Mayor's Small Grants Programme
What is the Mayor's Small Grants Programme?
Our vision is to support and invest in a thriving and diverse voluntary and community sector to help it improve the lives of residents.
To support this vision, the council launched the Mayor’s Small Grants Programme on Monday 11 December 2023.
The programme will provide £800,000 of annual grant funding between November 2023 and March 2027.
The Small Grants programme is for small organisations with a maximum annual income of £150,000. This is to ensure a wide range of organisations can access council funding and ensure all sections of the community benefit.
See awarded projects from previous round.
What projects will we fund?
The grants programme consists of five themes:
Funded project
| Theme | Annual budget | Amount per award | Number of awards per financial year (April to March) |
|---|
|
Mayor’s Community Events Programme
Programme - The Community Events
Fund will support events that bring
communities together and celebrate our
diversity, as well as national and
regional celebrations.
|
£100,000
|
£2,500
|
1
|
|
Mayor’s Capacity Building Programme
The Mayor’s Capacity Building
Programme will provide funding for
VCS organisations to access capacity
building support so you can
strengthen your ability to deliver high
quality services to residents.
|
£100,000
|
£2,500
|
1
|
|
Mayor’s Community Chest - Very small
grants to support community events
and activities
|
£100,000
|
£500
|
2
|
|
Mayor’s & Young Mayor’s Youth
Empowerment Fund - Support young
people to design, bid and deliver
projects for their peers
|
£250,000
|
£3500
|
1
|
|
Mayor’s Positive Activities for Young People - Support activities during school holiday
|
£250,000
|
£6,000
|
1
|
| |
£800,000 |
|
|
How do I apply?
All applications submitted by 25 October 2024 will be considered for decision in December.
Each theme has its own webpage. This includes information on
- eligibility
- how much funding is available
- what the funding can be used for
- bidding process
- assessment process.
You can access the following areas
All applications submitted by 14 February 2025 will be considered for decision in April 2025.
Organisations are required to apply using the Blackbaud Grant Management online portal which can be accessed through the theme pages.
What support is available for interested organisations?
As part of our support package to VCS organisations, the council will deliver a series of information events. These sessions focus on:
- the eligibility criteria
- the application process and using the online form
- an overview of application forms and scoring criteria
- help and support
- questions and answers sessions
What are the key timelines?
Applications are open throughout the year. All applications submitted by 14 February 2025 will be considered for decision in April 2025. .
Dates for round 1 of 2025/26 will be announced soon. Please check the timeline for application deadlines, notification of award decision and delivery dates.
Application Rounds
| Rounds | Application to be submitted by | Notification of award decision | Delivery between |
|---|
| 2024-25 Round |
14 February 2025
|
April 2025
|
May 2025 to April 2026
|
|---|
Application rounds
Timeline for Community Chest programme can be found on the Community Chest page.
Get in touch
If you have a question or need support, then please get in touch with the Voluntary and Community Sector Grants Team by emailing vcs@towerhamlets.gov.uk.