West Sussex Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund 2027–2028: Up to £5,000 for Local Reuse and Waste-Reduction Projects

West Sussex Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund 2027–2028: Up to £5,000 for Local Reuse and Waste-Reduction Projects

The Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund is a small, practical grant for nonprofit organisations in West Sussex that want to prevent household waste or help people reuse items. West Sussex County Council provides the 2027–2028 fund in partnership with Biffa. The council says the programme is intended for new projects or meaningful expansions of existing work, rather than routine operating costs.

The fund is useful for organisations with a clearly local idea: a repair service, a reuse hub, a food-waste project, a textile skills programme, a community scheme for unwanted furniture, or an initiative that keeps electrical and electronic items in use. Awards can be any amount up to £5,000, and the whole fund is £50,000. Projects are expected to run for about 12 months, from February 2027 to February 2028, with benefits that continue after the grant period.

Key details

The council’s page is the controlling source for the dates and requirements. Read it again immediately before submitting because the portal, templates and frequently asked questions can be updated.

What the grant is designed to achieve

The fund supports behaviour change and practical services that reduce household waste. A project should do more than collect material once. The council wants applicants to show how people will prevent waste, repair or reuse items, and carry those habits forward. The work must make a difference to the wider community and to people’s lives in West Sussex.

The council identifies five priority material areas: food, furniture, plastics, textiles, and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). You do not need to cover all five. A focused proposal that tackles one material well can be stronger than a broad plan with no measurable route to impact. For example, a community fridge project could combine surplus-food redistribution with lessons on food storage and portion planning. A sewing or mending programme could keep clothing in use while giving residents useful skills. A repair café could concentrate on small electrical appliances, garden tools or bicycles, provided the project has a clear household-waste connection.

The fund can also support an expansion. An established group might take a successful repair workshop into another town, add a new material stream, or create a regular service where only occasional events existed. The application should make the change visible: explain what happens now, what the grant will add, and how many additional residents or items the expansion will reach.

Who can apply

The applicant must be a legally constituted, community-based, non-profit organisation. The council lists community, neighbourhood and voluntary groups whose purpose reaches beyond their own membership; registered charities; not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises; parish councils; schools; colleges; and universities. Environmental, arts and heritage organisations can also apply when they have an appropriate constitution, registration certificate, memorandum or articles.

The project must take place in West Sussex and benefit West Sussex residents’ household waste. A group based outside the county could be relevant only if its proposed activity is delivered in the county and its impact is local. A community centre, tenants’ or residents’ association, or educational institution can be eligible, but the project must benefit the wider community rather than only a closed membership or internal operation.

Individuals and profit-making businesses cannot apply. The council will not accept an organisation with overdue monitoring or reporting from a previous funded project, regardless of who provided that earlier funding. Previous recipients may propose a genuinely new idea, but the same previously funded project cannot simply be repeated.

What costs and activities fit

The council’s guidance says the award is for new or expanded products and services. It does not pay for existing activities or general core costs that are not specific to the project. Build the budget around the intervention you are proposing. A project-specific item, event cost, equipment purchase or delivery expense needs a direct explanation of how it prevents waste or increases reuse.

The programme does not fund research projects, loan repayment, deficit funding or contributions to endowment funds. It also excludes activity that another organisation has a statutory duty to provide, work with commercial waste that would not normally be collected by local authorities, and costs already paid by another funder. Do not claim the same cost twice in a combined budget.

A sensible budget might include equipment for a repair or reuse service, materials for workshops, venue or outreach costs tied to new activity, or project delivery support. The official page gives a specific example of quotes for capital items such as a community fridge costing more than £300. If you need a significant item, obtain a current quote and explain its expected use, lifespan and contribution to the project outputs.

How applications are scored

The council ranks applications against several connected tests. Your proposal should demonstrate a measurable reduction in household waste, explain what is innovative or new in the local area, show how the work will continue or leave a legacy after funding, and describe its social and community benefits. Experience delivering previous projects is also assessed.

Use evidence that a reviewer can check. Instead of promising to “raise awareness,” set out the number of workshops, participants, repair sessions, items repaired, kilograms diverted, or households reached. State how you will collect the figures. If a repair service will record every item, say who will maintain the log and when totals will be reviewed. If you expect behaviour change, explain the simple before-and-after measure you will use, such as a participant survey, repeat attendance, or a documented change in the volume of material collected.

Innovation does not have to mean untested technology. The council is interested in a new service for a local area, a proven model adapted to a community that does not currently have access, or a practical combination of partners and activities. Show that you have checked for duplication. If another group already runs a general repair café nearby, explain the gap your project fills or the distinct material, neighbourhood or audience you will serve.

How to apply: process and timeline

The online application portal opens on Tuesday 22 September 2026 and closes on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Late applications are not accepted. The council expects to evaluate applications in November and intends to notify applicants in December, although the final timing depends on the number of submissions. Successful projects are expected to run between February 2027 and February 2028.

Most applicants should use the Your Voice online system. The council recommends reading the FAQ before starting. You can save a draft if you register, but once you submit, you cannot return to amend it or add missing information. If you cannot access the portal, contact [email protected] to request a paper or emailed form.

An information session is scheduled for 1 October 2026 at 6 p.m. via Microsoft Teams. Eligible applicants can request an invitation by emailing the fund address. Questions may also be added anonymously to the council’s online FAQ, so check it for updated interpretations and templates.

Documents to prepare

The application requires a project proposal using the Project Plan template provided in the portal, a completed risk assessment and a Budget Breakdown. The council also asks for current public and employers’ liability insurance certificates if you have them, audited accounts for the last financial year, and evidence of third-party funding where relevant. If staff or volunteers work with vulnerable people, prepare evidence of enhanced DBS checks.

If your application is successful, due diligence will require more organisational information. The council lists a governing document, a list of at least three unrelated trustees, directors or management committee members, insurance and lease or consent documents where relevant, and a recent unredacted organisational bank statement. It may request quotes for capital items. Arrange these documents early so an award is not delayed or withdrawn for missing evidence.

Building a credible budget and plan

Start with the result and work backward. Identify the household-waste problem in the particular West Sussex community, the activity that will change it, and the resources needed to deliver that activity. Keep the request proportionate. There is no requirement to apply for the full £5,000, and a smaller, well-evidenced request is preferable to an inflated budget that cannot be delivered.

Separate grant-funded costs from volunteer time, in-kind support, other grants and any income. State what will happen if you receive less than requested because the council may offer a different amount. Include realistic timing for procurement, safeguarding, recruitment, outreach and delivery. Describe who owns equipment, how it will be maintained, and how the service will continue after the grant.

The council expects quarterly monitoring during delivery, proof of spending with the financial report, and an end-of-project report no later than April 2028. It will also request a short legacy update three months after the project ends. Design your measurement system now so the final reporting is a normal part of delivery rather than a reconstruction.

Common mistakes to avoid

A proposal for ongoing activity alone is outside the fund’s purpose. Make the new element explicit. A generic environmental message is also weak if it does not quantify household-waste reduction or explain who will participate. Avoid copying a model from elsewhere without showing why it fits the local area.

Do not hide organisational information in pages of background. The council advises keeping context brief and focusing on the project description. Do not leave insurance, accounts, risk or safeguarding evidence until an award is offered. Check that every line of the budget is project-specific and that a cost is not already covered by another funder.

Finally, the council states that applications created with the help of AI will not be processed. Treat the published guidance as a planning source, but write and review the submission through your organisation’s own staff and volunteers. The application should reflect your actual experience, local relationships and delivery capacity.

What happens after an award

An offer email will confirm the amount awarded, which may be less than requested. Before payment, the organisation enters a Grant Funding Agreement with West Sussex County Council. Funding is paid into an organisational account with two independent signatories who are not related or living at the same address. Payments may be made in two or three stages; the first is in advance and later payments depend on progress reporting.

During the project, keep receipts and record the agreed outputs. Quarterly monitoring should cover progress, problems and corrective action. At completion, provide financial evidence and the required end report. The council also expects a legacy or ongoing-impact update three months after the project ends. Plan for that continuation while you are designing the funded activity.

FAQ

Can a school, college or university apply?

Yes. The project must benefit the institution and the wider community, or be delivered in partnership with a voluntary or community organisation. It should address household waste rather than an internal facilities project alone.

Is there a minimum request?

No. You can apply for any amount up to £5,000. The total fund is £50,000, so explain why the amount requested is sufficient and realistic.

Can an organisation submit more than one idea?

You can apply for multiple projects, but the council says only one project per group will be awarded in the funding year. Make sure each submission is distinct and prioritise the strongest proposal.

Does a project have to address all five priority materials?

No. The guidance asks projects to focus on at least one of food, furniture, plastics, textiles or WEEE. A clear single-material plan can meet that requirement.

Where must delivery take place?

All projects must be undertaken within West Sussex and have a waste-prevention impact on West Sussex residents’ household waste.

When will applicants receive a decision?

Evaluation is planned for November 2026, with formal notification intended in December 2026. The council says timing can change if it receives a large number of applications.

Official links and next steps

Read the West Sussex Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund page for the full FAQ, application portal link, templates and supporting documents. Before 22 September, confirm your organisation’s legal status, choose one measurable household-waste problem, gather quotes and accounts, and outline the 12-month delivery plan. On opening day, register on the portal and save a draft. Submit before 11:59 p.m. on 3 November 2026, keeping a copy of every attachment and the final confirmation for your records.