Councillors

Locality budgets

Locality Budgets Grants will be open for application from the 27th May 2025.

Each of our County Councillors has an annual Locality Budget, of £8,000. Councillors can, if they wish, make grants to support projects or activities that benefit the communities they represent. The grant funding must be spent before the end of March 2026. Please be aware that these grants should be viewed as a funder of last resort.

Please be aware that your local councillor’s pledge is a preliminary agreement and should not be considered a commitment until the application has been fully processed and you have been informed of the outcome.

If your project involves highways-related items such as grit bins, signage, fixed street furniture, or verge ploughing, please contact one of the team for advice before proceeding with an application. You can call 01392 388135 or 01392 383666, or email Localitybudgets-mailbox@devon.gov.uk with project details. Projects that are highways-related need to involve the relevant neighbourhood highway officer.

How is data being used?

You can use our Power BI data dashboard to see how the budgets are being allocated. This tool lets you see where the funds are being spent, and which projects are benefiting. Since this is a new way for us to share this information, we welcome your feedback. Please email any comments to Localitybudgets-mailbox@devon.gov.uk

What are we able to fund?

Locality budget funding is available to projects that are beneficial to local communities and should be in line with the Council’s Strategic Plan which are:

  • improve health and wellbeing
  • help communities be safe, connected, and resilient
  • be ambitious for children and young people
  • support sustainable economic recovery
  • tackle poverty and inequality
  • respond to the climate emergency

All projects should have additional financial contributions, and/or local support.

We are unable to fund:

  • retrospective applications for projects or activities that have already been completed, or items that have been purchased
  • individuals or for-private-profit organisations
  • projects that are solely for the benefit of animals
  • projects that are in support of a single faith without wider community benefit – this includes fabric repairs to church buildings (also clock faces, bells), churchyards and cemetery walls​
  • projects or items that are the responsibility of another public body (for example, NHS, local authority)
  • projects that are delegating any acquired funds to third parties
  • ongoing yearly commitments
  • projects to reinstate funding relating to a reduction in a County Council service or activity arising from an earlier policy decision of the County Council or other public body, with some exceptions
  • political activities
  • salaries, wages, or expenses of persons employed by a not-for-private-profit organisation unless these are finite, sessional charges and do not imply any ongoing commitment
  • the costs of an outing, trip, holiday or excursion by an individual or group of people; with some exceptions for groups where learning and development will arise

We discourage applications from organisations targeting all members.

Who can apply?

We accept applications from:

  • Constituted, non-profit voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations
  • Town and parish councils
  • Charities
  • Unincorporated groups (who may need an eligible sponsor)
  • Businesses via an eligible sponsor
  • Collaborations of any of the above groups
  • School PTFA’s

Non-constituted groups without their own, separate bank account, small local businesses and individuals may apply but they will need to do so with the support of an accountable constituted organisation acting on their behalf as sponsor or guarantor and as the recipient of the grant. If you fall into this category, organisations that DCC would accept as guarantor or fund holder include:

  • town or parish councils
  • local community and voluntary services organisation (CVS)
  • village hall
  • another constituted local voluntary group that qualifies

Applying organisations should have:

  • a governing document appropriate to the recognised status of the organisation and which outlines clear charitable purposes and includes a dissolution clause or asset lock, for example, constitution, set of rules or articles of association
  • a management committee of at least 3 unconnected members, for example, trustees, directors, or management committee
  • annual accounts or financial records that clearly record annual income and expenditure breakdowns
  • a bank account in the name of the organisation and a minimum of two unconnected bank signatories, or equivalent
  • unrestricted reserves of less than 12 months running costs
  • up-to-date safeguarding policies in place to protect children, young people, and vulnerable adults, where appropriate to the project
  • up-to-date equality policy

How to apply

To apply for a locality budget fund, first contact your local county councillor. They must confirm their support before you complete the online application form. Note that the councillor’s support is provisional until your application is processed, and you receive the outcome.

Please note that you only need to make one application, even if you are seeking funding from multiple councillors for the same project. The form includes an option to list all the councillors you are requesting funding from. Just indicate the relevant names and specify the amount of funding you are seeking from each councillor

When filling out the application form, include a summary of the project, item, or activity for which you need funding. It is not necessary to explain the history of your organisation.

If you are seeking partial funding, make sure to provide the total cost of the project and indicate where the remaining funds will come from. The budget section requires a breakdown of different elements of your intended spending.

Provide as much detail as possible and itemise your costs so we can understand how the totals were calculated and how our funding relates to other support you may receive.

Successful applications may take up to 28 working days to process. Please keep this in mind when applying.

Additional information

As part of our assessment of your application, and to gain an understanding of your work, we may also look at:

  • your organisation’s records on Companies House or the Charity Commission
  • your website or social media or both
  • publicly available information about networks, partnerships or projects that you are part of

We will use the information you provide in your application, along with any additional information we review, to assess the governance, financial health, and diligence of your organisation. This ensures that our grant is being managed responsibly.

If you receive funding for your project, you will need to submit a Locality Budget Project Report detailing how your project went. The report should include:

  • How many people benefited from the funding
  • The impact of the funding on the organisation, beneficiaries, or both
  • Any challenges faced during the project or activity and how you overcame them
  • Positive stories resulting from the funding, including any GDPR-compliant publicity or photographs will need to be sent separately by email to localitybudgets-mailbox@devon.gov.uk

Please keep copies of related invoices and receipts for three years, as we may request them. We also reserve the right to ask for the return of part or all the grant if the project deviates from the fund’s aims without prior notification or if there are unspent funds.

If your application is unsuccessful, we may share it with other Devon funders who might be interested in your project. We will ask for your permission before doing so.

Full terms and conditions

The application form will require you to confirm that you have read, understood and agree to our terms and conditions.

However, there are some generic conditions that apply to all the grant schemes which your group or organisation project needs to be aware of. Read the Full Terms and Conditions – Communities 

You can also read about the information we collect.

If you need any more information, please contact locality.budgets@devon.gov.uk.