Bradford District Pride in Place - Impact Fund 2026-2028:
Community Spaces - capital grants

1. Summary

The City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (CBMDC) is inviting applications from eligible Bradford-based organisations to apply for capital grants to support the building of strong, resilient, prosperous and inclusive communities in the Bradford District.

In the 2025 Spending Review, the Government announced the Pride in Place programme with funding for up to 350 places as long-term support for communities. This included 95 places in the UK for the Pride in Place Impact Fund to deliver more immediate support. Local Authorities are responsible for managing the funding. CBMDC have agreed to allocate part of the Impact Fund as grants, for projects to be delivered by February 2028.

Bradford West ran a pilot earlier this year and grant applications are now being processed. No further applications will be accepted at this stage for this area.

Grants are available to local organisations that will deliver on the following objective:

Creating, extending, improving or refurbishing existing community facilities and enabling community organisations to take control or ownership of underused but valued local assets.

2. Eligible activity

Only capital activity taking place in Bradford district is accepted.

The focus of this funding is on community buildings and indoor spaces which will create immediate improvements and increase pride in their neighbourhoods. This includes:

• refurbishment of community buildings, including accessibility measures;
• repurposing underused buildings;
• creation of new community facilities;
• environmental improvements (planting, biodiversity, sustainable design);
• equipment permanently installed in a public / community asset.

Examples of eligible activities are (but not limited to):

• providing funding to a community group to take ownership of a disused asset;
• providing funding to refurbish or improve an asset already in community ownership;
• funding to refurbish or improve assets owned by public bodies for community activity;
• funding to create, improve or refurbish maker spaces;
• creating or expanding on existing community assets to promote community cohesion.

The following will not be funded:

• Revenue costs including salaries and staffing
• Ongoing running costs
• Marketing or promotional activity only
• Activities of a political nature
• Exclusively religious activity
• Retrospective costs
• VAT reclaimable from HMRC
• Contingency costs
• Loan repayments or debt servicing
• Gifts or donations
• Projects already fully funded through another source
• Statutory works that organisations are legally required to undertake.

3. Eligibility criteria

Organisation based in Bradford district, in one of the below categories, can apply:

• Parish / Town councils
• Registered charities
• CICs / social enterprises
• Community and voluntary organisations with a constitution
• Not-for-profit constituted groups
• Public-sector organisations (for community outcomes only)
• Higher and further education institutions (for community outcomes only)
• Religious organisations (for community projects that are aligned with the fund’s objectives, e.g. refurbishing a building owned by a religious organisation to provide community activities).

Organisations must:

• Be formally constituted with a governing document;
• Have a bank account in the organisation’s name;
• Be able to demonstrate sound financial management;
• Have appropriate safeguarding, equality and health and safety policies where applicable;
• Not currently be in dispute with the Council (including overdue business rates/debts).

Applicants must declare any previous subsidy funding they have received and comply with Subsidy Control requirements.

4. Available funding

Of the £750,000 allocated to the Impact Fund Community Spaces grants, each district area (Bradford East / South / West, Keighley and Shipley) has been allocated £150,000 towards the grants.

Note: Bradford West has closed for applications as they ran a pilot earlier this year which is now being processes.

Projects can apply for a capital grant between £20,000 and £50,000.

Match funding is encouraged but not a requirement. Projects requiring match funding should clearly demonstrate how additional funding has been secured or is being pursued.

There is a two-stage application process as set out in section 6. below. At Full Application (2nd stage), applicants must provide a minimum of three quotes per item included or provide evidence of an open tender process.

Payment arrangements will be discussed and agreed as part of the Contract negotiations with successful applicants. Cashflow requirements will be taken into account. Organisations must submit invoices / receipt alongside a claim form (to be provided) following each claim period (to be set out) evidencing spend of the full grant value. Any unspent grant or where evidence provided is not compliant must be repaid to the Council as soon as requested.

Note: VAT registered organisations must exclude VAT as part of their application.

5. Deliverables

Successful projects must deliver against one or more of the following metrics:

6. How to apply

The application process is in two stages:

Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EoI)

Organisations are invited to submit a shorter form setting out an overview of the project, what the grant will fund and what the outcomes are. The Expression of Interest form will undergo due diligence checks as well as checks against the criteria for eligibility and suitability. Organisations meeting all checks will be invited to the next stage.

Stage 2: Full application form

At this stage we require further information about the project, including quotes and / or evidence of procurement tender for all items. All applications will go to their area specific panel for assessment and scoring.

Successful applicants will be required to enter into Grant Funding Agreements prior to 31 March 2027, with project delivery to be completed by February 2028.

The following must be submitted with your Expression of Interest form:

1. Your Organisation’s constitution or rules (if appropriate)
2. Latest audited accounts or bank statements
3. Copy of most recent bank statement, clearly showing applicant’s name and address (activity can be redacted)
4. Any other relevant information to support your application.

If invited to submit a Full Application form, the following must also be submitted:

1. Minimum three quotes for each item listed in your application
2. Evidence of ownership, permissions, planning approval etc
3. Relevant policies and procedures
4. Project plans or drawings.

7. Key dates

The table below sets out key dates:

The Expression of Interest form can be found below.

Queries must be submitted by 12pm on 4 September to: PIPIF@bradford.gov.uk

A frequently asked questions page will be shared on this page from 10 August.

8. Assessment and scoring

The following priorities will be considered when assessing and scoring the bids:

1. Strategic alignment
   a. Alignment with objective as set out above;
   b. Contribution to pride in place in the community;
2. Community impact
   a. Delivery against metric(s);
   b. Demonstrating need and demand in community for the project;
3. Deliverability
   a. Organisations must be based in the Bradford district;
   b. Organisation’s track record in successfully delivering previous projects;
   c. Organisation’s ability to deliver within the timescales given;
   d. Organisation has passed all due diligence checks and submitted all required documents.

The following scoring methodology will be used:

Expression of Interest forms will go through an initial gateway check ensuring only applications that have enclosed all required information and meet the eligibility criteria are invited to complete a full application form.

Application forms undergo additional due diligence and gateway checks before going to a panel for assessment and scoring. This funding is discretionary, and the panel’s decision is final. There will be no process for appeals.

9. Next steps and Funding terms

Once successful applicants have been announced, Grant Funding Agreements will be issued setting out the terms for the contract. A Project Inception Visit will take place prior to the project commencing to ensure all necessary documents, processes, roles and responsibilities etc. are in place.

Regular monitoring visits will be booked in to ensure delivery is going to plan.

Funding terms

1. The funding will be issued as a grant, to deliver the agreed activity as set out in the grant application and final grant agreement.
2. The activity must take place after the grant offer letter has been issued and not have been paid for previously. If the activity is linked to an existing project (e.g. renovation work already taken place), please clearly demonstrate the additionality the funding requested will provide.
3. Successful organisations are required to submit to deadlines set out in the grant offer letter, for the relevant period, a completed claim form including evidence of eligible defrayal documents:
   1. Receipts or invoices for goods / services bought, showing clearly date of purchase, goods / service bought, and supplier details,
   2. Evidence of payment leaving applicant organisation’s bank account such as business / organisation bank statement matching the invoice details,
   3. Date of purchase/payment must be after the offer letter date (grants will not cover activity that occurred before the date of the offer letter).
4. Grant claims will not be accepted for any activities outside of what is agreed in the grant agreement. Changes to agreed activity must be agreed in writing by the Council, there is no guarantee a change will be permitted.
5. Any grant monies not defrayed (including submission of satisfactory evidence) by the agreed project end will need to be repaid to CBMDC.

Expression of Interest Form