Dorset Council Community Transport Grant 2026 to 2027

‘Not for profit’ community organisations in the Dorset Council area.

This includes:

• not for profit community transport organisations
• non-profit making organisations operated with no undue restriction on membership, for example charities
• town and parish councils
• voluntary organisations

We cannot fund:

• commercial providers (bus companies)
• schools, educational transport schemes
• individual transport providers - one-man bands/sole providers/privately run community taxis
• organisations that are not not-for-profit
• projects outside the Dorset Council area, i.e. Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and other surrounding areas
• projects which we believe could harm the reputation of Dorset Council
• projects which duplicate a service already commissioned by Dorset Council
• projects that cannot demonstrate financial need - proof of capital reserves may be asked for
• the purchase of a new lease or costs associated with renewing a lease
• day trips
• projects seeking funding for costs that are already funded by Dorset Council. This does not prevent applications for continuation, expansion or further development of previously funded projects, provided the application relates to new or unfunded expenditure
• taxi fares 

You can apply for either:

• a capital grant of up to £5,000 (20% match funding required)
• a revenue grant of up to £2,500 
• a larger revenue grant of up to £20,000 (20% match funding required)

Where match funding is required, applicants must provide a minimum contribution of 20% towards the total project cost. Match funding may be provided through the organisation's own resources or from external funding sources. You will need to give evidence of external funding before we can release our funding to you.

We expect demand for funding to be very high so we may award you less than you apply for.

For larger revenue grants of up to £20,000, the council will consider applications for projects that form part of a longer-term programme of activity lasting up to three years. This is intended to provide greater certainty for new or expanding services, recognising that community transport schemes often need time to become established and grow. Applicants should request funding for activity taking place during 2026/27 and include details of future phases of delivery through to 2028/29 within their application.

In exceptional circumstances, Dorset Council may consider applications above £20,000 where applicants can demonstrate significant strategic benefits, strong value for money, and alignment with Dorset Council's transport priorities. These applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and may be subject to additional requirements.

You will be asked to sign a standard grant agreement with full details of your grant award, including any terms and conditions.

You will be required to submit a progress report after 3 months.

Applications will be open for six week from the beginning of September 2026. You can apply at any time during this period. 

You will be asked for copies of the following documents during your application:

• short report on expenditure and outcomes
• copy of Public Liability Insurance (min £5 million cover)
• copy of employers/volunteers Liability Insurance
• copy of your organisations most recent approved or verified accounts (within the last 12 months)
• copies of your organisations last three bank statements (clearly showing the account name, account number and sort code)
• copy of your organisations safeguarding policy
• copy of your organisations GDPR policy

Before completing the application, please read the full terms and conditions.

Applications close at midnight on 20 October 2026

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We will shortlist, review and make recommendations for funding via our transport panel.

There will be a panel for each funding amount that will consider applications from the voluntary and community sector.

The panel will have at least 3 officers (one acts as the panel chair) and the portfolio holder for Transport. These officers all have expertise and knowledge of Dorset’s community and transport sector.

Applications will be screened by each member of their respective grants panel to ensure fairness.

Where a conflict of interest occurs, the relevant officer/representative will not take part in the assessment and the conflict of interest will be recorded.

Councillors will be able to comment and offer feedback on specific projects in their ward through a ‘councillor feedback ‘form which is linked to the online application form.

The panel will assess each application against the fund criteria. Decisions are made by a majority vote. Where there is no majority, our portfolio holder for Transport will have the deciding vote. The panel decision is final.

If an applicant withdraws their application after the panel decision has been made, the chair, in consultation with the other panel members, can agree to award the grant to another applicant.

Any decision to amend the award if the project or organisation has changed, or new information comes to light that affects the application, will be considered by the grants officer/manager and panel chair, in consultation with other panel members as appropriate.

Successful applicants will agree to the following conditions:

• that they will use the grant only for the purpose specified on the application form
• the grant will be for use by the applicant group only
• do not progress with the expenditure of the grant until the grant agreement has been signed and any grant conditions met
• must have or be prepared to set up a bank account in the groups’ name, with a minimum of two signatories
• provide a short report on expenditure and outcomes
• provide a copy of Public Liability Insurance (min. £5 million cover)
• provide a copy of Employers Liability (if appropriate)
• provide a copy of last 12 months approved/audited accounts for group
• provide a copy of last 3 bank statements (within last 12 months)
• provide a copy of Safeguarding Policy
• provide a copy of GDPR statement / Policy
• Dorset Council reserves the right to recall the grant in the event of breach of conditions or unsatisfactory performance or to recall unspent monies
• use the Dorset Council logo in publicity and promotional material in relation to the funded project
• Dorset Council reserve the right to use information about the group and its project for publicity and promotional purposes
• the group must agree to any further conditions required by Dorset Council at the time of awarding the grant
• any funds awarded will only be released when the grants panel are confident that all other funding is in place and any terms and conditions have been met
• if for any reason you find that external funding applied for is unsuccessful you must contact us immediately to discuss how this will impact on your original application
• applicants will be asked to sign a standard grant agreement with full details of their grant award including terms and conditions
• applicants will need to demonstrate and evidence that their project is needed and that the intended beneficiaries of the project have been involved and consulted with
• decisions made by our grants panel are final. There is no appeals process
• we reserve the right to make changes to the guidance and/or programme after its launch. We will communicate any changes as quickly as we can
• in some cases, it may not be possible to award the full amount requested by the applicant. If this is the case a ‘partial’ award may be offered
• the applicant will be responsible for grant monitoring including grant spend
• all organisations will need to submit an 'End of Project Report'

After receipt of grant monies the applicant group will agree to:

• spend the grant within 6 months of the receipt of offer letter
• provide financial breakdown of how the grant has been spent
• contact the council should your organisations circumstances change and seek written permission for any changes to how the grant is used

Additional Terms and Conditions for larger revenue grants of up to £20,000

In addition to the standard grant terms and conditions, applicants applying for larger revenue grants of up to £20,000 must agree to the following:

• funding must be used solely for the purposes described in the approved application and award letter
• applicants must submit a detailed project plan outlining the proposed activity, delivery timescales, target beneficiaries, expected outputs and intended outcomes
• projects must demonstrate how they will develop, expand or improve community transport provision and support the objectives of Dorset's Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP)
• applicants must demonstrate how the funded activity will provide long-term benefits and contribute to the sustainability of community transport services beyond the grant funding period
• applications may include pilot projects or form part of a wider programme of work lasting up to three years. Any future phases of delivery and associated funding requirements must be identified within the application. Any future funding will be subject to further discussion, the availability of funding and Dorset Council approval processes
• applicants must provide a minimum of 20% match funding towards the total project cost. Match funding may be provided through the organisation's own resources, partner contributions, fundraising, sponsorship or other eligible funding sources
• successful applicants must provide quarterly monitoring reports detailing project progress, expenditure, passenger numbers (where applicable), service usage and progress against agreed outcomes
• grant recipients must collect and provide any additional data reasonably requested by Dorset Council to support BSIP monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements
• Dorset Council must be notified in writing of any significant changes to the project, including changes to delivery arrangements, project scope, timescales, budget or anticipated outcomes. Written approval must be obtained before such changes are implemented
• grant recipients must maintain appropriate financial records and retain evidence of expenditure, including invoices and receipts, for a minimum of six years following completion of the project
• grant recipients must participate in any monitoring, evaluation, review or audit activity reasonably requested by Dorset Council
• Dorset Council funding and, where applicable, Local Authority Bus Grant 2026-27 funding must be acknowledged in publicity, promotional materials and communications relating to the funded project
• any unspent funding must be returned to Dorset Council unless otherwise agreed in writing
• Dorset Council reserves the right to withhold, reduce or recover all or part of the grant where:
  • funding is not used for the approved purpose
  • monitoring or financial information is not provided when requested
  • the project is not delivered as approved
  • grant conditions are not met
  • significant unspent funds remain at project completion