Community Grants for 2025/26

We are pleased to announce our Grant scheme programme for 2025/26.

Grant Scheme	Total budget available	Launch dates 2025/26 *
Everyone Active Grant Scheme	£50,000	1 April – 26 May 2025
Capital Grant Scheme	£320,000	2 June – 25 July 2025
Performing Arts Grant Fund	£60,000	28 July – 5 September 2025
Councillor Community Grant Scheme	£270,000	18 August – 5 December 2025
Community Infrastructure Levy Grant Fund	£750,000	January 2026

* Please note, these dates are provisional and subject to change.

Funding advice session – Wednesday 7 May, Holton Village Hall, Holton

Do you need funding for a project and don’t know what’s available, whether you meet the eligibility criteria, and what you need in place before applying?

South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) in partnership with Oxfordshire Community Voluntary Action (OCVA), Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) and the National lottery, are holding a funding advice session on Wednesday 7 May at Holton Village Hall, to answer your questions and give you some pointers on how to write a strong grant application. OCVA will also be on hand to advise on how to attract and manage volunteers.

*Please note appointments with OCVA, OCF and the National Lottery are now fully booked, however appointments are still available to discuss South Oxfordshire District Council Community Grants. If you would like to be added to the reserve list for OCVA/ OCF or National Lottery please indicate on your booking form. If you would like to attend, please consider which organisations you’d like to talk to using the links above to find out what each organisation has on offer. Then download and complete this booking form and email it to grants@southandvale.gov.uk to book a slot between 1pm – 4.30pm.

Places are limited to eight for organisations who want to see all four funders: SODC, OCF/OCVA and the National Lottery. However, there are many more places available to seek advice on South Oxfordshire District Council grants schemes.

Click here for details on how to get to Holton Village Hall, Holton, OX33 1PR

If you are unable to attend, and would like funding advice from any of the organisations please contact:

South Oxfordshire District Council for council grant schemes, we are happy to book a phone call or Teams meeting another time via grants@southandvale.gov.uk

Oxfordshire Community Voluntary Action via admin@ocva.org.uk, or if you have specific enquiries relating to volunteering please email vol@ocva.org.uk

Oxfordshire Community Foundation via ocf@oxfordshire.org

The National Lottery via their website https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

Everyone Active Grant Scheme – now open

Do you have a project that could improve the health and wellbeing of our residents or provide high-quality active opportunities in one of our communities? We have a budget of £50,000 available annually for our voluntary sector who support communities to become more active and sustain activities.

Fund for nature recovery projects – now open

Do you have a project that could increase biodiversity and encourage public access to green spaces in the district. We have a fund of £50,000 to support community nature recovery projects.

Councillor Community Grant Scheme – opening August 2025

Is your organisation looking for funding for a small capital project, or a one-off revenue project? Each South Oxfordshire district councillor has £7,500 to award to projects or services that offer community benefits in their ward area, budget permitting.  We are particularly keen to fund projects of greatest impact for residents, such as activities that protect and restore our natural world, promote action on the climate emergency and improve economic and community well-being.

Revenue Grant Scheme 2025-2027 – closed

This scheme closed for applications midday Friday 1 November 2024.

Are you a voluntary sector organisation looking for core revenue funding to deliver services/activities that will directly benefit and meet a clearly identified need for South Oxfordshire residents?

We will favour organisations who are actively exploring partnership/joint working with other voluntary organisations, businesses or the public sector and/or other methods to help them to become more financially sustainable and have a greater impact in the communities they serve.

Please contact the community enablement team if you need any help with one of the above schemes or your application grants@southandvale.gov.uk or call 01235 422405.

You can find out more about the grants awarded up to October 2024 in the download below

If you’d like further information about the grants awarded or completed, please contact the team on 01235 422405 or email grants@southandvale.gov.uk

Business support

If you are a business that has applied for a government business grant or want information about the schemes available then please contact the South and Vale Business Support team  by emailing business.support@southandvale.gov.uk. 

Other types of council and partnership funding

• Disabled Facilities Grants – funding for home adaptations (please contact the Disabled Facilities Grant team on 01235 422436 for more information)
• Business rates relief – how to apply for a reduction in your business rates
• Energy saving grants – helping you make your home more energy-efficient
• Home improvement loans – support for changes to your home
• Berinsfield Health and Wellbeing Grant – for organisations looking to develop projects to support the health and wellbeing of residents in Berinsfield.
• We work with Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA), who support voluntary and community organisations in throughout the county. They offer all kinds of advice, including sources of funding and getting fit to fund.

External funding opportunities

• Community Ownership Fund – Government funding to help communities take ownership of community assets at risk of closure.  Detailed funding guidance, eligibility criteria and expression of interest form is via the Government website Further information can be found online via the My Community Website.

• Smokefree Oxon – The Public Health team at Oxfordshire County Council have launched a Smokefree Community Fund in which voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (e.g, district and parish councils, charities, schools, leisure centres, community groups, etc.) can apply for funding between £150-£1000 to create smoke-free spaces or hold smoke-free events. If you would like to apply for this funding, please email smokefreeoxon@oxfordshire.gov.uk to begin the application process.

How we use your data and why

Please read more about how we may use your information and your rights, including those about accessing your records, by downloading our Community Enablement team’s Privacy Notice