Essex Cycle Grant - Active Essex

The Essex Cycle Grant is provided by Active Essex and Essex County Council to support organisations throughout the county engage with more people to get them cycling. This can range from those needing support learning to ride or accessing a bike, to those who’re more confident wanting to explore more of Essex on two wheels. We want to increase local, inclusive cycling opportunities and target those who aren’t regular cyclists, or are new to cycling, to regularly take part. The money can be used to start up new activities or increasing the numbers attending existing activities.

Please read all of the points below before downloading the application form at the bottom of this page.

Funding Criteria:

The Essex Cycle grant aims to fund long term sustainable projects that require none or very little funding from the Essex Cycle Grant after a period of 1-5 years (dependent on the scale of the project), to enable them to be self-sufficient in the long-term.

The Essex Cycle grant can fund 100% of project costs in the first year (within maximum grant fund budget set). We may offer continuation grants in future years if your project is successful and requires additional funding to continue. This will be at reduction of 25% of your total project costs each year.

There is no limit on how much you can apply for, although we expect the average award to be £3,000 so the grant can reach as many organisations and people as possible. The grant is for organisations who are willing and able to take immediate action to reach people who can benefit from cycling. We would also like organisations to consider how the grant could support a Safer, Greener Healthier Essex, making it as easy, safe and fun as possible for people in Essex to travel more sustainably. Applications that are focused on the key funding priorities below are more likely to receive an award.

Funding priorities:

We will prioritise applications that are targeted projects to help diversifying the target audience who typically engage in cycling. As well as projects that normalise cycling as a regular, inclusive, everyday activity for all people from all backgrounds.

We will prioritise applications that engage:

Older people
People living with a disability or a long-term health condition
Ethnically diverse communities
People living with poor mental health
Low Socio-Economic Groups
Women
Rural communities

Essex is one of the largest counties in England – both in terms of area and population – with a diverse make-up from the rural north of the county to the urban developments of the Thames Gateway. To treat Essex as a homogeneous whole is to ignore the significant variation in wealth, health and environment between our different communities. Through the levelling up Essex agenda, areas of Basildon, Brentwood, Canvey Island, Chelmsford, Colchester, Rural Braintree, Tendring and Harlow have been highlighted as areas of focus, therefore more priority will be given to projects being delivered in these areas.

Who and what we will fund:

We will fund any organisation that can offer appropriate cycling support and activities, especially for residents who may now be less active due to the pandemic.

We can fund anything from instructors, premises, equipment, marketing and promotion.

Funding requires recipient bodies to have a recognised constitution in place.

The funds cannot be used for:

Activities promoting religious or political beliefs
Individuals
Any private businesses or profit-making organisations unless they are a Social Enterprise or Community Interest Company,
Sole traders

Applications on behalf of workplace cycling initiatives and school-based projects will be considered. School based projects should be delivered out of curriculum time, however, our children and young person lead, may signpost you to more appropriate funding where necessary.

Applying:

We don’t require any supporting documents to be submitted with your application, but we will require proof of a safeguarding policy if you are successful with your application and work with children, young people, or vulnerable adults.

Please relate your application to the fund priorities and let us know how many less active people you plan to engage and who they are. Tell us how much money you need and what it will be spent on. If you have any questions before you apply, please contact the Sustainable Travel Planning team: travelplanteam@essex.gov.uk

*Please note that the panel for reviewing Essex Cycle Grant applications meet on the 1^st Thursday of every month. We ask that applications are received 1 week prior to this, however, applications received after this date will be reviewed at the next monthly panel meeting. Feedback on outcome will be communicated with the project lead as soon as possible after this meeting.

Apply here

Download the guidance notes

To take a look at previous schemes/projects which have been funded through the Essex Cycle Grant, click here.

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