Babergh District Council Funding

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Am I eligible?

Our funding is limited to constituted community groups and organisations. Eligible groups include (but are not limited to):

town and parish councils
village hall or playing field management committees
sports clubs and centres
charities
social enterprises
community shops and pubs
community interest companies

Our funding is not available for individuals or businesses.

Where can I find more information?

Before you submit an application, we recommend that applicants read our terms and conditions, which contain more detailed information about our requirements and available grants.

To get a view over which Grant may be most appropriate for your project before you apply, you may wish to submit a Grant Enquiry Form. You can also email the Grants Team for more information, or for a conversation about your project. We always recommend that you contact us before you apply - approximately two thirds of unsuccessful applications are from those who had not contacted us beforehand.

If you're new to grants or need a refresher, our Grants Team have put together a short video to give some insights into what's needed for a successful grant application.

For your grant application to be successful we require evidence of community need for your project to take place. One way of identifying this need is by community consultation. The below toolkit provides some guidance on how to consult your community, and you can also view a template questionnaire.

View our Community Consultation Toolkit

As a lot of our application forms require outcomes and indicators to be provided, you may wish to take a look at some example outcomes and indicators which have been used by previous applicants.

View example outcomes and indicators

For each of our Community Grants, we collect monitoring information from organisations awarded funding, in order to demonstrate the impact that our funding has had and the benefits delivered to communities across Babergh.

View Community Grants impacts and reports

Which grants are available?

Through our Community Grants team, grants are available for projects that deliver clear community benefits within Babergh. We can also advise and assist groups and projects seeking external funding.

Community Development Grants

Community Development Grants can be applied for towards revenue, capital or pre-project costs and activities. Grants are available to up to 100% of total project costs to a maximum grant of £10,000, for projects or activities taking place in 2026/27. Successful applicants will be required to deliver their project within 12 months of an offer being accepted.

Community Development Grants are currently open for applications until 18 January 2026, with one application window per financial year. Applications are assessed as part of a competitive application process, using a scoring matrix. View the scoring matrix used to assess applications.

More detailed information, terms and conditions and eligibility criteria can be found on our Guidance Notes. View Guidance Notes.

Apply for a Community Development Grant

Sustainable Communities Food Fund

The Sustainable Communities Food Fund, formerly the Food Security Fund, has been established to support small scale, community led, food initiatives such as community pantries, fridges and food pop-ups. Between £250 and £5,000 can be applied for, towards capital costs such as the purchase of equipment, or revenue costs such as workshops and delivering activities to clients or volunteers.

Funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, with applications being accepted until 31 March 2026, though the Fund may close for applications prior to that point should funding be fully allocated. Successful applicants will be required to deliver their project within eight months of an offer being accepted.

For more information, view the Sustainable Communities Food Fund Guidance.

Apply for the Sustainable Communities Food Fund

Living Well in Winter Grants

Living Well in Winter Grants are aimed at supporting people in our communities to thrive over the winter months. Funding is available to help community groups tackle issues prevalent in our communities over winter including increased social isolation and decreased physical activity.

Up to £2,000 can be applied for, with applications assessed as part of a competitive application process. Funding awarded must be spent within 6 months of a grant offer being accepted, with activity taking place between November 2025 and March 2026.

Living Well in Winter Grants are closed for applications. For more information, view Living Well in Winter Grant Criteria.

Section 106

Section 106 (S106) is funding generated by development which has taken place across Babergh, and can be applied for towards a range of social infrastructure improvements, such as village halls, sports facilities and play areas.

S106 is applied for through our Grants Team. We can let you know how much S106 is available within your parish, whether a project would be eligible, and how to apply. Email the Grants Team

Alternatively, the Developer Contributions Database contains details on all S106 and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) available within the districts.

Locality Awards

Community groups and projects in Babergh have access to Locality Award funding through their District Councillor. More information, detailed guidance and the application forms for Locality Awards in 2025/26 can be found on our website. Find out more about Locality Awards.

Coming Soon - Tye Lane Solar Farm Community Benefit Fund

This funding has been secured as part of the development of the Tye Lane Solar Farm in Bramford. The fund seeks to support local communities and organisations operating within the parishes of Bramford, Somersham, Little Blakenham, Nettlestead, Flowton, Burstall and Sproughton.

The Tye Lane Solar Farm Community Benefit Fund is currently closed for applications, with the first application window opening soon. Applications will be assessed by Officers before being decided upon by a Grant Panel comprised of local representatives. For more information, email the Grants Team.