What are the Small Grants and who can apply?
Our Small Grants are for any Knowle West resident/community group/organisation/school/business to complete a project that benefits the local community.
Why does the Alliance run the Small Grants programme?
The programme was designed to encourage local people to get more involved in and do something positive to benefit the community. We want everyone to celebrate the great things that are happening in Knowle West, make links with other local people and be able to spread the word about their group/organisation and their project.
Who designed the process for the Small Grants?
The Small Grants process was originally designed by the Knowle West Alliance Working Group and the Alliance Community Development Worker at the beginning of 2019. The Working Group is made up of local residents and representatives of local groups/organisations including from 4 founding organisations (The Park, Filwood Community Centre, Knowle West Media Centre and Knowle West Health Park).
When can I apply?
Autumn 2025 update: You can apply four times a year. Information and the application form can be found here
How many times can I apply?
You can make one application in each financial year (April – March) – although different groups within an organisation may make separate applications for different projects eg. two classes within a school could apply to do separate projects. Residents can be involved in more than one project or make more than one application in their name if they’re representing different groups/organisations. If we receive a lot of applications and our current Small Grants pot of money has been used up, we will advertise this on our website and social media.
What is the application process?
You will need to complete an simple on-line form here detailing your project. If you need help with the form or planning your project, just drop us an email to grants@kwalliance.co.uk. You can apply for any amount up to the specified limits, but you must be able to complete your project with the amount of money applied for. If you need more money for your project, you can look for match funding (money from another source).
What are the criteria?
In order to meet the criteria, the application must be from someone who is based in Knowle West (or just beyond and is connected with Knowle West) and for a project that benefits the Knowle West community. It must also meet one or more of the following criteria:
- A safer, friendlier place
- A greener, cleaner place
- A healthier, active place
- A creative place
Depending on how our grant pots are funded, there may be other criteria.
Are there any types of project that can’t be funded?
We can’t fund projects that promote any religious or political beliefs eg. a project that includes religious worship. This relates to the project itself and does not mean that a religious or political group/organisation can’t apply. We also can’t fund projects that are to support a private business unless otherwise stated.
Who decides if my application goes through and what happens next?
At a regular meeting, our Grants Panel made up of local residents and workers will look at any applications and decide if they meet the criteria. If any member of the group feels that they have a conflict of interest with an application, they will not be involved in the decision on that application. In some cases, we may get in touch to ask for some more information about your application.
If your project meets the criteria and we have enough funding left in the pot, you will be awarded the funding and we will send you information about how to claim your grant.
You’ve asked me to make a video – how do I do that?
Click on the link below to access our handy guide. If you have any problems please email us at grants@kwalliance.co.uk
What happens when I’ve been awarded my grant?
You will be expected to start your project within three months and complete it within six months unless otherwise stated on the application form.
Whatever your project, you will need to show that the funding came from Knowle West Alliance in any publicity or at any event by using our logo, and there may be other logos that you need to use depending on where our funding has come from. You will also need to keep us informed about how your project is going and make sure that there is evidence to show that it has happened. This may be shared via our communication channels so please only provide evidence that you are happy for us to share. After you’ve completed your project, someone will get in touch to talk about how your project went or you can complete our simple Grant Feedback form.
What type of projects have been done before?
There have been many different types of projects that have received funding from Knowle West Alliance. These include: trips and equipment for community groups, a school litter-pick, tree planting, art projects, local community events, gardening projects and courses. You can watch videos about projects that have been awarded money since 2020 on the Knowle West Alliance YouTube channel.
Why have bigger grants been offered before?
We also sometimes receive larger pots of money for specific purposes from funders which we award separately to our usual grants eg. The Welcoming Winter Grants of up to £1000 and the Safer and Friendlier Community Grants of up to £3000. We advertise these on our communication platforms and at local community venues and events.
What is match funding and where can I get other funding?
Match funding means getting part of the money you need for your project from another place. This would normally be an amount more or less equal to the amount of our grant. You may need match funding because the KWA grant isn’t enough to complete your project, or you may have money you’ve already raised towards your project before you apply to us.
It is a common practice among grant-giving organisations and we have decided to offer this opportunity for applicants so that we can be more flexible. It gives people the chance to carry out projects that might cost a bit more and look into other ways to fundraise.
Below are some other sources of funding:
- Traditional fundraising eg. sales (like cake or garage sales), sponsored activities, collecting donations
- Crowd funding involves using an online platform to raise money. You create your fundraising page and then share it online. Some popular crowdfunding platforms include: GoFundMe, JustGiving, Crowdfunder and Kickstarter, but there are lots of others.
- Corporate responsibility is about private companies supporting charity and community work. Many companies such as Bristol Water, Greggs, Co-op Local Community Fund, Persimmon Homes, Asda Community Foundation, Tesco, The Screwfix Foundation, M&S, Bristol Myers Squibb and Warburtons offer grants for community projects.
- Grant giving and charitable organisations offer grants for community projects. Some of these include Bristol Redistro, St Monica Trust, Age UK, Wesport, Trusthouse Charitable Foundation, Barchester’s Charitable Foundation, The John James Bristol Foundation, Bristol Impact Fund, Power to Change, Quartet Community Foundation, Comic Relief, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Foyle Foundation, Sarah Jayne Charitable Trust and The National Lottery.
- Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Section 106 is funding awarded by the council once a year for local community infrastructure projects such as dropped kerbs, new benches, tree planting, improvements to community buildings, signage etc. There are varying amounts of money available every year in each area. Anyone can apply, but you will need to complete a detailed application form and have the appropriate insurances and policies in place so you may want to consider applying via a local organisation. If you are applying to make changes to roads or parks, you would need to speak to the relevant department in the council eg. Parks, Highways. They would normally complete stage 2 of the process. The process from initial application to receiving funding takes about 9 months and you would need to pass two stages of selection by councillors to be successful. For more information, go to this webpage.
What happens if I’m unable to complete the project within the specified time or at all?
Knowle West Alliance will be as flexible as possible. Please let us know if you have any issues with your project as soon as you can so we can look at ways to support you to complete it.
If your project cannot go ahead for any reason, it may be possible to change your project idea or transfer your grant to another individual/group with the agreement of the Grants Panel. However, the funding we use for our grants must be used for grassroots projects and meet the specified criteria so, if it’s not possible to carry out a suitable project or transfer your grant, it will need to be returned to Knowle West Alliance so that another project can benefit from the money. This is standard practice for any grant giving body.
Knowle West Alliance 