We have tried to make our application process as simple and transparent as possible. There is just one stage, with a single form for our grant.
If you wish to apply, please complete our funding request form, briefly outlining why your work is needed and effective.
The Chamber of Commerce executive committee agrees on the amount available for grants in the first quarter of the year and accepts applications throughout the year. Once chosen charities can expect to receive an outcome within three months of decision, but occasionally it can take slightly longer.
Guidelines for applying for a grant
These guidelines are designed to assist charities requesting funding from Uckfield Chamber of Commerce. Please read them carefully before you begin your application.
Who we are and What we fund
The Uckfield Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit member organisation made up of over 200 local businesses and charitable organisations. Our executive committee has decided to use any surplus money raised in the year through regular Chamber of Commerce activities to support local charities with small grants.
Uckfield Chamber of Commerce award grants via application to UK registered charities working in or based within either TN22 or BN8 postcode areas or outside of this geography if they are a Chamber of Commerce member. All funding requests must be submitted through our online application form.
We prioritise charities that
- Identify and demonstrate a specific need or issue, and show how it will be addressed
- Deliver practical work that achieves lasting change
- Are clear about the scale and scope of the work being proposed – what will be delivered? Who will benefit & how?
- Describe how work will be monitored and evaluated
- Have a proven track record, or evidence of why they are well placed to carry out this work
- Take a safe and effective approach when involving volunteers and mentors
- Demonstrate that they have considered safeguarding issues and implemented strong safeguarding policies
- Seek to ensure that the charity’s financial position is sustainable, and are not over-reliant on any single source of income
- Have a realistic budget in relation to the scale and scope of their activities
- Manage their finances prudently and hold unrestricted reserves that are within their reserves policy.
Our exclusions
- Applications not submitted through our online application form
- Organisations that are not UK registered charities (we do not fund unconstituted community groups or CICs)
- Charities with an annual income of more that £250,000
- Activities taking place outside of TN22 or BN8 post code areas
- Applications that will benefit only one person, including scholarships or bursaries
- Charities that have applied to us in the last 12 months
- Work that has already taken place
Our funding
Our small grant size can vary although typically, we tend to offer no more than £2,000 for a single application.
We try to be open and efficient and ask in return that charities treat our team considerately. We have a zero-tolerance approach to applicants who harass or are disrespectful towards our team.
We confirm all grants by email. We aim to provide funding with as few strings attached as possible. Our grants come with a set of simple terms and conditions. The terms and conditions, along with any additional requirements will be detailed in your grant email. You will be asked to formally accept these terms and conditions online when you provide your bank details.
We generally make our payments by bank transfer between 4-8 weeks after the grant has been awarded and will ask grantees to provide recent proof of the charity’s bank account. Prompt receipt of this information helps us make payments more quickly.
If a project we have awarded funding to is subsequently found not to be viable, you must contact us to let us know and seek approval before reallocating our grant to another purpose.
We have no publicity requirements but are happy to be named in charity donor lists, such as in annual reviews. Please get in touch if you wish to highlight the Uckfield Chamber of Commerce in any other way.
What we look for in an application
Clear applications are more compelling. Please avoid jargon or buzzwords. Please tell us the needs / issues that the project or charity addresses, how you intend to tackle these, and why you think your approach will work. It is also important for us to know the scope and scale of your work (specifically what will be delivered, who will benefit, and how), the time it will take, whether the charity has considered potential risks, and how you will measure success. Please provide comparative information that puts statistics in context, facts and figures should be supported by references.
Our assessment process
Acknowledgement on receipt of a completed request; you will receive an email acknowledgement. After that, you may not hear from us again until you receive a decision. All correspondence is sent to the email address on the application form, so please double check that you have inputted this correctly and let us know straight away if you need to make any changes by emailing secretary@uckfieldchamber.co.uk so we can update our records.
Assessment
An annual grant fund will be split into two tranches with decisions in April and November; once chosen charities can expect to receive an outcome within 6-8 weeks although occasionally it can take slightly longer. In a Business Awards year (we hold these in alternate years) two charities will be chosen by the executive committee to become beneficiaries of the Awards evening fundraising which the chamber will, at least, match fund.
We may request an informal video call with charities as part of the assessment process. There is no need to prepare a presentation for these meetings. We ask that a maximum of two people attend from the charity.
Outcome: unsuccessful applications
We will notify you by email if your funding request has not been successful. Sometimes an email can be diverted to ‘junk’. If you are expecting an outcome, please check your spam filter before contacting us. We are unable to always offer specific feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
Outcome: successful applications
Successful applicants will receive an email informing them of our executive committees’ decision. If your charity is awarded a grant, you will be asked to send us your charity’s bank account details by completing our Bank Detail Form. You will also be asked to upload a copy of a recent bank statement and provide online confirmation that you accept our standard Terms and Conditions on behalf of your charity.
Monitoring report
We do not have a formal monitoring report requirement. That said, it would be great to hear from successful applicants on the work undertaken and how you have done against the projected outcomes specified in your original application. If there is anything else you would like to share with us at this stage, including any comments about our grant application process, please do get in touch.