Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations to improve cultural facilities that are located within the vicinity of a Biffa Operation or Biffa Landfill site for the benefit of local communities.
Biffa Award money comes from Landfill Tax Credits, reclaimed from the Government through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF). The scheme is regulated by ENTRUST, which ensures that the tax credit is awarded and managed according to Government regulations.
Biffa Award’s Main Grants Scheme is aimed at community and cultural groups and organisations, situated in the vicinity of landfill sites, that are in need of funding to improve the quality of life in their community or to conserve wildlife.
There are four themes – Community Buildings, Cultural Facilities, and Rebuilding Biodiversity and Recreation – each is reported on separately.
Part of the Biffa Award’s Main Grants Scheme, the Cultural Facilities theme aims to improve recreation, interest and education. The funding is for projects located within five miles of a significant Biffa Operation or within 10 miles of an active Biffa Landfill site in England or Northern Ireland.
Grants of between £10,000 and £75,000 are available.
The total cost of the project must be less than £200,000, inclusive of VAT.
Key criteria
Applications will be accepted from fully constituted, charitable or not-for-profit organisations with no share capital in England and Northern Ireland.
Applicants must:
- Be applying for a project site located within five miles of a significant Biffa operation or 10 miles of an active Biffa Landfill site.
- Be applying for a project site located within 10 miles of any landfill site (not necessarily owned by Biffa Group Limited) in England and Northern Ireland.
- Have a project site open for a minimum of 104 days of published and full public access each year.
- Own the project site or have signed a lease agreement with the landowner of more than 10 years.
- Be eligible for enrolment and registration with the scheme’s regulator ENTRUST.
Applicants should check their project location’s eligibility using Biffa Awards Postcode Checker, which can be found on the Awards website.
The grant must be used for site-based capital improvement work (not for movable equipment, staff and core costs or storage facilities).
The funding can be used for a number of different things, including but not limited to exhibition and interpretation improvements, interactive displays, outdoor amphitheatre spaces and auditorium seating.
The facility should be inclusive and inspire and promote learning, creativity and participation. Local communities, as project beneficiaries, should be able to enjoy, benefit and engage with collections, exhibits or performances taking place within such institutions as often as possible. The project could be based within a theatre, gallery, museum, concert hall, arts or heritage centre.
Applications should outline how the applicant intends to ensure the project is sustainable following completion. It is essential that they outline how they will maintain, publicise and develop the project following completion of the improvements.
Submissions of Expression of Interest are accepted on a rolling basis. The Board meet four times a year (in February, May, July and November) to decide which projects to fund. Applications will go to the next available meeting so there are no restrictions on when to apply. However, groups may wait for up to six months to hear the outcome of their application.
Guidance notes, FAQs and the online form are available from the Biffa Award website.
