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.
The project could be based within a theatre, gallery, museum, concert hall, arts or heritage centre and must be open to the general public for at least 104 days each year, attracting tourists or day visitors.
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.
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 full public access to the project per 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 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.
