Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund is sponsored by West Sussex County Council in partnership with Biffa. This fund supports community groups, residents' associations, charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs), and social enterprises in West Sussex to develop innovative ways to reduce household general waste at a local level.

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Contact us for any help on browser support Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund - Applications Share Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund - Applications on Facebook Share Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund - Applications on Twitter Share Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund - Applications on Linkedin Email Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund - Applications link We are not currently accepting applications, as the online portal closed at 11:59 PM on Sunday, 2 March 2025.

Please check our website for further information and updates on the fund: www. westsussex. gov.uk/wastepreventionfund .

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. 2025 - 2026 Programme Overview The Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund for 2025-26 is provided by West Sussex County Council (WSCC) in partnership with Biffa and provides support for community organisations to deliver new or expanded , innovative waste prevention and reuse initiatives resulting in a reduction of household waste.

This includes Community Groups, CIC’s , charities, social enterprises. Grants of up to a maximum of £5,000 are available for projects delivered across West Sussex in 2025/2026.

Projects must meet the following aims: Support local community activity to improve waste prevention behaviours through reuse and / or waste prevention projects reducing household waste Make a difference to the wider community, and to people’s lives in West Sussex This section gives an overview of the project including funding criteria and eligibility, what will be funded, types of Organisations and Projects that will be considered for the Community Grant Fund.

Fund Criteria and Eligibility The maximum amount awarded to each project will be £5,000. There is no minimum amount. Applications will be ranked and scored based on their: Demonstrated impact in preventing household waste.

Innovation to services and / or introducing new projects to local areas already proven to reduce household waste elsewhere. Ability to be sustained post funding and / or have a n on-going impact. Social and community benefits.

Experience in successfully delivering previous projects will also be assessed. Please note that funding will be awarded to the highest scoring applications subject to grant funds being available. Projects will be funded for 12 months and delivered in 2025/2026 Projects must demonstrate the following objectives : That they will have an impact on the population within the County.

That they do not duplicate activity in the local area (e.g., District/Town/Parish) that is already taking place. Measurable reductions in the amount of household waste, e.g., through furniture reused, or food diverted from waste. Social benefits (jobs/volunteer posts created, number of residents trained etc) Who the project is likely to directly engage.

How the project is innovative or new (to the local area). The methods used to effect behaviour change. Sustainability and / or an ongoing impact in terms of waste prevention outcomes.

The fund will only support new, or expansion of existing products and services. It will not pay for existing activities. Funding can be awarded to the following groups: Community, neighbourhood, or voluntary groups ; that have an overarching community purpose that reaches beyond its membership.

Registered Charities ; you should provide your Charity Number if applicable. Schools, colleges, and universities Not-for-profit organisations (including social enterprises) this is a registered legal entity that does not make a profit for directors, members, or shareholders. Examples of suitable o rganisations and p rojects This type of project could deliver cooking and waste demonstrations to residents to reduce and reuse food.

These examples would focus on reducing and reusing food waste in homes across West Sussex. The project could enable the residents to donate their unwanted food which could be redirected / repurposed to other residents who have use for them across the county . Funding for organisations to deliver information sessions focussing on cookery, growing, and composting including Grow your own swap shops could also be requested .

It might also glean food from gardens and offer practical skills in preparing, preserving, pickling, fermenting etc. Electrical Waste / equipment This type of project focuses on reuse and repurposing of items that are repairable and reusable and hence reducing waste. The project could aim to have experts such as seamstress , electrician, clock repairer, cobbler, a joiner who will be available to fix items free of charge.

This type of project could provide a sewing group that teaches and supports new sewing skills, focussing on re-fashioning old worn and damaged clothes into new items and mending items which provides an alternative to ‘fast fashion ’. ’ Online classes can also be made available. It could also deliver Swap Shops and use recycled and repurposed materials.

This type of project could focus on reusable nappies by educating and encouraging residents to move from disposable nappies to reusable nappies. There could be resources such as cloth nappies, safety pins etc available for residents to borrow and use for trials at home and there could be funds available to purchase the necessary resources that would be available to residents.

This would contribute to the reduction in the amount of disposable nappy waste being processed as residual waste. Furniture restoration would encourage reuse, repair, and repurposing of furniture items by establishing drop-in upcycling sessions which could be a dedicated space for residents to learn new skills by upcycling their furniture by bringing their own items or utilising donated furniture.

The project could receive unwanted and donated furniture for restoration whilst training and offering volunteers vital upcycling skills and knowledge. Food equipment and electricals This type of project could focus on offering kitchen equipment and household electricals lending library such as cake tins, preserving jars, fruit press, carpet cleaners and other food saving items and household appliances.

Textiles, plastics, and toys This type of project will focus on sustainability and reduction of waste. It could be delivered through children’s clothes swap, playgroups which will support and inspire families by exploring sustainability with their children. The grant could also be used to introduce a lending library with toys and baby items.

Funding cannot be awarded to: Business as usual activities Projects which focus on reducing business or commercial waste, including schoo l waste Projects where the impacts will be outside of the County Council’s area Projects that already exist. Period and amount of Community Grant Funding (CGF) Funding must be spent within 1 year of award of contract. Payments aimed to commence from April 2025.

Payments will be scheduled in line with key project milestones outlined by the applicant in the Additional Project Details document. Community fund ( C F ) payment schedule will be agreed with successful applicants as part of the formal grant offer. Scheduled reporting will be required for 12 months from the first fund payment.

Applicants will have a plan on how the project will be sustained and/or identifies outcomes which demonstrates a significant expansion (expansion into different areas/multiple projects) and legacy beyond the funding period of 12 months. to be set up in areas where there is a significant need for specific type of project to be set up to be successful when fully commissi oned.

Materials targeted – textiles, clothes, food, plastic, furniture, and garden waste. Types of organisations – schools, charities , community groups Funding summary – number of projects and amount invested. Number of waste prevention (reuse, repair, recycling) projects set up.

Amount of CGF investment in the environment Amount of income generated in the local community. Number of training sessions and events Quantity and quality of materials diverted away from waste. Number of people engaged.

Number of volunteer hours Number of volunteer opportunities created. Number of items repaired and reused. Number of low-income residents supported.

Applications and t he grant allocation process : Only eligible groups should apply. Proposals must be submitted using the online application portal , Your Voice, completing all questions, and uploading required documents. This will enable us to award grants in an efficient and transparent manner according to agreed funding specifications.

Please note that this will only work with compatible browsers (Microsoft Edge v86 and above, Chrome v86 and above, Firefox v78 and above or Safari v14 and above). You will only be able to return to a draft application if you have registered on the Your Voice platform . If you do not register, this function will be unavailable and could result in loss of information .

Please read your application carefully before pressing submit as you will not be able to return to your application to amend or provide further information once you have submitted . We recommend that you read the [FAQ] (opens in new window) section prior to completing an application to assis t y ou in gather ing information for submission and to fully understand the requirements for the application itself.

We have provided templates to assist you in planning your application responses. (downloadable on the right) If you have any questions regarding your application that are not covered on the FAQ (opens in new window) page , please contact us for further information .

Your applications should include: A clear proposal of your how your project will meet the objectives above, you must use the Project Plan template and upload this to the portal .

(Downloadable on the right) A complete d risk assessment of your project and any related activity , either using the Risk Assessment template or your own, and uploaded to the portal ( Template d ownloadable on the right) A completed Budget Breakdown for your project using the Budget Breakdown te mplate or your own and upload ed to the portal .

Copies of current public liability and Employers liability Insurance Certificates uploaded to the portal . If you do not currently have these please continue to apply and note this on your application.

Audited accounts for the last financial year uploaded to the portal Evidence of funding from the Third Party [if applicable] uploaded to the portal DBS Certificate if required as outlined in the Grant Application Template We recommend that you have all the necessary documentation ready to attach before you start completing the online application.

However, once registered you can re-visit your application before final submission, but you must register for this function to be available. Equality, diversity, and inclusion: Providers will be asked to consider and identify how they propose to meet the needs of diverse groups i.e. food provision which cater for religious beliefs, activities which are gender-aware and inclusive for children with additional needs or disabilities.

Freedom of Information (FOI) The Council is subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (“EIR”) and shall provide all necessary assistance and co-operation reasonably requested by the Council (at the Council’s expense) to enable the Council to comply with its obligations under the FOIA and EIR’s in relation to any request for information concerning the Grant Funding or the Project.

How to get your questions answered: If you have questions about the project, please get in touch to find out more. You can contact us via email at wasteprevention. fund@westsussex.

gov.uk If you require any of this information in an alternative format, then please contact us via email at wasteprevention. fund@westsussex. gov.uk or by telephone on 01243 777100 and we will do our best to assist you.

If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have an NGT texting app installed on your computer, laptop, or smartphone, you can contact us on 18001 01243 777100 We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact us at haveyoursay@westsussex. gov.uk .

The Place Services Team at West Sussex County Council will use this survey to collect some personal data (e.g., name, email address), the processing of which is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) complies with the 2018 Data Protection Act and the GDPR (UK) and is registered as a ‘Data Controller’ with the Information Commissioner’s Office (Reg. No. Z6413427). The Data Protection Officer (DPO) for WSCC can be found on our website (opens in new window).

The data we will collect will be held for a period of up to 10 years before being appropriately destroyed. We will also share the data with our partners, Biffa, to help us identify those projects to whom a grant should be awarded. Please read Biffa’s Privacy Statement (opens in new window) .

We are not currently accepting applications, as the online portal closed at 11:59 PM on Sunday, 2 March 2025. Please check our website for further information and updates on the fund: www. westsussex.

gov.uk/wastepreventionfund . We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. 2025 - 2026 Programme Overview The Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund for 2025-26 is provided by West Sussex County Council (WSCC) in partnership with Biffa and provides support for community organisations to deliver new or expanded , innovative waste prevention and reuse initiatives resulting in a reduction of household waste.

This includes Community Groups, CIC’s , charities, social enterprises. Grants of up to a maximum of £5,000 are available for projects delivered across West Sussex in 2025/2026.

Projects must meet the following aims: Support local community activity to improve waste prevention behaviours through reuse and / or waste prevention projects reducing household waste Make a difference to the wider community, and to people’s lives in West Sussex This section gives an overview of the project including funding criteria and eligibility, what will be funded, types of Organisations and Projects that will be considered for the Community Grant Fund.

Fund Criteria and Eligibility The maximum amount awarded to each project will be £5,000. There is no minimum amount. Applications will be ranked and scored based on their: Demonstrated impact in preventing household waste.

Innovation to services and / or introducing new projects to local areas already proven to reduce household waste elsewhere. Ability to be sustained post funding and / or have a n on-going impact. Social and community benefits.

Experience in successfully delivering previous projects will also be assessed. Please note that funding will be awarded to the highest scoring applications subject to grant funds being available. Projects will be funded for 12 months and delivered in 2025/2026 Projects must demonstrate the following objectives : That they will have an impact on the population within the County.

That they do not duplicate activity in the local area (e.g., District/Town/Parish) that is already taking place. Measurable reductions in the amount of household waste, e.g., through furniture reused, or food diverted from waste. Social benefits (jobs/volunteer posts created, number of residents trained etc) Who the project is likely to directly engage.

How the project is innovative or new (to the local area). The methods used to effect behaviour change. Sustainability and / or an ongoing impact in terms of waste prevention outcomes.

The fund will only support new, or expansion of existing products and services. It will not pay for existing activities. Funding can be awarded to the following groups: Community, neighbourhood, or voluntary groups ; that have an overarching community purpose that reaches beyond its membership.

Registered Charities ; you should provide your Charity Number if applicable. Schools, colleges, and universities Not-for-profit organisations (including social enterprises) this is a registered legal entity that does not make a profit for directors, members, or shareholders. Examples of suitable o rganisations and p rojects This type of project could deliver cooking and waste demonstrations to residents to reduce and reuse food.

These examples would focus on reducing and reusing food waste in homes across West Sussex. The project could enable the residents to donate their unwanted food which could be redirected / repurposed to other residents who have use for them across the county . Funding for organisations to deliver information sessions focussing on cookery, growing, and composting including Grow your own swap shops could also be requested .

It might also glean food from gardens and offer practical skills in preparing, preserving, pickling, fermenting etc. Electrical Waste / equipment This type of project focuses on reuse and repurposing of items that are repairable and reusable and hence reducing waste. The project could aim to have experts such as seamstress , electrician, clock repairer, cobbler, a joiner who will be available to fix items free of charge.

This type of project could provide a sewing group that teaches and supports new sewing skills, focussing on re-fashioning old worn and damaged clothes into new items and mending items which provides an alternative to ‘fast fashion ’. ’ Online classes can also be made available. It could also deliver Swap Shops and use recycled and repurposed materials.

This type of project could focus on reusable nappies by educating and encouraging residents to move from disposable nappies to reusable nappies. There could be resources such as cloth nappies, safety pins etc available for residents to borrow and use for trials at home and there could be funds available to purchase the necessary resources that would be available to residents.

This would contribute to the reduction in the amount of disposable nappy waste being processed as residual waste. Furniture restoration would encourage reuse, repair, and repurposing of furniture items by establishing drop-in upcycling sessions which could be a dedicated space for residents to learn new skills by upcycling their furniture by bringing their own items or utilising donated furniture.

The project could receive unwanted and donated furniture for restoration whilst training and offering volunteers vital upcycling skills and knowledge. Food equipment and electricals This type of project could focus on offering kitchen equipment and household electricals lending library such as cake tins, preserving jars, fruit press, carpet cleaners and other food saving items and household appliances.

Textiles, plastics, and toys This type of project will focus on sustainability and reduction of waste. It could be delivered through children’s clothes swap, playgroups which will support and inspire families by exploring sustainability with their children. The grant could also be used to introduce a lending library with toys and baby items.

Funding cannot be awarded to: Business as usual activities Projects which focus on reducing business or commercial waste, including schoo l waste Projects where the impacts will be outside of the County Council’s area Projects that already exist. Period and amount of Community Grant Funding (CGF) Funding must be spent within 1 year of award of contract. Payments aimed to commence from April 2025.

Payments will be scheduled in line with key project milestones outlined by the applicant in the Additional Project Details document. Community fund ( C F ) payment schedule will be agreed with successful applicants as part of the formal grant offer. Scheduled reporting will be required for 12 months from the first fund payment.

Applicants will have a plan on how the project will be sustained and/or identifies outcomes which demonstrates a significant expansion (expansion into different areas/multiple projects) and legacy beyond the funding period of 12 months. to be set up in areas where there is a significant need for specific type of project to be set up to be successful when fully commissi oned.

Materials targeted – textiles, clothes, food, plastic, furniture, and garden waste. Types of organisations – schools, charities , community groups Funding summary – number of projects and amount invested. Number of waste prevention (reuse, repair, recycling) projects set up.

Amount of CGF investment in the environment Amount of income generated in the local community. Number of training sessions and events Quantity and quality of materials diverted away from waste. Number of people engaged.

Number of volunteer hours Number of volunteer opportunities created. Number of items repaired and reused. Number of low-income residents supported.

Applications and t he grant allocation process : Only eligible groups should apply. Proposals must be submitted using the online application portal , Your Voice, completing all questions, and uploading required documents. This will enable us to award grants in an efficient and transparent manner according to agreed funding specifications.

Please note that this will only work with compatible browsers (Microsoft Edge v86 and above, Chrome v86 and above, Firefox v78 and above or Safari v14 and above). You will only be able to return to a draft application if you have registered on the Your Voice platform . If you do not register, this function will be unavailable and could result in loss of information .

Please read your application carefully before pressing submit as you will not be able to return to your application to amend or provide further information once you have submitted . We recommend that you read the [FAQ] (opens in new window) section prior to completing an application to assis t y ou in gather ing information for submission and to fully understand the requirements for the application itself.

We have provided templates to assist you in planning your application responses. (downloadable on the right) If you have any questions regarding your application that are not covered on the FAQ (opens in new window) page , please contact us for further information .

Your applications should include: A clear proposal of your how your project will meet the objectives above, you must use the Project Plan template and upload this to the portal .

(Downloadable on the right) A complete d risk assessment of your project and any related activity , either using the Risk Assessment template or your own, and uploaded to the portal ( Template d ownloadable on the right) A completed Budget Breakdown for your project using the Budget Breakdown te mplate or your own and upload ed to the portal .

Copies of current public liability and Employers liability Insurance Certificates uploaded to the portal . If you do not currently have these please continue to apply and note this on your application.

Audited accounts for the last financial year uploaded to the portal Evidence of funding from the Third Party [if applicable] uploaded to the portal DBS Certificate if required as outlined in the Grant Application Template We recommend that you have all the necessary documentation ready to attach before you start completing the online application.

However, once registered you can re-visit your application before final submission, but you must register for this function to be available. Equality, diversity, and inclusion: Providers will be asked to consider and identify how they propose to meet the needs of diverse groups i.e. food provision which cater for religious beliefs, activities which are gender-aware and inclusive for children with additional needs or disabilities.

Freedom of Information (FOI) The Council is subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (“EIR”) and shall provide all necessary assistance and co-operation reasonably requested by the Council (at the Council’s expense) to enable the Council to comply with its obligations under the FOIA and EIR’s in relation to any request for information concerning the Grant Funding or the Project.

How to get your questions answered: If you have questions about the project, please get in touch to find out more. You can contact us via email at wasteprevention. fund@westsussex.

gov.uk If you require any of this information in an alternative format, then please contact us via email at wasteprevention. fund@westsussex. gov.uk or by telephone on 01243 777100 and we will do our best to assist you.

If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have an NGT texting app installed on your computer, laptop, or smartphone, you can contact us on 18001 01243 777100 We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact us at haveyoursay@westsussex. gov.uk .

The Place Services Team at West Sussex County Council will use this survey to collect some personal data (e.g., name, email address), the processing of which is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) complies with the 2018 Data Protection Act and the GDPR (UK) and is registered as a ‘Data Controller’ with the Information Commissioner’s Office (Reg. No. Z6413427). The Data Protection Officer (DPO) for WSCC can be found on our website (opens in new window).

The data we will collect will be held for a period of up to 10 years before being appropriately destroyed. We will also share the data with our partners, Biffa, to help us identify those projects to whom a grant should be awarded. Please read Biffa’s Privacy Statement (opens in new window) .

Page last updated: 11 Jun 2025, 08:39 AM Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund Applications open Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund Applications close Submissions review, evaluation and decision Risk Assessment Template. doc (90. 5 KB) (doc) Project Plan Template (2).

xlsx (25. 4 KB) (xlsx) Scoring_Matrix_New_3. pdf (217 KB) (pdf) Monitoring Form Template (1).

xlsx (18. 5 KB) (xlsx) Offer Template. pdf (129 KB) (pdf) Grant Agreement Template.

pdf (399 KB) (pdf) Decline Template. pdf (54. 6 KB) (pdf) Budget Breakdown Template.

xlsx (20. 1 KB) (xlsx) Average Weight Calculations Sheet Template. xlsx (31.

6 KB) (xlsx) Guidance Document. pdf (291 KB) (pdf) Application Questions. pdf (209 KB) (pdf) Partnerships and Programmes Manager wasteprevention.

fund@westsussex. gov.uk Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund 2025–26 The Recycling and Waste Team, in partnership with Biffa, launched the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund 2025–26 to support community groups, residents' associations, charities, CICs, and social enterprises in delivering innovative initiatives that reduce household waste at the local level.

The fund aims to shift behaviour around unwanted or unused items, encouraging repair and reuse over disposal. Applications were welcomed for community-based projects addressing key waste categories such as food, furniture, plastics, textiles, and electricals , with a focus on reducing dependency on single-use items and packaging.

Grants of up to £5,000 were made available for projects to be delivered across West Sussex in 2025–2026. Eligible projects were required to: Promote waste prevention through reuse and reduction activities Deliver measurable benefits to the local community and support positive environmental change. We received 17 applications from a range of organisations across West Sussex.

Applicants expressed a strong desire to reduce waste and engage their communities through creative and practical solutions. However, feedback also highlighted some uncertainty around eligibility criteria and the types of projects that would qualify for funding. After careful assessment, we were able to award funding to 10 applicants whose proposals fully met the fund’s eligibility criteria.

Unfortunately, 7 applications were declined, primarily due to: Project locations outside of West Sussex Proposals that did not sufficiently focus on waste prevention Lack of clarity or evidence around project outcomes Funding sought for activities already being undertaken In response to the feedback received, we will also review and update the application form and guidance notes to ensure greater clarity around the eligibility criteria and the types of projects that are suitable for funding.