Grants and projects worth £30 million are now available to help churches, cathedrals and schools kickstart local projects to help reduce carbon emissions arising from the energy used in buildings and work-related transport by 2030. Find out more in this short guide to net zero grants on the Church of England website.
Get grant-ready!
How can you get your church ready and eligible to apply for grants focused on Net Zero Carbon?
- Join A Rocha Eco Church and start getting awards
- Submit your Energy Footprint Tool data annually
- Get started with the Practical Path to Net Zero for churches
- Switch to a renewable energy tariff
Use the Cornerstone Grants Database to find out about grants and funding for Net Zero Carbon
National Lottery Awards for All
The climate and nature emergency affects us all, but local action can make a real difference.
The National Lottery Awards for All England - Environment funds community-led projects that improve the environment and help people connect with and enjoy nature where they live.
You can use the funding to:
- start a new activity or continue an existing one
- help your organisation adapt to new challenges
- run one-off events that have a clear environmental benefit.
They’re looking to fund projects that:
- help people connect with and care for nature in their area
- make a positive difference to the environment
Additional information:
- You cannot apply if you already have an Awards for All grant.
- Suitable for Voluntary, statutory or community organisations, funding size £300 - £20,000. You must submit your application at least 16 weeks before you need the funding.
- If you're looking for more general funding for community projects, go to the National Lottery Awards for All England page.
Local Grants
- Rural England Prosperity Fund: £10,000 - £50,000 to support a range of community initiatives such as rural travel, improvements to local rural green spaces, rural circular economy projects, volunteering opportunities, digital projects or schemes that create a sense of local pride.
- Allotment Improvement Grant: Up to £10,000 in funding to support projects that enhance the productivity, sustainability, and social value of allotment spaces.
- Community Growing Grant: Up to £500 of funding, to be spent on any capital costs associated with setting up a Community Vegetable/Herb Growing Project, such as raised beds, gardening equipment, soil, and seeds.
- Community Chest Biodiversity Grant: Up to £2000 of grant funding available to voluntary and community sector groups, charities and public sector bodies wishing to further improve quality of life in South Cambridgeshire.
- Zero Carbon Communities Grant: £2,000 to £15,000 available for community groups and parish councils to complete projects that reduce carbon emissions, or increase community engagement.
- Electric vehicle Chargepoint Grant: Up to £12,000 towards the installation of a public EV charger.
- Community Chest Biodiversity Pot: Up to £2,000 for projects that create or improve habitats; plant native trees or hedgerows; install bat or bird boxes
- Glassmoor Local Environment Fund: a small grants fund available to groups in Whittlesey, Coates, Eastrea, Pondersbridge and Ramsey Mereside and the surrounding area to fund projects that improve the environment and enhance residents' knowledge of an environmental issue, including Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Water Efficiency, Wildlife, Waste and Transport.
Huntingdonshire District Council
- Community Chest Grant Scheme: community groups and organisations are invited to apply for projects which include those that help to lower carbon emissions.
- Anglian Water’s Thriving Communities Fund exists to empower groups in our region to improve their local environment and create positive social impact. It gives them the opportunity to drive change and tell us where money should be spent. Application for grants between £10,000 and £100,000 can be made. If you’d like to apply for a grant, please visit the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation (CCF) website.
Cambridgeshire Community Foundation administer several local funds, including those specific to local geographic areas.
National Funding Opportunities
Boiler Replacement Hardship Fund - Grants of up to £45k are available to cover the difference in cost between a low carbon heating solution, when compared to a replacement oil/gas heating system.
Energy Efficiency Sharematch - match funding support to invest in greener ways of operating your community business.
Energy Resilience Fund - finance to enable community businesses to retrofit energy generating or saving technology on community-owned or managed buildings, with an initial focus on stabilising or reducing energy costs.
The Stobart Sustainability Fund - a fund aimed at supporting community-led sustainability projects and initiatives lead by non-profit organisations, community groups and educational facilities, such as schools and colleges, to help them transform their local community through projects that tackle climate change, reduce carbon emissions or that protect and enhance the environment.
For State-funded education institutions - Workplace Charging Scheme
King Charles II Charitable Fund - A small grants programme dedicated to supporting UK-registered nonprofit organisations that make a meaningful difference in key areas such as social inclusion, health and wellbeing, education, environment, countryside, and heritage and conservation.
The Green Community Grants Programme from Wildlife Trusts -offers one-year flexible funding for not-for-profit groups in England, Scotland and Wales with an annual income between £10,000 and £1 million. Grants of up to £25,000 are available, groups can apply for no more than 25% of their annual income. To be eligible for funding, you must have been operating for a minimum of 12 months, and your organisation's main aims and objectives must fit with one of the two funding themes: Contributing to nature recovery and responding to the climate emergency or Improving nature-rich spaces and access to them. Funding can also be used for a wider range of sustainable activities, including recycling, litter picking, beach cleans or sustainable transport.