The Fund operates three funding schemes:

Small Grants (formerly Community Chest)
The Small Grants programme is available for small schemes usually to support groups who are seeking one off funding for a project. Applications are accepted for grants between £3,000 and £15,000. The overall cost of the project should not exceed £30,000. The Fund may act as Environmental Body for the project and administer the paperwork required by the regulator.

Main Grants (formerly Strategic Fund)
The Main Grants programme Fund is available to organisations who are registered as Environmental Bodies with Entrust, the scheme regulator. Applications are accepted for grants up to £30,000 but the overall cost should not exceed £300,000.

dirtworks
The Dirtworks programme is funding to encourage young people to volunteer and get involved with practical environmental schemes. Applications are invited from organisations with the capacity to supervise and deliver a high quality project with young people. Schemes should cost up to £25,000 with the Fund contributing £20,000. The capital works element of the project should be at least 40% of the cost.

The Fund does not normally consider applications for 100% funding therefore, support from other grant sources is welcome.

Equal Access to Funding Policy
The Lancashire Environmental Fund welcomes applications from all sectors of the community and will do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure that organisations and community groups across the county have equal opportunities too access our funding. Providing applications meet the Fund criteria and the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme objectives, they will progress to be assessed fairly and on their individual merits.

What we fund?
Applications are welcome for projects that meet the following landfill tax objectives:

* Funding is limited for object E projects. The Fund will only consider historic buildings and places of worship related proposals which fulfil public amenity objectives, ie where a significant improvement in the extent of the quality of open community use will result. Any proposal must demonstrate that additional benefit will be created. The cost of maintenance works will not be considered.

** Applications under object DA must clearly demonstrate that reasonable public access will be available at the proposed site. Applications that proposed no public access will not be considered.

Examples of funded projects:

As well as meeting one of the landfill tax objectives projects which add value or make a contribution to one or more of the following additional criteria will be welcome:

• Lancashire County Council - Ambition Lancashire Strategy
• involvement of local community action
• improvement or protection of Lancashire’s natural biodiversity
• community initiatives in Lancashire linked to parish and community programmes
• employment training opportunities such as New Deal
• regeneration benefits to Lancashire
• synergy with other funding regimes
• use of recycled materials

What we do not fund?

• core cost of an organisation
• retrospective funding
• projects in school grounds
• allotment or food growing projects
• car parks and public conveniences
• recycling projects

If you are unsure whether your project is eligible please contact the Fund for advice.

Who Can Apply?
Any not for profit organisation including registered charities, voluntary groups, parish councils, community groups. Application for the Strategic Fund will only be accepted from organisations registered with Entrust as an Environmental Body.

Your project must be based within Lancashire but excluding unitary authority, district of Blackpool and Blackburn.

What is an Environmental Body?
Environmental Bodies (EBs) are organisations that have registered with Entrust in order to receive landfill tax money from landfill operators or distributive environmental bodies such as the Lancashire Environmental Fund.

For more detail about registering please contact Entrust on 01926 488 300 or visit www.entrust.org.uk

When can I apply?

What happens after I submit my application?
Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged and the Fund Manager will assess them in the first instance. Additional assessment may be by other Fund staff such as a member of the Assessment group or external advice may be sought as necessary.

Projects will be assessed against the following criteria:

Projects will be submitted to the Board for consideration at the appropriate quarterly meeting. The decision of the Board will be final.

What happens if my application is successful?
All applicants will be notified of the outcome and successful applicants will be sent a formal grant offer letter outlining the terms and conditions of the grant awarded. Detailed records of transactions relating to the grant will be required to be kept. Acceptance of the grant will be a legally binding agreement.

Successful applicants will be expected to share the knowledge and experience gained from projects supported by the Fund.

The progress of projects will be monitored and the Board reserve the right to recover grants if the project is not undertaken as per the terms and conditions of the grant agreement.

The payment of grant instalments will depend on the level of grant award and the nature and duration of the project and will be determined in the formal grant offer letter.