Organisations with great ideas for improving the lives of people in Cambridgeshire can apply for funding from the Innovate & Cultivate Fund before the next deadline on 1 November, to get their project started or to expand it further.
Since its creation in 2016, Cambridgeshire County Council’s Innovate & Cultivate Fund has supported 43 local projects, investing nearly £1m in communities across Cambridgeshire.
In the last round of funding agreed by members in July, a total of £106,460 was awarded to eight new projects that build a network of community support and help make the lives of children, families, vulnerable adults, and older people better.
Large and small pots of funding are available for local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in Cambridgeshire. Applicants can bid for funding ranging from £2,000 - £19,000 for small ‘Cultivate’ grants and up to £50,000 for larger ‘Innovate’ grants which can demonstrate how their good ideas can make a difference, and prevent the need for Council services.
The deadline for the next round of Cultivate applications is Friday 1 November 2019. A free advice session to support potential applicants to develop their project ideas and grant applications will be held on 19 September (9.30am - 12.30pm) at Ely Community Centre.
Cambridgeshire County Council’s Chairman of the Communities and Partnership Committee, local Huntingdonshire Councillor Steve Criswell said: “Our Innovate & Cultivate Fund is designed to fund projects led by communities who know themselves best and have a direct impact on residents’ lives. This means we can support people to help themselves and improve outcomes at the same time.
“In addition to improving people’s lives and thanks to a rigorous Return on Investment assessment of every successful bid, we estimate that we can save over £1,160,000 back over time by preventing, reducing and delaying the need for costly council services in the longer term.”
“With the next application deadline around the corner, I encourage local groups to come forward with ideas and attend our free advice session in September to take full advantage of this funding boost.”
Organisations and local groups looking for further information can see full details at the Innovate & Cultivate website http://www.cambscf.org.uk/icf.html
