About the fund
The fund provides small grants to organisations who want to start new activities and events that benefit the local community.
The fund is for ‘not for profit’ community groups including:
- museums
- arts
- heritage
- physical activity
- sport
- play
We prioritise applications that supports residents and those groups that are marginalised, disadvantaged or hard to reach.
Find out more about Dorset communities from Dorset Insights.
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must:
- meet our criteria
- support us to meet our core priorities
- meet at least one of our cultural strategy outcomes and priorities
How much funding you’ll get
The fund is a small project grant, funding up to 80% of total project costs.
Grants are from £1,000 to £5,000.
As we expect demand for funding to be very high, the amount you’re awarded might be less than you apply for.
Key dates
Applications:
- applications open at 9am Monday 15 April 2024
- applications close at midnight Sunday 9 June 2024
Decisions:
- community decisions – week beginning 1 July 2024
- cultural decisions (heritage, arts, museums) – week beginning 29 July 2024
How to apply
Read our step by step guide on how to apply for the community and culture project fund. This tells you how to complete the online application and what documents you will need. You can apply online at the end of the guide.
Get help with your application
Help writing your application
The Arts Development Company can offer advice and support with your application if you:
- are new to writing applications for cultural projects
- have a good project idea but need help with developing it ready for funding
They also offer a bid writing service if you do not have the expertise within your organisation.
Email: hello@theartsdevelopmentcompany.org.uk
Phone: 01305 228528
Help to complete the online form
Call our Digital Dorset Hotline on 01305 221048 for help completing the online form.
They are available from 10am to 12 noon on weekdays (except bank holidays). At other times, please leave a message and they will get back to you.
Help with governance or policies
We will assess your organisation's policies and governance including safeguarding. Please make sure your policies are up to date.
If you need help with your governance, policies or how to make the case for your project, email Community Action Network (CAN) at hello@can100.org or visit the CAN website for more details of their support and training for the sector.
After you apply
Our grants team will assess your application and make recommendations for the grant panel. They then decide whether your application will be awarded funding.
Projects we’ve funded
We helped fund the In Jolly Good Company gardening group for people with dementia in Dorset, who help people find friendship and community.
The Magnificent Mills project highlights the positive impact cultural funding had in providing high quality art experiences for young people.
Watch a video about the Friendly Food Club project on YouTube.
Contact us
Contact us if you'd like to discuss your project ideas before applying:
- communities@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk (non-cultural applications)
- LeisureWDWP@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk (cultural applications)