COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND

The Community Investment Fund is run by English Partnerships which has now been incorporated into the Regional Development Agencies. It makes grants of between £10,000 and £100,000 for capital projects in England which enable local communities to participate more effectively in local regeneration (unlike the Local Investment Fund which makes loans). It's a 'giver of last resort' - only available if you can't get the support you need from somewhere else.

The Fund is for projects which

• are put forward by voluntary groups based in and involving local communities
• are non profit-making
• involve capital works to provide or improve land and buildings
• produce social and economic benefits at community level.

The kind of projects that might be funded include community businesses, managed workspaces, co-operatives and other community enterprises, training centres targeted at community needs, amenities or facilities like community centres, nurseries or resource centres which help people get and keep jobs, and site clearance schemes for self build schemes aiming to build resources for the community.

Suitable projects must

• be located in a priority area
• offer a strategic context
• be practicable and financially sustainable
• offer value for money
• operate with open-book accounting.

You can get grants for improvements to land or buildings through renovation, conversion or extension, or new construction. Normal on-going maintenance activities are not eligible but major refurbishment is.

For further information contact the Community Development Officer at the North West regional office:
Lancaster House, Mercury Court, Tithebarn Street, Liverpool, L2 2QP.
Telephone: 0151 236 3663.

Click to return to Fundraising Information menu.