The Newcastle Fund

The Newcastle Fund is the Council’s primary grant giving programme for VCS organisations

The Fund was introduced in 2011 and replaced a number of different grant aid programmes across the Council.  It provides monies to voluntary and community sector organisations based in the City for project-specific running costs or core costs.

Newcastle Fund Round 10 is now closed

Applications closed on12 noon on the 21st August 2019.

About the Fund

The Fund aims to support Newcastle residents to build sustainable community resources. To do this, it grants financial support to VCS organisations to pilot, expand or diversify important community activity. The Council recognises that active citizens are at the heart of community activity and so The Newcastle Fund supports projects which use the skills, local knowledge and expertise of people as assets to design solutions which:

• build community resilience
• improve individuals' resilience
• improve wellbeing and health

By supporting projects which harness the power of community assets, the Fund can respond to the unique needs of communities and empower residents to achieve lasting change.

You can find out more about the aims and priorities of the Fund in The Newcastle Fund Round 10 Prospectus .

Available funding

Projects can apply for up to a maximum of £50,000 per year, for up to 3 years. Multi-year funding is usually awarded in exceptional circumstances, where projects have successfully demonstrated a multi-year funding rationale, shown improvements over the course of the project and shown consecutive reduction in the amounts of funding requested.

Eligibility

The Newcastle Fund is available to constituted VCS organisations, registered charities and social enterprises. Funded activity must take place in Newcastle and benefit Newcastle residents. 

Please note the Newcastle Fund will NOT support:

• organisations that are not constituted voluntary and community organisations, registered charities, or social enterprises
• activity outside the Newcastle City Council area or activity which targets beneficiaries who are not Newcastle residents
• costs or activities outside of the period of award
• costs associated with submitting an application
• organisations which do not have an organisational bank account

Read The Newcastle Fund guidance notes for more information.

How to apply

All applications must be submitted online.

Apply for Funding

The Newcastle Fund - Small Pledges for Big Impact

The Newcastle Fund has launched a small pledge fund for 2018/19 as part of Tyneside Crowd, a crowdfunding platform. The Newcastle Fund - Small Pledges for Big Impact is designed to provide small, speedy pledges to Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) projects in Newcastle. 

Pledges of up to £1,000 are available for projects that engage local communities in improving their own and others' wellbeing and reduce inequalities. These projects can be for people, buildings or spaces – as long as they add real value to their communities. For more information visit Tyneside Crowd.

Measuring the Fund's impact

The Newcastle Fund Annual Report 2017-18  and The Newcastle Fund Annual Report 2016-17 describe how the Fund has benefited Newcastle’s residents and communities over the last year, and share information on projects funded and outcomes achieved.

The Newcastle Fund 2016 review

In September 2016, the Council launched its Call for Evidence - Shaping the Future of The Newcastle Fund to gather views and ideas on how the Newcastle Fund should look in the future. You can read a summary of feedback  here. Findings from the engagement phase, along with the Council’s broader commitments to cooperative working, were then used to inform a  Change Consultation Proposal - which was published during March and April 2017. You can read a summary of the Change Proposal feedback here.

The Council concluded its review with The Newcastle Fund Position Statement, to help stakeholders understand what the Fund's direction of travel may mean for them, and to enable an ongoing dialogue about the Fund's future.

Ward Committee Grant Aid

In addition to the Newcastle Fund, the Council devolves funding for neighbourhood level projects to our ward committees, where decisions on funding are taken  by elected Councillors. Small projects which are focused on specific neighbourhoods should consider an application to the relevant ward committee, rather than to the Newcastle Fund. Further information can be found on the Grants and Funding web page.

Feedback and contact

We are committed to regularly evaluating our Newcastle Fund process to make sure it is effective. If you have any comments about the process, please let us know by emailing newcastlefund@newcastle.gov.uk.
If you have any general enquires about applying to the Newcastle Fund, please contact Heather Rothwell on 0191 2115869 or email newcastlefund@newcastle.gov.uk.