East Lindsey Investment Fund (ELIF) GRASSroots launched across East Lindsey

Staff and Trustees at Lincolnshire Community Foundation (LCF) in conjunction with East Lindsey District Council are pleased to announce that applications are now open for the ELIF GRASSroots Grant Scheme available to charities, community groups, social enterprises, Parish & Town Councils etc. in East Lindsey District to invest in and/or restore existing community facilities and spaces and to encourage pride of place.

The ELIF GRASSroots Grant Scheme follows the successful investment of over £2 million across the South East Lincolnshire Councils partnership area through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Rural England Prosperity Fund and East Lindsey Community Reserve. This includes over £1 million in East Lindsey across 66 projects. Additional funding has now been made available through the East Lindsey Investment Fund –a bold £10 million Fund from East Lindsey District Council’s own resources being invested into 4 distinct target areas: community development, promoting the visitor economy, business support and boosting the attractiveness of East Lindsey District.

Funding is open to capital and revenue projects and activities supporting the community development target area of the ELIF. Prospective projects should address themes identified by East Lindsey residents as well as one or more key funding priorities including the renovation or revitalisation of community facilities; community projects that look to improve community cohesion, support core strength of community organisations or assist younger or older people; activities that develop community-level arts, cultural and heritage programmes or work to improve the energy efficiency of community buildings (not including the installation of solar panels).

The first deadline for receipt of complete applications and supporting documentation is 21st February 2025, however further closing dates of 13th June 2025, 10th October 2025 are proposed for groups who need time to formulate ideas and consult on these with local people. Further dates will be announced in due course subject to the availability of funding. Any project proposed must be able to spend, complete work and report on said work by the 31stAugust 2026.

Bids of up to £24,999 are welcomed. Applicants should have any planning requirements and quotations for work in place before submitting a bid, and are encouraged to identify match funding as demand may be high. Payment to successful applicants is usually made in arrears, however, where financial resources aren’t in place to cover project costs, this may be made in advance, or in staged payments.

The Grants team would encourage applicants to review the Grant’s criteria on the Guidelines and Application Form on the Foundation’ s website at https://lincolnshirecf.co.uk/grants/elif/. The application process is straightforward, and help is available every step of the way from our Grants Team.

Cavan Collins and Hayley Crawford, Grants Managers at Lincolnshire Community Foundation say: “We are excited the Foundation has again been trusted to distribute substantial funding through this extension of the GRASSroots Scheme. The impact felt through previous iterations of the Programme has been immense and we look forward to working with East Lindsey District Council and grassroots organisations in East Lindsey through the ELIF GRASSroots Scheme to support community-led initiatives which will propel East Lindsey forward inline with the priorities of ELIF.”

To apply, or for more information, contact the ELIF Team at Lincolnshire Community Foundation at [email protected] or telephone 01529 572575.