The Foundation offers three levels of grants:
- Large grants of £20,000 and above.
- Medium grants of up to £20,000.
- Small grants of £5,000 and under.
Large and medium grants are considered and agreed upon at Trustees’ meetings. Small grants, which form the majority of grants, are agreed by Trustees on a monthly basis and are normally awarded to projects costing £100,000 and under.
The majority (roughly 60%) of grants awarded are under £5,000. Grants exceeding £25,000 are exceptional and are typically awarded to major capital projects.
Grants are usually paid as single payments in a one-year period but, if considered particularly beneficial to the project, they may be extended over three years.
Applications are considered from all areas of England and Wales, particularly where rural and isolated communities are concerned.
The funding is for one-off capital projects (not running costs) such as purchase of leaseholds, new buildings, major refurbishments and transport. Rented premises must have a lease of at least 10 years remaining. Applications for transport should be for new, not used, vehicles.
In cases where grants are made, the projects are expected to be self-financing thereafter.
Their grants are for the following themes:
- Community
- Education
- Health
- Social Welfare
There are no formal application deadlines. Applications are accepted throughout the year and are reviewed in order of receipt.
Small grant applications usually have a response within three months.
Projects with budgets of £100,000 upwards should apply at least six months before their project start date.
An online application form is available to complete at the Bernard Sunley Foundation website. Paper or email applications are not accepted.
