Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund

What is the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund?

The Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund for 2027 to 2028 is provided by West Sussex County Council in partnership with Biffa. It provides support for community organisations to deliver new or expanded, innovative waste prevention and reuse initiatives resulting in a reduction of household waste. This includes Community Groups, CIC’s, charities and social enterprises.

Where is the funding for this project coming from?

Funding for the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund comes from a combination of county council funding, the profits from the Billingshurst and Worthing Reuse Shop and money provided by Biffa, one of our partners.

What are the aims of the fund?

The fund will:

• support local community activity to improve waste prevention behaviours through reuse or waste prevention projects reducing household waste
• make a difference to the wider community, and to people’s lives in West Sussex

How much funding is available and when can we apply for it?

A total of £50,000 is available for grants of up to a maximum of £5,000 per project delivered across West Sussex in 2027 to 2028.

The number of projects that will be awarded will be determined during the evaluation phase. Applicants can apply for funding across multiple projects, but funding will only be awarded for one project per group in the funding year.

The application portal will open on Tuesday 22 September 2026 and will close on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 11.59pm.

Do I have to apply for the full £5,000?

No, you can apply for any amount, up to a maximum of £5,000. There is no minimum limit on the amount that you can apply for.

What is a waste prevention or reuse project?

Waste prevention includes actions that reduces the amount of waste created by changing people’s behaviour.

Reuse includes repairing or cleaning activities that allow items to be reused for the same purpose as they were originally intended.

What are WSCC and Biffa looking to support?

Your project should address at least one of 5 key priority household waste materials; food, furniture, plastics, textiles or Waste Electrical, Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

Successful applicants will have identified how their project focuses on the prevention or reuse of at least one of these key priority materials. You will also engage with your community and help them to positively change their behaviour towards waste.

Examples of each type of project are:

• Food: Food waste can be prevented by providing people with training, skills and knowledge to improve their food shopping and storage habits, and by improving portion control
• Furniture: Unwanted furniture may be suitable for reuse, repair, or repurposing, which can provide opportunities to develop new skills and reduce waste
• Plastics: Projects may reduce dependence on disposal and single-use plastics and disposal, conserve resources and protect the environment from plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions
• Textiles: Textiles are sometimes thrown away unnecessarily when they are often suitable for repair and reuse - sewing skills can help with the reuse of clothing and other textiles
• Waste Electrical, Electronic Equipment (WEEE): WEEE can be defined as electrical and electronic equipment (battery or plug operated), that are broken or unwanted - many of the items thrown away can be recycled or repaired, which helps to save natural resources and reduces damage to the environment

Who can apply to the fund?

Any legally constituted organisation that operates as a community-based (non-profit making) organisation is eligible to apply, such as:

• community, neighbourhood, or voluntary groups that have an overarching community purpose that reaches beyond its membership
• registered charities - you should provide your charity number if applicable
• schools, colleges and universities
• not-for-profit organisations, including social enterprises (a registered legal entity that does not make a profit for directors, members, or shareholders)
• parish councils

Check the eligibility criteria in the guidance document (see supporting documents section below) to ensure your organisation meets our guidelines. If you do not meet the eligibility criteria, unfortunately we will be unable to accept or process your application.

What are the fund criteria?

The maximum amount awarded to each project will be £5,000. There is no minimum amount. Applications will be ranked and scored based on their:

• demonstrated impact in preventing household waste
• innovation to services or introducing new projects to local areas already proven to reduce household waste elsewhere
• ability to be sustained post funding or have a legacy
• social and community benefits
• experience in successfully delivering previous projects will also be assessed

Funding will be awarded to the highest scoring applications subject to grant funds being available.

What projects can’t the county council and Biffa fund?

The fund will only support new, or the expansion of existing, products and services into other areas. It will not pay for existing activities.

We can’t fund:

• individuals or projects from profit making businesses
• projects that previously received funding from the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund - however new ideas from previous groups are welcome
• core costs that are not specific for the project
• research projects
• activities that any other organisation has a duty to undertake
• projects which deliver activities that are the responsibility of local authorities
• projects that deal with waste from businesses that would not be expected to be collected by local authorities
• costs for activities already provided by other funders
• contribution to endowment fund(s), payment of deficit funding or repayment of loans

Is my organisation eligible?

To apply for Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund, you must not have any overdue monitoring or reporting from a previous funded project, regardless of where that funding came from.

We will fund a variety of groups such as:

• registered Incorporated Charities - you should provide your charity number if applicable
• not-for-profit organisations (a registered legal entity that does not make a profit for directors, members, or shareholders)
• community associations, tenants and residents groups that have an overarching community purpose that reaches beyond its membership
• environmental, arts and heritage organisations that have certificate of registration, memorandum or articles
• schools, colleges or universities

Your project will benefit your establishment and the wider community or work in partnership with a voluntary or community organisation.

Can I apply for more than one Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund project at the same time?

Yes, but be aware only one project per group or individual will be awarded in the funding year.

Will we need to monitor the impact of the project?

Yes, you will need to be able to demonstrate the impact of your project. Below is a list of expected benefits that should be recorded as part of your impact evaluation:

• number of waste prevention (reuse, repair) projects set up
• amount of CGF investment in the environment
• amount of income generated in the local community
• number of training sessions and events
• quantity and quality of materials diverted away from waste
• number of people engaged
• number of volunteer hours
• number of volunteer opportunities created
• social value
• number of items repaired and reused
• number of low-income residents supported

You will be expected to complete reporting templates provided to you with the grant agreement.

Do projects need to provide organisational context when putting forward proposals?

Yes. It is helpful to provide organisational information to give context but keep it brief. It is best to focus on your project description.

Is there a date by which projects must have completed?

Funded projects should run for 12 months but should ideally be sustained post funding or have an on-going impact.

Can schools apply to the Fund?

Yes. If you are a school, college or university, you can apply to the fund to run a waste reduction project. Your project must benefit your establishment and the wider community or work in partnership with a voluntary or community organisation.

Can Tenants Residents Associations (TRAs) apply for funding?

Yes. Applications will be reviewed and scored against the evaluation criteria.

Can council managed event premises apply for funding?

No. As these premises are run by the council, they would not be eligible for funding.

Can community centres apply for funding?

Yes. Applications will be reviewed and scored against the evaluation criteria.

What projects will not be funded?

The fund will only support new, or the expansion of existing, products and services into other areas. It will not pay for ongoing existing activities.

The funding shall not be awarded:

• to individuals
• for projects from profit making businesses
• to fund core costs that are not specific for the project
• for research projects
• to fund activities that any other organisation has a duty to undertake
• for projects which deliver activities that are the responsibility of local authorities
• for projects that deal with waste from businesses that would not be expected to be collected by local authorities
• to fund the cost of activities already provided by other funders
• for contribution to endowment fund(s), payment of deficit funding or repayment of loans
• projects that previously received funding from the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund - however new ideas from previous groups are welcome

What area should projects take place?

All projects must be undertaken within West Sussex and have a reduction or prevention impact on West Sussex residents' household waste.

What objectives should a project demonstrate?

Projects should demonstrate:

• that they will have an impact on the population within the county
• that they do not duplicate activity in the local area (for example, district, town or parish) that is already taking place
• measurable reductions in the amount of household waste, for example, through furniture reused, or food diverted from waste
• social benefits, for example, jobs or volunteer posts created and number of residents trained
• who the project is likely to directly engage
• how the project is innovative or new (to the local area)
• the methods used to effect behaviour change
• sustainability or a degree of ‘legacy’ in terms of waste prevention outcomes

The fund will only support new, or expansion of existing products and services. It will not pay for existing activities.

Why can’t funding be awarded to existing waste prevention initiatives?

The Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund is designed to increase waste prevention opportunities across the county. Because of this, the fund will only support new, or the expansion of existing services, it will not pay for existing activities.

How do I apply?

The application portal will open on Tuesday 22 September 2026 and will close on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 11.59pm.

Applications will only work with compatible browsers (Microsoft Edge v86 and above, Chrome v86 and above, Firefox v78 and above or Safari v14 and above).

There are links at the top of the sections which you can use if you wish to return to your draft application before submitting your completed submission, provided that you have registered for the Your Voice online system. Make sure you read your application carefully before pressing submit, as you will not be able to return to your application to amend or provide further information once you have submitted.

We recommend that you read through this FAQ section prior to starting to gather information for your application, or the application itself.

When is the application opening date?

The application portal will open on Tuesday 22 September 2026 and will close on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 11.59pm.

When is the application closing date?

The closing date is Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 11.59pm. We cannot accept applications received after this date.

We aim to make decisions by mid November 2026 and we expect project delivery will be between February 2027 and February 2028.

I can’t access the online application form - can I still apply?

We expect most applications to be made via our online portal. If you require form copies to be posted or emailed to you, or if you are not able to access the portal, contact us.

What supporting documents will we need to provide?

Applicants will need to provide the following documents:

• a clear proposal of your how your project will meet the objectives above, using the Project Plan template (available on the Your Voice application portal) and uploaded to the portal
• a completed risk assessment of your project and any related activity (Risk Assessment template available on the Your Voice application portal) and uploaded to the portal
• a completed budget for your project using the 'Budget Breakdown' template (available on the Your Voice application portal) and uploaded to the portal
• copies of current public liability and employers liability insurance certificates uploaded to the portal if you have them
• audited accounts for the last financial year uploaded to the portal
• evidence of funding from the third party (if applicable) uploaded to the portal
• evidence of enhanced DBS checks (if working with vulnerable people)

What happens after we submit our application?

Applicants will be notified by email as soon as possible on the outcome of the application once the evaluation period is completed.

When do applicants hear about the outcome of the Fund?

Applications will be evaluated in November 2026. It is our intention to formally advise both successful and unsuccessful applicants in December 2026. However, we do not know how long evaluation will take until we know how many applications we must assess.

Can I get help completing the application?

An online session will take place to answer questions from eligible applicants. This is scheduled to be held using Microsoft Teams on Thursday 1 October 2026 at 6pm. To request an invitation email: wasteprevention.fund@westsussex.gov.uk.

We will update the FAQ section on our website regularly, as further questions are received. Those questions will remain anonymous and no identifiable information about the person or organisation who submitted them will be made public.

Is there a word limit to the questions in the application form?

Questions will include detail on word limits. Keep your answers as direct as possible. You can upload project plans and other supporting documents which will all require evaluation.

Can I use AI to help with my application?

No. Applications created with the help of AI will not be processed.

How will I know if I have been successful?

You will first receive an offer by email that will confirm how much funding you will be awarded, this may not be the full amount you requested.

As part of our due diligence process, we will need to see documents about your organisation. Failure to provide this supporting information may result in your application not being supported or any funding offer being withdrawn.

Applicants will need to provide the following documents:

• a copy of your governing document, your Constitution, Memorandum, Articles of Association or set of rules
• a list of your Trustees, Directors, and Management Committee -  a minimum of 3 that are unrelated
• details of insurance liability cover, lease agreements and consents (this can be uploaded to the application portal). If you have any questions about the level of insurance liability required, contact us
• Risk assessment (a template will be available on the application portal)
• a copy bank statement from the last 3 months. This should be clear and not redacted. It should show the name and address of your organisation, account number, sort code and the account balance. Our request for a bank statement falls in line with current data protection requirements. If payments have been made to individuals, you can redact these (this can be uploaded to the application portal when applications are open)
• quotes for any capital items, for example, community fridge over £300 (this can be uploaded to the application portal)

The award of any funding will require you to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with West Sussex County Council. This covers the terms and conditions for your project. Further conditions to your project may be specified which will be included in your Grant Funding Agreement.

How will I know if I have been unsuccessful?

You will receive an email or letter informing you on this occasion that you have not been successful. Where possible we will provide specific feedback on why an application was unsuccessful. West Sussex County Council's decision is final, and there is no appeals process.

How will the funding be paid?

Your funding will be paid into an organisational bank account that has two independent signatories who are not related or live at the same address.

Most grants are paid by electronic transfer (BACS) direct to your bank, which is why we ask for an up-to-date bank statement. If this is not possible, we will send a cheque issued in the organisation's name.

The funding will be paid in 2 or 3 stage payments, depending on the project scope and timeframe. The first payment will be made in advance. Following payments will be made, providing you submit a monitoring report showing your project is progressing to the agreed plan.

Will we need to submit any receipts or record what we have spent the money on?

Yes. Proof of spending needs to be submitted along with the financial report. Full guidance will be provided for this by the county council at the start of the project.

Can the county council provide support with communications and promoting our project?

Yes. We can support with creating a communications plan including help with social media, but we strongly encourage fund recipients to promote their activities.

If successful, what sort of reporting do I need to do?

You are required to complete short monitoring forms quarterly during the project, providing information on your agreed outputs, together with a short comment on how your project is working well, as well as anything that isn’t going to plan and how you will deal with that. An example of this form will be provided to successful applicants after funding has been agreed.

At the end of your project, you will be required to provide an end of project report (a template will be provided to successful applicants if required) no later than April 2028. However, this can be produced earlier depending on your project scope and timeframe.

We will also ask you to complete a short form detailing the legacy or on-going impact, 3 months after the end of the project.