Environmental project funding and grants

There are lots of funding and grants available for businesses, charities, and voluntary organisations across the borough. 

Browse through the list to find ones suitable for you.

Latest environmental funding and grants

Last updated 2 December 2024.

American Express - community giving programme

This foundation provides support to not-for-profit organisations whose work aligns with its priorities. One of their priorities is 'Backing Low-Carbon Communities' and includes programmes around community-led climate projects focused on nature-based or clean energy initiatives.

The foundation doesn't actively solicit applications. Interested organisations are invited to submit details about their work at any time by email. Submissions will be reviewed each year between November and January.

The funding value is discretionary.

Find out more about the American Express Community Giving Programme.

Arnold Clark - Our Communities Support

Applications to the 'Our Communities Support' fund are eligible within the following categories: animal welfare (benefiting humans), arts and culture, community development, disability, education, recreation, relief support and mental health support.

Funding is available up to £2,500.

Funding will continue on a rolling monthly basis. However, we'd recommend you apply as early as you can once the fund is open, as applications could be paused due to high demand.

Find out about Arnold Clark community support funds.

Aviva Community Fund (with Crowdfunder)

This is a match-funding initiative for charitable and community organisations. Funding is delivered in partnership with Crowdfunder.

Aviva will match each donation you receive up to £250. You can receive up to £50,000 in match funding and eligible causes can apply at any time.

The Aviva Community Fund also provides access to volunteers. As well as tools and resources they help build their capabilities to achieve long-term sustainable success.

Funding areas:

  • Financial Wellbeing: helping people take control of their wellbeing by giving them the tools to be more financially independent.
  • Climate Action: Promoting healthy, thriving communities by preventing, preparing for and protecting against the impacts of climate change.

There are currently no deadlines.

Find out more and apply to the Aviva Community Fund.

Barclays Green Loan

Open to SMEs who require funding and expert guidance to deliver green projects.

Loan to help you fund eligible green assets for your business, helping you explore ways to transition your business towards net zero. 

There is currently no closing date.

Find out more and apply for a Barclays Green Loan.

Climate Action Fund

The National Lottery community fund will support projects that reach more people by linking climate action to everyday lives in local communities or projects that influence communities regionally.

The minimum you can ask for is £500,000. There is an expectation that most projects will be funded for between £1 million and £1.5 million over three to five years.

The Community Fund plan to close this opportunity to applications in early 2025.

Find out more and apply for the Climate Action Fund.

Community Shares Booster Fund

The booster fund supports new and existing community businesses in England that are at all stages of launching a community share issue.

Equity investments could range from £10,000 to £100,000 and development grants of between £2,000 and £15,000.

The deadlines for application are:

  • 27 November 2024 (for the December 2024 panel) for equity applications
  • 29 January 2025 (for the February 2025 panel) for development grant applications

Find out about the Community Shares Booster Fund.

Condition Improvement Fund

Eligible academies, sixth-form colleges and voluntary-aided (VA) schools can apply for capital funding in an annual bidding round.

The minimum project funding threshold for:

  • primary and special schools is £20,000
  • secondary schools, all-through schools and sixth-form colleges is £50,000

The deadline for applications is 17 December 2024.

Find out about the Condition improvement Fund.

Electricals Recycling Fund

Funding is available for two types of projects:

  • Projects to grow existing collection methods for small electricals. Organisations can apply for up to 50p per household receiving the service. This is capped at £100,000 per applicant.
  • Projects to innovate new approaches to repairing, reusing and/or recycling electricals. Funding is expected to be up to £50,000 per project.

The fund is open to charities, local authorities, waste partnerships, private waste contractors, other private companies, and compliance schemes.

Funding applications are currently open on a rolling basis.

Find out more about Electricals Recycling Fund.

Energy Efficiency Share Match 

Energy Efficiency Share Match is a pilot fund to support communities raising investment through community shares to pay for energy efficiency measures.

The Share Match will provide grant funding to match money raised in community shares. Most grants awarded will be between £10,000 and £15,000. The minimum grant is £5,000 and the maximum grant is £30,000.

Applications are welcome from all interested communities. Although, the fund is seeking to particularly reach underrepresented communities and less affluent areas.

Applications will be accepted from:

  • co-operative societies
  • community benefit societies
  • charitable community benefit societies

Applicants should initially complete the expression of interest form on the Crowdfunder website. Eligible projects will be invited to apply.

The fund will run until March 2025.

Find out more about Energy Efficiency Share Match.

Energy Project Enabling Fund 

The third round of the Energy Project Enabling Fund (EPEF) is now open.

Capital grants of between £30,000 and £245,000 are available to community energy groups, public sector organisations, charities, and other eligible organisations wanting to deliver local energy projects.

Applications close on 8 December 2024.

Find out about the Energy Project Enabling Fund.

Historic England - Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk

Grants towards the repair and conservation of listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered parks and gardens. 

The funding is for costs associated with the following projects; project development work, standing structures, buried remains, parks and gardens, acquisitions and other project costs.

The funding value is discretionary and no application deadline is listed.

Find out more about Historic England - Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk.

HSBC – supporting your sustainability transition

Guides, resources, and financing support available from HSBC to help support net zero objectives.

Information on the Green SME Fund, Green Term Loans, Green Asset Finance and other sustainability-based financial support.

Find out more and apply for HSBC sustainability support.

Idverde Community Investment Fund 

The idverde Community Investment Fund, grants support to community-led projects in the areas where they work.

The fund supports projects that make improvements to public open space. The open space could be a park, playing field, recreation ground, playground, nature reserve, wood or even a cemetery.

The fund usually provides grants of up to £1,000. Applications are usually match-funded via the online crowdfunding platform, Spacehive. Funding application forms can also be submitted by email or post.

Applications are assessed on a rolling basis.

Find out more about Idverde Community Investment Fund.

Igniting Innovation: Conservation Challenge

The Woodland Trust are looking for six individuals or small groups aged 16 to 25 to develop and deliver projects that will help nature.

Winning entries could win project funding of up to £6,000 and get 12 months mentorship from experienced conservation experts.

The deadline for applications is 20 January 2025.

Find out more about the Igniting Innovation: Conservation Challenge fund.

International Tree Foundation (ITF) UK community tree planting grants 

ITF provides financial support for community tree planting projects, equivalent to £1.95 per tree. All of the projects take place on public or publicly-accessible land. 

Community-based organisations, such as a school, community group, social enterprise, non-governmental organisation, or parish council, can apply. 

Applications for the 2024/25 season are open until Friday 13 December 2024.

Find out more about UK community tree planting grants.

Major Capital Grants Programme

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust is delivering the Veterans' Capital Housing Fund. Grants are available between £75,000 and £500,000 towards new builds and significant refurbishment, including extensions, of rental accommodation offering high quality support for veterans with a housing need.

The funding is open to registered charities that can show they work with veterans or registered social housing providers.

Round three is open to expressions of interest until 8 January 2025.

Fund out more about the Major Capital Grants Programme.

Manchester Prize

The second Manchester Prize will focus on AI for clean energy systems.

Teams can apply for funding to develop innovations aimed at decarbonising the UK's energy grid and enhancing energy security, supporting the government's goal of becoming a clean energy superpower.

Up to 10 finalist teams will each receive:

  • £100,000 in seed funding
  • £60,000 in compute credit to develop their innovations
  • a package of non-financial support to develop products and services capable of winning the grand prize

One finalist team will win the £1 million grand prize in early 2026.

Eligible entrants include individuals, companies, non-profits, charities, universities, research and technology organisations, or a consortium of any combination of these.

Teams must be based in the UK.

Round two is open for entries until 17 January 2025.

Find out more about the Manchester Prize.

National Energy Action's Community Event Fund

National Energy Action (NEA) are seeking applications from charities, community groups, local authorities and housing associations.

They're offering grants of up to £350 to support events. The funding must be spent by 28 February 2025. Funds can cover staff time and/or event costs such as room hire and refreshments.

Applications should be submitted as soon as possible. Limited funding is available, and grants will be awarded on a rolling basis.

Find out about the NEA community event.

Neat Streets

Five grants of £10,000 to support organisations to tackle litter in their area. The grant is aimed at local authorities and land managers of public realm spaces.

Applicants are asked to co-invest £5,000 into a campaign, to create a project budget of £15,000.

Applications close 19 January 2025.

Find out more about Neat Streets.

Net Zero Barnsley

Barnsley businesses keen to reduce carbon emissions are being offered free support and a possible grant worth up to £12,499 to invest in green innovation.

The SME criteria for grant support is a turnover of no more than £36 million, a balance sheet of no more than £18 million, and a total number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees not exceeding 250.

Find out about Net Zero Barnsley.

NHS - Healthcare Orchards Scheme 

NHS Forest has launched the Healthcare Orchards scheme for the 2024 to 2025 planting season. The scheme is now open for expressions of interest. There are up to 2,000 fully funded fruit trees available for NHS sites in England. There is a minimum order of 10 trees. These can be divided across multiple sites but must be planted in groups of five or more. 

Online webinars are available to support applicants with selecting and managing the trees.

Find out more about NHS Healthcare Orchards Scheme.

npower Business Solutions Foundation

This fund aims to support not-for-profit and educational institutions within 50 miles of npower Business Solutions' offices in Solihull (B91 3ES) and Leeds (LS15 8ZA).

Three levels of funding bands are available - up to a maximum grant of up to £100,000, depending on the size and turnover of your organisation.

The fund supports projects that improve the environment, forges stronger community bonds, supports local educational institutions, encourages responsible business and improves places and spaces.

Find out about npower Business Solutions Foundation.

One Stop - Community partnership

This programme is administered by Groundwork working in partnership with One Stop Stores Ltd. The programme is designed to support community groups or organisations operating within two miles of a One Stop store.

The programme aims to support community groups who are working to tackle issues such as improving the environment.

Grants of up to £1,000 are available to successful applicants.

The next funding round will be open for applications between 2 December 2024 and 24 January 2025.

Find out more about the One Stop - Community partnership.

Schroder Charity Trust

The Schroder Charity Trust offers grants of up to £5,000 towards core and project costs to charities registered in the UK.

The trust supports grants for environment and conservation projects.

Groups can apply at any time. The Schroder Charity Trust operates a rolling programme. 

Find out more and apply to the Schroder Charity Trust.

Tesco Stronger Starts

Tesco Stronger Starts is open to charities and community organisations to apply for a grant of up to £1,500. 

Grants will be awarded to:

  • schools
  • voluntary or community organisations
  • health bodies or NHS Hospital Trusts
  • parish/town councils or local authorities
  • social housing providers.

Many other organisations can also benefit from this funding.

Applications are open to all local good causes. Tesco are currently prioritising projects that support children's food security and health and locally nominated good causes.

This is a rolling programme. Three projects from each local area will be shortlisted to go to the public vote every three months.

Find out more about Tesco Stronger Starts.

The Connecting South Yorkshire Fund

Funding is intended to help groups improve their broadband/internet connection or the digital offer that is provided to the local community.

The grants are intended for small, developing, grass roots groups and organisations from across South Yorkshire.

Organisations/groups don't have to be a registered charity and the majority of grants will be one-off payments up to £1,000.

Grants are issued on a first come, first served basis.

Find out more about the SYCF - Connecting South Yorkshire Fund.

The Energy Resilience Fund

The Energy Resilience Fund (ERF) provides a blended funding package of loan (60%) and grant (40%) to bolster the energy resilience of eligible charities and social enterprises in England.

You can apply for between £25,000 to £250,000.

No application deadline is listed.

Find out more about the Energy Resilience Fund.

Training events - Introduction on Domestic Renewable Low Carbon Technologies

This National Energy Action course will provide an introduction to the role domestic scale renewable technologies can play in reducing carbon emissions. It will provide a non-technical explanation of how the technologies work, the factors to consider when installing these technologies, costings, potential carbon savings and their advantages and drawbacks.

The course requires no prior knowledge of biomass, heat pumps (air and ground source), solar thermal hot water and solar photovoltaics. 

Funded places are available to non-commercial organisations (such as local authorities, housing associations, advice agencies etc). For those not eligible for a funded place, fees start from £245 plus VAT.

Find out more about training events.

The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation 

Funding is available to charities for projects that advance the Christian faith, promote the protection of the environment including areas of social and economic deprivation, and relieve sickness within Yorkshire. 

The grants tend to range from smaller grants of around £1,000 to a few larger grants of above £275,000.

Applications are considered on a quarterly basis January, April, August and November. 

Find out more about the The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation.

The Stobart Sustainability Fund 

The Stobart Sustainability Fund accepts applications from community groups, educational facilities or small businesses. Applications need to be of a green, ecological or sustainability nature with the project benefiting the environment.

The funding value is discretionary and no application deadline is listed.

Find out more about The Stobart Sustainability Fund.

Ufi Ventures Challenge Fund

The funding is intended to support early-stage companies developing EdTech solutions in five key areas:

  • green economy skills development
  • digital transformation and Industry 4.0
  • reskilling and upskilling in traditional industries
  • inclusive skills development
  • future of work and lifelong learning

Investment starts at £250,000, with the capacity to invest up to a further £1 million in follow-on funding.

No application deadline is listed.

Find out more about the Ufi Ventures Challenge Fund.

Venturesome Impact Fund

This social investment fund supports organisations all over the UK, irrespective of cause area or geography.

They offer repayable loans between £50,000 and £1 million, with a 5.5% fixed interest rate that won't change during the lifetime of the facility.

The loans are continuously open to applications.

Eligibility:

  • Have a clear charitable purpose and social impact. You don't need to be a registered charity.
  • Incorporated and registered in the UK.
  • Have been trading for at least one year and can provide evidence either from donations or trading.
  • Have a minimum annual turnover of £75,000.

Find out about the Venturesome Impact Fund.

Warburtons Community Grants

Warburtons Community Grants provides small grants up to £400 to support charitable organisations towards broader activities which improve health, place or skills for families in their community.

Only open to not-for-profit organisations with charitable purposes.

Quarterly deadlines in February, May, August and November 2025.

Find out more about Warburtons Community Grants.

Workplace Charging Scheme

Grant to provide support towards the costs of the purchase, installation and infrastructure of electric vehicle charge points at eligible places of work.

Closing date: 31 March 2025 at 11:59pm.

Find out more and apply for the workplace EV charging scheme.

Workplace Charging Scheme for state-funded education institutions

Grant for eligible state-funded education institutes to provide support towards the costs of the purchase, installation and infrastructure of electric vehicle charge points.

Closing date: 31 March 2025 at 11:59pm.

Find out more and apply for the Education EV charging scheme.