BIFFA Award: Main Grants Scheme

Overview

Under these themes they provide funding to create or improve community amenities such as upgrading kitchens, meeting rooms and toilets in village halls, creating new playparks, or establishing, protecting and enhancing habitats for biodiversity.

The Main Grants Scheme is aimed at not-for-profit groups and organisations, close to landfill sites, that need funding to improve the quality of life in their community or to protect and conserve nature’s recovery. 

There are four themes: Community Buildings, Recreation, Cultural Facilities and Nature Recovery. 

Between £10,000 and £75,000 can be awarded to projects that have a total cost of less than £200,000 including VAT. Unfortunately, standalone elements of a larger project that can be delivered for less than £200,000 including VAT cannot be funded. This includes but is not limited to new extensions and fit out of a new build separated into smaller phases like heating, kitchen and toilet installation. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Funding Themes

Nature Recovery

Nature Recovery theme covers a variety of living things and includes all species of plants and animals, along with the habitats and natural processes that support them. It is important that species and habitats are protected and restored, that there are functioning natural processes, and that the environment can adapt to threats such as climate change. 

Examples of costs that can be funded through this theme include habitat improvement works, the creation of wetlands, restoration of peatland, planting of trees and hedgerows, and sustainable management of woodlands to include tree surgery, scrub removal and the purchase of plants and seed. Day rate equivalent costs for staff undertaking direct delivery work or supervising volunteers in delivery can be funded, but only if this demonstrates better value for money than using an external contractor to deliver the same work. 

They can also fund work to help nature reserves and natural spaces adapt to climate change. Examples include habitat management to improve fire breaks and access for fire services to tackle wildfires; installing dams to manage water flow; and providing shade for wildlife. We will give preference to projects that have public access or inclusion, such as volunteer involvement. Projects must directly reintroduce or improve a habitat or species. 

Applicants will need to submit a detailed biodiversity management plan with their Expression of Interest. This plan should specify the habitats and species being restored or protected, and explain how the project aligns with delivering of commitments within your country’s Environmental Improvement Plan, legally-binding targets from the Environment Act 2021, or priorities identified within Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

Community Buildings

Community Buildings theme aims to improve buildings at the heart of their communities, such as village halls, community centres and church halls.

 Examples of costs that they can fund include renovations of community rooms, refurbishments of toilet facilities and kitchens, replacement doors and windows, extensions to create additional space that will benefit community groups, replacement of damaged floors and roofs, and new central heating systems.

Priority is given to projects that demonstrate wider community benefit and need. We expect your building to be used by many groups regularly each week, benefiting people of different ages and demographics. 

Applications for projects in places of worship must show that they serve the wider community, similar to a village hall or community centre attracting significant wider weekly group use. Funding will not cover fabric repairs or repairs to church windows, spires, steeples, bell towers or any areas not publicly available as a community space. 

Please note: If you are applying for a project in a sporting clubhouse, you should apply under their Recreation theme.

Recreation

Recreation theme covers projects which will benefit people in their free time, but also includes renovations of sporting clubhouses which demonstrate they serve the wider community, similar to a village hall or community centre attracting significant wider weekly group use, outside of sporting activities. 

Examples of costs that can be funded through this theme include playparks, boardwalks, skateparks, woodland walks, nature trails and outdoor gyms. They can fund building work in sporting clubhouses only if the improvements will directly benefit wider community groups, not just members of the club.

They are unable to fund sports kits, repairs to pitches, tennis courts and bowling greens, cricket nets, flood lighting, pitch drainage or spaces that are used only by players, including changing rooms, showers and toilets.

Cultural Facilities

Cultural Facilities theme aims to improve recreation, interest and education. The project could be based within a theatre, gallery, museum, concert hall, arts or heritage centre. It must be open to the general public for published periods of at least 104 days each year and must attract tourists or day visitors. 

Examples of costs that can be funded through this theme include exhibition and interpretation improvements, interactive displays, outdoor amphitheatre spaces and auditorium seating.

The facility should be inclusive and inspire and promote learning, creativity and participation. Local communities should be able to enjoy, benefit and engage with collections, exhibits or performances taking place within such institutions as often as possible.

General Eligibility

Your organisation must be a fully constituted, charitable or not-for-profit organisation with no share capital. Applications from local authorities, councils, hospices, hospitals, day-care centres, nurseries, food banks, rehabilitation units, residential care facilities, activity centres schools and colleges are not eligible for Biffa Award funding. 

The project must be eligible for registration with the Landfill Communities Fund scheme regulator, Entrust.

The project must meet the following criteria: 

• Application value must be between £10,000 and £75,000
• Total project costs or its phases must not exceed £200,000 including VAT. Standalone elements of a wider project costing less than £200,000 are also excluded 
• The project site must be within five miles of a significant Biffa Operation or within 10 miles if this is an active Biffa Landfill Site (15 miles for Nature Recovery projects). Please refer to the postcode checker on the Biffa Award website and save the address as you will need this should you make an application
• The project must also be within 10 miles of a licensed landfill site 
• A Third Party Contributor should be identified to fund 10% of the application value (this could come from your own reserves if you are not a registered EB) 
• The project must not cross over different themes • 75% of any shortfall funding must be secured if Biffa Award is not being asked to fully fund the project 
• Minimum of 104 days of published and full public access each year 
• If the organisation does not own the project site, a fully signed lease between the landowner and the applicant, with at least 10 years remaining must be in place for Community Buildings, Cultural Facilities and Recreation projects. They cannot accept any other forms of agreement, including but not limited to, draft agreements, letters of intent, heads of terms or underleases. For Nature Recovery projects, a signed landowner agreement with at least eight years remaining must be in place if the applicant does not own the project site 
• If planning permission is required, it must have been granted before you submit an Expression of Interest 

Please note you cannot re-apply for funding on the same site of a previous Biffa Award grant within one year of receiving your final payment.

In addition, they can only accept a maximum of two Full Applications per financial year from any one organisation. 

Only one application per organisation will be considered at any Board meeting.