Ceredigion County Council website

1. Funding guidance 

Ceredigion County Council is inviting applications for revenue funding that supports local action to prevent poverty, strengthens community resilience and provides emergency food support. Applications must support at least one of the two priorities listed in Section 2. 

Key information 

• Maximum grant: £5,000. 
• Application deadline: 9am on Monday 2 November 2026. 
• We aim to notify applicants of the outcome by Monday 9 November 2026. 
• All funded activity and expenditure must be completed by 31 March 2027. 
• This application round is for revenue funding only. 

Requests above £5,000: If you would like to request more than £5,000 and are confident that the funding can be fully spent by 31 March 2027, contact Teleri Davies (details above) before applying. Requests above £5,000 will be considered individually and are not guaranteed. 

What is revenue funding?
Revenue funding covers the day-to-day costs of delivering an activity or service. Examples include staffing, volunteer expenses, food, consumable supplies, venue hire, training, outreach, transport and publicity. 

Not eligible through this application round: capital items, for example, major equipment, vehicles, building works or other assets expected to last for more than one year. 

Who can apply?
Applications are welcomed from voluntary and community organisations, town and community councils, registered charities, social enterprises, housing associations, schools and other not-for-profit or public sector organisations delivering activities that benefits people and communities in Ceredigion. 

Who can’t apply?
Unfortunately, this funding is not available to private sector organisations or businesses, groups that don’t have a formal governance structure (e.g. a constitution or governing document or groups that don’t have a bank account set up in the name of their group that requires two signatories. 

2. Funding priorities 

You may apply under one priority or both. If your proposal covers both priorities, please clearly separate the activities and costs for each priority in your application. 

Priority 1: Wider Poverty Prevention 

The aim is to prevent poverty, strengthen financial resilience and reduce repeated reliance on crisis support. Funding may be used to: 

• develop or improve inclusive community spaces; 
• provide or improve access to financial, debt, welfare, housing or employment advice; 
• improve support relating to fuel poverty, food poverty, health and well-being or digital inclusion; 
• develop cash-first approaches, voucher schemes or cash-card schemes; 
• strengthen community resilience and reduce repeated need for emergency food support; 
• support local food-growing initiatives; 
• train volunteers, for example in food hygiene, welfare benefits awareness, mental health awareness, digital skills or financial inclusion signposting; and 
• support testing, learning, capacity-building or start-up costs where there is a clear plan for longer-term sustainability. 

Priority 2: Emergency Food Aid 

The aim is to strengthen local emergency food provision and increase capacity to support people experiencing food poverty. Funding may support: 

• food banks and food pantries; 
• social supermarkets; 
• community cafés and lunch clubs; 
• community cookery activities; 
• sustainable community food hubs; 
• additional good-quality food and essential goods; 
• targeted outreach; 
• volunteer training; and 
• links between food support and wider welfare, money, housing or other advice services. 

Preventative approach: Emergency food proposals should include advice, referral, signposting or another preventative element wherever possible, helping people address the underlying causes of food poverty. 

Important: Funding should supplement existing provision. It should not become the main source of funding for an existing service or the principal source of food for redistribution. 

Rural communities
We particularly welcome proposals that improve access to support in rural communities. Where relevant, explain: 

• the rural need or barrier the proposal will address; 
• how people will access the activity; 
• whether transport, distance, digital exclusion or rural isolation is an issue; 
• how the proposal will strengthen community resilience; and 
• what could be learned about delivering effective support in rural areas. 

How applications will be assessed 

• fit with one or both funding priorities; 
• evidence of local need and expected benefit for people in Ceredigion; 
• the extent to which the activity prevents poverty or reduces repeated reliance on crisis support; 
• value for money and a clear, reasonable budget; 
• ability to deliver and spend the funding by 31 March 2027; 
• partnership working and avoidance of duplication; 
• accessibility, equality and Welsh-language considerations; 
• sustainability or longer-term benefit; and 
• ability to monitor activity and demonstrate impact. 

Funding is limited. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee an award.