Express Grant Programme

Express Grant Programme is sponsored by Quartet Community Foundation. This program supports local grassroots groups and small to medium-sized organizations in the West of England (including Bristol) working with communities experiencing inequalities and disadvantage.

This grant programme is open for applications all year. Please note that we have a new form for Express hosted by a platform called Form Assembly (quartetcf. tfaforms.

net). If you have started filling out a form on our old system please continue as these are being migrated over. If you are yet to start an application please use our new form.

Any questions or issues please contact us . What is the Express Grant Programme? The aim of this Express Grant Programme is to support local grassroot groups and small to medium sized organisations working with communities* experiencing inequalities and disadvantage.

This programme will funds activities, projects and services that: Help people affected by economic disadvantage, such as poverty, unemployment, low income; and/or Improve access to appropriate and affordable services and support for people currently excluded or underserved. * This can be geographic communities and/or communities of people brought together by race or ethnicity, age, disability, gender, or sexual orientation.

Further information about what we will prioritise can be found in the Guide for Applicants. Please note: The funds available for this programme are limited, so we can’t approve every application. Currently, 54% of applications received for the Express programme are successful.

We aim to fully fund a request, but may occasionally award partial funding where a contribution would still be valuable. Currently, our average grant awarded for this programme is around £ 4,000. You can see examples of Express grants we’ve awarded here .

You can apply for a grant towards a new activity or continuing something you are already doing, and you should plan to start spending the grant within six months of it being awarded. A grant can be towards any reasonable costs for your group/organisation or project, including: Project and activity costs Capital costs (e.g. equipment, refurbishment/building costs).

Applicants must be based and working in Bristol, Bath and North-East Somerset, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire. You can apply for a grant if you are a: constituted voluntary or community organisation not-for-profit company, including Community Interest Companies where they are not limited by shares and most directors receive no payment from the company Please see our eligibility criteria page for further information.

See page here . Our Express grants are aimed at small local charities and community organisations. This means we will prioritise those with an income under £1 million, particularly those with an income under £0.

5 million. Apply online using the link below. You can return to your online application form as many times as you like.

However, please save the form as you go along. We encourage you to read the guidelines before applying. Also, see our Frequently asked questions page here .

We have a plain text version of our Express form available here . Please note that you cannot use this paper form to apply and applications must go through our online form. If you need adjustments to this process for accessibility reasons please contact us directly.

We aim to tell you the decision within 8 weeks of receiving your application. We are currently receiving a large number of applications and so it may take up to 10 weeks for us to return a decision. You can find out why we take some time to decide here .

Please note that we have updated some of the criteria for the Express programme, effective from 1 May 2026. Please familiarise yourself with the Guide for Applicants before applying.

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Check my eligibility to apply Check the progress of my application Know how to report on my grant Ask for some pro bono support See how my money will make a difference Get some information for my client (professional advisers) Do some skilled volunteering for a charitable organisation Speak to a member of the Philanthropy team Learn more about diversity at Quartet Work or volunteer for Quartet Please read our guide for applicants before applying.

I confirm I have read the guide for applicants Please read our guide for applicants before applying. I confirm I have read the guide for applicants