Small Grants Programme – Eastbourne Food Partnership
Applications deadline – 17th September
Eastbourne Food Partnership are delighted to announce the launch of another round of small grants to support projects within Eastbourne Borough that alleviate food insecurity. The grants are funded by East Sussex County Council, as part of the Household Support Fund, and follow the successful delivery of grants in late Autumn 2022 and Spring 2023.
This autumn, we will be focussing on projects that build more resilient communities, supporting projects that use the power of food to bring people together, as well as laying the groundwork for long-term food security. This approach is based upon the Food Ladders model for building household and community resilience, by focussing on the more than nutrient, calorie and commercial aspects of food, such as its capacity to bring people together to foster shared understanding and collaboration. For more information about Food Ladders, see this article.
With this in mind, we have divided the grants into two categories:
Category A: grants of up to £400 for community food events/workshops that celebrate Good Food East Sussex month this October (rolling applications, final deadline 17th September)
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- These grants aim to support events that bring communities together through food and join the conversation around Good Food. Groups could use the ‘Good Food East Sussex’ month to trial events that could continue through subsequent funding applications.
- We encourage groups to reflect on where food for the event(s) would come from with an emphasis on local and seasonal produce, and include these details in the application.
- Whilst any group is welcome to apply, the application should demonstrate how the event will be inclusive of households likely to be experiencing food insecurity.
- Successful events will be promoted as part of the Good Food East Sussex programme
- Suggested events: a ‘lunch and learn’ event; a lunch club, supper club or breakfast club; a community planting session; a community cook up; a harvest celebration… for more information about Good Food East Sussex, click here.
Category B: grants of up to £2500 for projects that fight food insecurity in Eastbourne by building community capacity (deadline 17th September)
- These grants aim to support projects that address food insecurity by building community capacity, laying the groundwork for long-term resilience whilst providing support to households experiencing food insecurity.
- Where relevant, we encourage groups to reflect on where food for projects might come from, and, where possible, prioritise sustainable and/or local sources that enable grant money to stay in the local area.
- Where possible, applications should indicate how the grant funding contributes to the sustainability of the project and/or organisation
- Eligible projects might: develop more sustainable supply chains for affordable food projects, invest in food-based equipment and/or skills in community or education settings, incorporate food education into existing food provision such as HAF and holiday clubs…
Who can apply?
We want everyone in Eastbourne to have access to food that is good for our health, our communities, and our planet, regardless of their background or their situation. With this in mind, we are able to contribute to projects that connect communities to good food, and we particularly welcome applications from projects which support vulnerable households and underrepresented groups.
Eligibility criteria:
- Your project/activity/event must benefit people in Eastbourne borough
- Projects involving direct delivery of food must be able to demonstrate adequate hygiene and safeguarding, or incorporate relevant training as part of their application.
- Your project/activity must actively tackle food insecurity, with some measurable impact within 6 months of the grant being administered (category B)
- You should demonstrate how the funds will be used to run a new project, increase capacity and/or contribute to project sustainability (e.g. by investing in skills/equipment or more secure supply chains). (category B)
Please note that we welcome applications from organisations that have previously been successful in Eastbourne Food Partnership-run grants. We do however encourage you to explain in your application how the second grant would either build on the work facilitated by the first grant or allow your organisation to run a new project. Duplicate applications from previous rounds will not be considered.
Please not that we will consider applications for both categories from the same organisation.
We will not fund projects that:
- Only benefit one individual
- Are focused on making profits and sharing these profits privately
- Discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, disability, age, or sexual orientation
- Are managed by groups that have had a previous grant which has not been managed satisfactorily
- Are raising funds for works or equipment already committed, bought or completed, or for activities that have already taken place
- Include unspecified expenditure (e.g. a campaign with flexible funding)
- Request payment into a personal bank account
- Overtly or exclusively promote a political or religious agenda
- Include purchase of alcohol or illegal substances
Download the application form here: