Combined Members Grant

Applications for a Combined Member Grant closed early this financial year due to the 2025 county council elections. Applications closed on 15 November 2024. Contact members.desk@kent.gov.uk for any assistance.

Every year we help community projects across Kent by using the Combined Members Grant to fund them. Funding is divided equally across Kent's 12 districts.

About the grant

The grant is divided equally across Kent. Each county councillor can award £3,600 in grants. These grants can support a lot of different activities, including:

local events and activities
purchase or repair of equipment and furniture
promotional materials
marketing and training costs
website creation and redesign
small-scale pilot projects
community safety schemes
sports projects
mentoring support to assist local groups to become more sustainable.

Any application should support and endorse the corporate objectives of our policy document Framing Kent's Future.

Application guidance

Who can apply

All groups and organisations who are properly constituted and have a current bank account can apply for projects that benefit local communities.

If you are a:

county councillors, you may jointly support a project where it benefits more than one area or community
schools or an academy you may apply for funding towards projects that support wider community benefit
religious group, you must show that the project will bring wider community benefit.

If you're unsure if you are eligible, check with your local county councillor or email Members.Desk@kent.gov.uk to ask.

Who can't apply

individuals (10 or less people)
party political groups or political activities. This includes any parish council (or group of), district councils or Kent County Council where any grant would challenge or oppose the democratic functions of that local government. Or where such grants would we deemed to risk the reputational standing of Kent County Council.
church or faith groups who are using the grant to promote religious activity.
schools and academies cannot apply for funds towards capital building costs, teaching materials or curriculum delivery
businesses/companies which do no reinvest surpluses for community benefit
voluntary and community organisations who have a turnover of over £100,000 if seeking replacement funding for a project previously funded by us.

The grant is a one-off. There is no funding for any future costs.

Before you apply

You must contact your local county councillor(s) before applying.

You can't use this grant to replace any other funding you may currently get from us or have received from us in the past, including a service level agreement. Schools and academies may apply but it cannot be used to support statutory curriculum delivery or teaching materials.

You must use the grants for the reason stated in your application form.

Apply

Applications closed on 15 November 2024.

We will respond to your application within 2 weeks to let you know we have received it and it is being processed. Grants are awarded on an ongoing basis and you can apply throughout the financial year, until the funding is spent.

After you apply

Once you have completed your application:

the relevant local county councillor(s) and Member Hub Service team member will discuss your application
if it is agreed, the application is sent to a cabinet member who must agree and formally approve it.

If the local county councillor is formally involved with your organisation, or the project, we must seek approval from the other local county councillors in that district. This may delay any decision.

Once the application is approved by the cabinet member, a formal offer letter or email will be sent to you. This will include:

the terms of the grant
how to accept the grant and let us know your bank details
what you need to do to monitor the progress of your project.

We aim to pay the grant into your account no more than 28 days after receiving your acceptance form. If you do not return the acceptance form to us by the date given, we may give the money to another organisation.

Past grant spending

How funding has been allocated to community organisations: