**IMPORTANT NOTICE OF EARLIER APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR BOTH TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND GRANT THIS FINANCIAL YEAR (2024/2025)**
The continuing high demand for neighbourhood planning support means that we expect to have fully allocated support funding by the start of February 2025. Accordingly, the deadline for submitting applications for grant and Technical Support for the 2024/2025 (5pm on 31 January 2025) has now passed. Any applications received after this time will not be considered. We will also not be able to consider incomplete applications, so please read our guidance notes carefully.
If there is a high volume of applications for grant and Technical Support, it may be necessary to prioritise applications.
For grant this means considering applications on a first come first served basis. If your grant application is incomplete, or does not meet the eligibility requirements, it will not be considered. Please note, expenditure met through a grant must be completed on or before 31 March 2025.
The process for prioritising Technical Support applications already takes into account Government priorities such as housing, regeneration, climate change and environmental improvement but will also involve an assessment of the most time critical needs for individual packages of support in progressing neighbourhood plans. Please bear in mind that after we are shut to applications, unlike grant, Technical Support packages approved by MHCLG under the 2024/2025 programme do not have to be completed by end of March 2025 and delivery will continue into 2025/2026.
Applying for support
Before you apply for grant funding and/or technical support it is essential that you read our Neighbourhood Planning Grant & Technical Support Guidance Notes to help you through the process.
Eligibility criteria
How to apply for grant funding and/or Technical Support
Step one: Read the Guidance Notes
This will help you understand what you need to do to complete the process.
View guidance notes for grant funding and/or Technical Support
Step three: Complete your application form
After submitting your EoI, you will be automatically directed to the application form which you can begin completing immediately.
You are able to resume your application form at a later stage, however to do this you will need to save the form prior to closing it by providing an email address and password. Please use the same email address that you provided in your EoI and make a note of the details you save with.
Once saved, you will be sent a link to the log in page where you can access your saved application form by using the email address and password you provided when you saved.
Every time you would like to leave the form to resume it later, you will need to save it again.
You will have 15 days to complete your application. After 15 days have passed, your form will expire and you will need to complete a new EoI.
If multiple people need to work on the application form they will be able to log in using your saved details. If this is the case, please ensure you choose a password that you are happy to share.
Once you submit your form, you will receive two emails. One with a PDF copy of your application and a second with your application reference details.
Prepare your application answers in advance
To help you prepare your application questions in advance, you can use a blank copy of the application form as a Word document and then copy and paste your answers into any future applications.
Please note this is not your actual application form and you cannot submit this. This is to help you prepare answers to your questions in advance of submitting your actual application form.
Preparing your answers in the blank Word template also prevents loss of data if you cannot submit within the 15 days.
Step four: Assessing your application
If you are applying for grant funding only we will assess your grant within 15 working days of receiving all the information we need to assess the application. An assessor may be in touch if there are any queries.
If you are applying for Technical Support you will be contacted by phone or email to arrange a diagnostic session to assess your support needs. All applications for Technical Support are presented to MHCLG to make a decision.
Successful applications
If your application has been successful, you will receive an email to let you know. This will include information on next steps so that you can start receiving your support. For Technical Support applications the email will come from Locality. For grant applications the email will come from Groundwork UK who are the programme’s grant administrators.