The West Yorkshire Mayor’s Climate Community Grant Scheme (Bradford)

Guidance for Bradford district applicants

Bradford Council is working in partnership with the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to offer grants to community groups to support climate friendly projects as we work towards a just transition to a net zero carbon region.

This includes supporting communities that may struggle to achieve net zero on their own.

In the Bradford district, our goal is to achieve net zero carbon by 2038 and we need everyone on board to make this possible.

The scheme aims to inspire behaviour change and raise awareness in communities whilst improving our sense of place.

These grants of between £5,000 and £50,000 will support community proposals for:

• Energy – local clean and flexible energy solutions
• Building – healthy, affordable and efficient community buildings
• Transport – walking, cycling and public transport
• Nature – green and climate ready nature and biodiversity solutions

Community organisations (Voluntary, Community or Social Enterprises) will engage local residents on working towards common goals, setting up projects at neighbourhood level  which will reduce  their carbon footprint and support climate resilience and sustainability.

Projects may include:

• Developing locally generated clean energy schemes, producing onsite energy\renewable energy, for example solar panels, wind turbines
• Making community buildings resilient to climate change and increased fuel costs, through insulation, A-rated appliances, LED lighting or heat pumps – reducing consumption and promoting good practice to local residents
• Reducing car and fossil fuel usage by making it more appealing to cycle, walk or use public transport
• Finding ways of working with nature, such as preserving or increasing biodiversity in our green spaces, strengthening the link between residents and nature through access to green space, local food growing, and creating opportunities for people to connect with nature.

What we want to see

Your project should be driven by an understanding of local needs, developing your ideas with the people in your community.

The funding is focused on activities that have the potential to make a meaningful and lasting difference  to the carbon footprint of your community.

It is important that the changes made are sustainable beyond the funding we might give. Long-term changes in behaviour, ways of working and practices need to be at the core of all local climate change activities. 

We would particularly welcome ideas attracting match funding and partnership working.    

What else do I need to know?

The application process is in two stages – stage one is an expression of interest, and stage two a detailed application. You will be invited to submit a detailed application if the grants panel are satisfied with your expression of interest.

An initial assessment will be made by a small group of officers on the content and strength of the expression of interest. Recommendations will be made to the grants panel who will make a decision on successful groups who will then be invited to take part in the next stage of the process: to submit a detailed application. We will inform applicants about the outcome of their expression of interest as soon as possible.

Projects which cross constituency boundaries can be considered.

Organisations must have a registered bank account in the name of the organisation, and they must be able to demonstrate fair and transparent governance arrangements, including an Equal Opportunities policy.   

Organisations working with children or vulnerable adults will need to demonstrate appropriate safeguarding policies.

A group or organisation can only apply once. 

The funding is available district-wide and will be administered through the Council’s Stronger Communities team.

Funding must be spent by December 2024.

A report on the project and copies of receipts evidencing how all the money was spent should be submitted by December 2024 and an evaluation will also be carried out by WYCA by March 2025.

How do I apply and when is the deadline?

Expression of Interest Form (Word document) 

Click the button above to complete the form or download from our documents box.

Please send all complete forms to stronger.communities@bradford.gov.uk.

We will accept expressions of interest from Tuesday, 18 July up to Monday, 4 September 2023.

Organisations who are then invited to submit full applications must do so by Monday, 9 October 2023.

Grant panel decisions will be issued by Monday, 30 November 2023.