Community Grant Fund

The Community Grant Fund is a £1 million capital grant scheme for town and parish councils/meetings and community organisations in the Harborough district. 

The Fund is allocated between towns, large villages, medium villages, villages close to urban settlements and small/smaller villages across the Harborough district.  The Community Grant Fund will strengthen working relationships between the council and its parishes, towns and communities, enabling delivery of projects and initiatives at a local level across the district.

All completed applications will be presented to the Cabinet Sub Committee Grants for consideration and decision.  Applicants are welcome to attend Cabinet Grants Sub-Committee meetings. For applications over £25,000, this will be a requirement.

What the Community Grant can fund
These grants are intended to support capital projects that create lasting assets, such as improvements to buildings, facilities, or purchasing and installing equipment. Capital funding focuses on enhancing, upgrading, or expanding facilities and activities, rather than covering routine maintenance or general upkeep. For example, replacing structures to modernise a building would be eligible, but repairing something to maintain its current condition would not. Ideas for eligible projects can be found here.

What cannot be funded
We cannot provide revenue funding for ongoing running costs. Examples of ineligible projects include:

• General running costs, such as utility bills.
• Projects focused solely on maintenance or upkeep of a facility or organisation, without any improvement or expansion of facilities or activities.
• Costs associated with feasibility studies, planning, or preliminary work.

If you are unsure whether your project is eligible or have any queries about the Fund and application process, please contact us for guidance at communitygrants@harborough.gov.uk. We encourage all potential applicants to contact us before they start their application to discuss their project and ensure it meets the criteria.