rounds, and awards
- activities that will be held outside Cambridge unless there is no other suitable location (such as day trips to the seaside)
- entrance fees and the use of cars will only be considered in exceptional circumstances
- activities where groups do not hold appropriate qualifications and accreditations to deliver them
- redistribution of grant funding to another group or individuals, such as running a microgrant scheme for individuals in need
- activities for those that could afford to pay
- running costs that are not realistic and proportionate in relation to the activity delivered
- publicity that is not related to an eligible activity and is not reasonably costed
- website development or updates unless it is directly providing, and integral to, the funded activity
- apprenticeship schemes
- language and cultural classes
- staff, self-employed, or contracted costs which exceed those agreed for city council workers. However, we actively encourage organisations that employ people to pay or to work towards paying the Real Living Wage
Groups we cannot fund
We cannot award funding to:
- individual applicants (individuals will need to form a partnership with an eligible organisation)
- groups based outside the UK
- membership-based organisations where access to services or activities is restricted to paying members such as uniformed groups
- groups that have not complied with the monitoring requirements or grant conditions from any grant previously received from Cambridge City Council
Apply
You can apply for this grant on our grants portal from 24 February 2027 until 10am on 7 April 2027.
If you are applying on behalf of a partnership, check the additional guidance below.
Next steps
You will receive an automated email acknowledging receipt of your application after you submit it through the grants portal.
We will decide whether to award your grant within 10 weeks of receiving your application, provided we do not need any further information.
When assessing your application, we might request additional information or invite you to discuss certain aspects of your project. It is essential that you respond to those requests promptly.
If your application is successful, you will receive a grant agreement. You must meet any conditions listed in the agreement before the grant will be released to you.
You will have no right to appeal against the decision if you are not awarded a grant.
Partnerships and collaborations
We welcome and encourage funding applications from partnerships and collaborations. Working together can strengthen delivery, broaden reach, and enhance the impact of funded activities.
We are particularly interested in proposals that:
- support the delivery of high-quality arts, sport, or other community activities
- will benefit communities with specific needs, whether geographic, demographic, or subject specific
- demonstrate shared goals and responsibilities between partners
- show how collaboration will enhance outcomes for participants and communities
We are happy to discuss ideas and provide advice before you apply. Contact us if you are unsure whether your partnership fits the criteria.
Eligibility
Applications can be submitted by:
- lead organisations on behalf of a partnership with individuals and organisations
- consortia of groups
- cross-sector collaborations, including those involving arts, sports, health, education, or social care
Groups with an open Tier 2 award can enter a partnership with another organisation and access further funding from the fund. Groups can only be part of one live partnership award at a time.
What to include in your application
To help us assess your proposal, please ensure you:
- clearly describe the roles and contributions of each partner
- explain how the partnership will be managed and sustained
- provide evidence of community need and how your activity will address it
- outline how you will measure impact and success
Partnership bids will need a simple agreement in place to receive an award. The agreement should clearly state who is accountable for the grant, whose insurance is covering the funded activity and whose accounts will the grant pass through.
Application support
We held an in-person briefing about our grant funds on 12 August 2026. You can watch a recording of the event.
Support Cambridgeshire can help you complete your application form or develop policies. They can also:
- provide template policies if your group does not have them yet
- advise how to gather and present financial information
- share examples of good practice and procedures
Contact Support Cambridgeshire at info@supportcambridgeshire.org.uk or 01480 420601.
The Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum, who work with minoritised ethnic communities including migrants and refugees, can also provide advice or support to help you complete your application.
Face to face guidance sessions
We will hold face-to-face sessions at the Support Cambridgeshire office in Arbury Court which we will provide guidance about the grants. Contact us to make an appointment.
- Wednesday 9 December 2026
- Wednesday 10 March 2027
- Wednesday 5 May 2027
- Support Cambridgeshire what3words location: ///boost.splash.libraries
Testimonials
The Resettlement Community Grant builds on the success of the previous United with Ukraine grant. That has now closed to applications, but the Ukrainian community can still benefit from this new grant fund.
Below are some quotes from those who attended previously funded activities.
- “These meetings help me maintain my mental health and take my mind off the war” – Ukrainian attendee from a wellbeing activity
- “We now feel part of the community for the first time” – Ukrainian attendee from an employment workshop
- “My daughter made new friends at these workshops. It was a wonderful opportunity for her to spend time in a meaningful way” – Parent of a Ukrainian child attending a wellbeing activity
- “Thanks to the English lessons I improved my English grammar and fell in love with reading in English. I was able to independently open utility bills, go to an interview and apply for a job” – Ukrainian attendee from an English lessons class
Thanks
We extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who participated and contributed to the development of this new grant fund. This includes:
- the many people with lived experience of displacement due to war and persecution, who attended our in-person events
- the local community, volunteers, and charities – from grassroots groups to those more established in the sector
- other local authorities and their communities, who have set up similar grant funds, who graciously shared their knowledge and advice with us
