This section provides news of grant opportunities that come to our attention. It is by no means comprehensive and we advise you to contact GAVO or Monmouthshire CC's Sustainable Communities team for advice.

We are now providing a link to the Countryside Council for Wales' monthly Funding Newsletter. WCVA's sustainable funding website can be accessed here. Regeneration & Renewal' journal has an online version of its A-Z of funding which offers a comprehensive directory of the funding and finance available for regeneration. The Green Grants Machine provides information for companies here.

Here are some other links to useful sources of grants:

Environment Wales
Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust (up to £2,000 for local organisations)
Dulverton Trust (up to £25,000 for wildlife habitats)
Garfield Weston Foundation
HBOS Foundation (local grants of up to £10,000)
Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation (£200 - 5000)
Wakeham Trust (up to £750 for small community projects unable to find funds elsewhere)
Idlewild Trust (mainly historic buildings, but check for web site update)
Woodland Trust (up to £100 for community tree planting)
Ashden Trust (£1 - 20,000 for a variety of projects)
Jephcott Charitable Trust (£2 - 10,000 for projects with difficulty getting started or finding funding)
Conservation Foundation and O2 ('It's Your Community' - up to £10,000)
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
British Ecological Society
Country Land and Business Association (grants of about £2,500)
Naturesave Trust (small start-up research and conservation projects dealing with causes rather than effects
Triodos Bank (loans).

Ecosystems Fund
CCW is administering the Welsh Government's Ecosystems Resilience and Diversity Fund (ERD) exploring the ecosystems approach of Sustaining a Living Wales.  Application form and guidelines here; application window 8 May - 1 June 2012 for projects to be completed by 8 March 2013.
Added 10 May 12

AONB (and BBNP) Sustainable Development Fund
The Wye Valley AONB's Sustainable Development Fund provides grant aid for innovative, sustainable projects, which involve local communities.  The fund is primarily for practical, innovative schemes.  £70,000 is available in 2012/13 in the  Welsh section of the AONB - grants range from under £1,000 to £25,000, generally at 50% of cost.  Contact Sarah Sawyer at community@wyevalleyaonb.org.uk or 01600 710844.  The Brecon Beacons National Park has a similar scheme.
Added 1 May 12

Dragons Den
Overlooked this one, but there is still time.  The Green Dragon’s Den event will be running at Hay on Earth (5-9 June) for the third year, with up to £40,000 grant funding from Welsh Government available to help winning projects in Wales (up to £10,000 maximum for the winning project in each of the four categories). Each day has a different theme, featuring specialist speakers, practical workshops, networking, learning and action, with the opportunity to contribute ideas and help others develop theirs.  Projects should demonstrate one or more of the following elements: Introduce and prove new concepts that increase sustainability action; link projects, organisations and solutions in more effective ways; make inspired use of seed funding. You can bid to the Dragons in one of the following categories: 1. The Power of Youth - Under 25s; 2. Innovation for Sustainability; 3. Sustainable Work & Travel; 4. Sustainable Community Futures.  Email your completed application form to Darren Gibbs at TYF:
hay-on-earth@tyf.com by the close of play on Tuesday, 8 May 2012.
Added 30 Apr 12

CFAP Grants 2012/13
The Communities Facilities and Activities Programme (CFAP) supports voluntary organisations working within their communities with a capital only grant scheme.  Organisations seeking support will be required to show that the project will have a positive impact on the community concerned, responds to community needs, and is to be managed by a voluntary or community organisation.  Maximum grant £5,000.  Deadline 30 May 2012. Further information and application forms from Glenda Genner or Joanne Gillard at GAVO (01291 672352).
Added 24 Apr 12·       

Water Framework Directive Partnership Projects
Welsh Government have made £400k available to fund partnership projects working with Environment Agency Wales. The scheme aims to improve the ecology of the water environment targeting water bodies or protected areas that are failing to reach objectives under the WFD. Projects can target groundwaters, groundwater dependent wetlands, rivers, lakes, wetlands and coastal areas. Any non-profit organisation can express an interest to act as a delivery partner. Organisations are encouraged to submit joint proposals when combining their interests and capabilities will improve environmental outcomes.  This map shows priority areas in Monmouthshire.  Contact Jeremy Tanner - deadline for proposals 15 May 2012 (we only learned of this scheme yesterday, but suggest any interest in future rounds are also registered with the Agency now)
Added 19 Apr 12

Western Power Distribution Community Chest
£50,000 is available for communities in the Midlands, the South West and South Wales to help reduce their energy use. Grants are available to voluntary and community organisations located within the Western Power Distribution network area to provide simple but effective energy efficiency measures to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. Applications will be assessed as they are received. Applications will be accepted until the end of April 2012, or until the grant fund has all been awarded, whichever occurs first.
Added 31 Mar 12

Environment Wales Grants
Now is the time to contact Steven Bromley if you are thinking of applying for a grant in 2012-2013 from Environment Wales, and have not yet done so.  Environment Wales is now on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnvironmentWales; Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/EnviroWales; Blog: http:environmentwales.wordpress.com.
Added 31 Mar 12

Heritage Lottery Fund Small Grants
From April 2012, the maximum grant limit for Your Heritage applications is increasing form £50,000 to £100,000. The maximum grant limit for Young Roots applications is also increasing from £25,000 to £50,000. Young Roots projects can last up to two years (up from 18 months) and the age range widened to include young people from 11 - 25 years old (previously started at 13 years old). Also from April 2012, HLF will make decisions on Your Heritage and Young Roots applications at bi-monthly meetings. A full list on submission deadlines and decision meetings can be found here.  As always, if you have an idea for a heritage project HLF encourages seeking pre-application advice using the on-line portal.
Added 19 Feb 12

Free Solar Panels for Charities
Green energy company Freetricity has a £500m fund to install solar panels on the roofs of buildings, and is offering charities access to the first £100m. The company has partnered with investor LightSource Renewables to offer 800 buildings grants of up to £150,000 to install and maintain solar panels. As well as reducing carbon emissions the company claims that solar panels can save organisations up to £6,000 per year. For more information, please visit the Civil Society magazine website - it was launched in June on a first come, first served.
Added 24 Oct 11

Renewable Heat Premium Payments
The Government has launched the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme to help householders across the country with funding towards the cost of installing renewable heating systems. The new £15 million initiative will support up to 25,000 installations. Approximately 4 million householders in the UK do not have mains gas and have to rely on more expensive, higher carbon forms of heating, such as heating oil and electric fires. The scheme will mainly focus on these households. The following technologies will be available through the scheme: Ground Source Heat Pumps; Biomass Boilers;  Air Source Heat Pumps; Solar Thermal Hot Water Panels (the last available to all households). Householders can call 0800 512 012 or visit http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/RHPP. Grants will be available on a first come, first served basis and the scheme will close on 31 March 2012.
Added 24 Oct 11

Benefit from Ethical Energy
Local United has teamed up with a number of leading ethical energy suppliers (Good Energy, Cooperative Energy, Green Energy UK and Ecotricity) to offer community groups the chance to benefit financially from their members switching to one of these suppliers. This scheme allows every community to benefit from the link to these energy suppliers and to generate somewhere around £500 to £2,000 each year for their own aims without each community needing to negotiate an individual deal for themselves. They will work with each community group to provide marketing material and operational support to help them recruit their members to the scheme. To find out more and to register your community please visit http://www.localunited.net/community.
Added 24 Oct 11

Wetland Grants
The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) Living Wetlands programme provides awards to a range of multi-functional projects across the UK that contribute to the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), demonstrate sustainability of wetland habitats and ensure the safety of BAP priority species and habitats. An award of £1,500 is available to projects that demonstrate the sustainable use of wetland habitats. To be eligible for the award, project must: be based in the UK; be either a work in progress or complete; contribute to the delivery of priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species and habitat targets for wetlands; demonstrate sustainability and delivery of multiple benefits eg flood alleviation, wastewater treatment, recreation, eco-tourism, water resource security; ensure no priority BAP species or habitats are harmed by the project. The closing date for applications is 20 January 2012.
Added 24 Oct 11

New Grants for Heritage Projects
Rural communities in Monmouthshire are being encouraged to benefit from an exciting new project being delivered by the Village Alive Trust, in partnership with Monmouthshire County Council and adventa. Funded by the Welsh Government’s, Rural Development Plan for Wales, the project aims to preserve and enhance historic buildings in targeted conservation areas as well as promoting  smaller projects that bring Monmouthshire’s rich agricultural and industrial heritage to life. There are two grant schemes available and expressions of interest are now invited. The ‘Bring Your Village Alive’ grant scheme will provide grants of up to £40,000 to improve and renovate buildings and sites of historic significance in selected Conservation Areas - contact clairedovey-evans@monmouthshire.gov.uk (01633 644935 / 748311). The ‘Sense of Roots’ grant scheme provides capital grants up to £8,000 for rural heritage projects - contact bethangibbens@monmouthshire.gov.uk (01633 644840).
Added 6 Oct 11, updated 3 Nov 11

MCC Help for RE at Community Buildings
Monmouthshire County Council are introducing a loan scheme for community groups to borrow money for renewable energy schemes at a low interest rate (currently 4.5%), in return for a share of the net income from the Feed in Tariff. The council also has a 'rent-a-roof' scheme whereby community groups receive free energy from PV panels installed by the council plus a small income. For further information contact benwinstanley@monmouthshire.gov.uk (01633 644965), hazelclatworthy@monmouthshire.gov.uk (01633 644843 Mon/Tue) or alisonhoward@monmouthshire.gov.uk (01633 644844 Wed - Fri)
Added 6 Oct 11