PEN Y CYMOEDD
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Our Funding Opportunities
Local people themselves have defined the priorities for the Community Fund – you can see what they are in the Pen y Cymoedd Prospectus. As the Fund will be here for the next twenty years, community benefit activities can be supported now, and we can all also plan and deliver for the long-term.
Anyone who wants to take part in any funded project or activity should be welcome to do so, unless there are sound reasons why this isn’t possible (e.g. the activity is exclusively for women, young people or older people). Your governing document and policies should make this clear. You can view our own Equal Opportunities Policy here.
The Micro Fund
Other ways we can support community
Loans
When we receive a funding proposal for a Vison Fund from a business that is private or profit gerenrating we may choose to support via a loan, a grant or a loan/grant mix.
The reason for this is that is business investment will lead to profit and business has capacity to repay some of that to the fund, it allows us to recycle funds to support even more businesses or community activity.
Our loans are usually interest free and we will always consider a repayment holiday. If you are a business that contacts the fund we will discuss the option for a loan with you.
Direct Investment
Direct Investment – Pen y Cymoedd can directly invest in communities where appropriate, and we have done this previously with purchase of Afan Lodge Hotel.
Other ways of working
1. Calon Hearts – Defibrillator installation
We worked with Calon Hearts to take a proactive approach to improving access to defibrillators across the fund area. Together with local partners and communities, we identified gaps in provision and installed 78 public access defibrillators in towns and villages, including community buildings and local businesses. All units are publicly accessible and registered with The Circuit and the Welsh Ambulance Service.
2. Community Buildings Energy Efficiency Surveys
In response to rising energy costs affecting community-run buildings, the Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm Community Fund, working with Interlink RCT, Neath Port Talbot CVS, the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, identified a need for targeted energy efficiency support. The fund provided free energy efficiency surveys to 40 community organisations across the Pen y Cymoedd area, delivered by independent charity Severn Wye Energy Agency.
The surveys helped organisations identify zero-cost actions to reduce energy use immediately, alongside longer-term improvements offering strong value and return on investment.
MICRO FUND FOR COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS
There are two rounds of Micro Fund per year – one opens in June and closes on the first Wednesday in August and one opens in December and closes on the first Wednesday in February.
Please contact us by emailing enquiries@penycymoeddcic.cymru or calling 01685 878785 to discuss application deadlines
When the rounds are open you can apply by clicking the ‘Apply Now’ button.
We recognise that great ideas can sometimes be realised by the injection of relatively small sums of money at the right time – on a one-off basis. The Micro Fund offers one-off grants up to £6,500 to support important aspects of community life and to support enterprise development. This could include, for example: buying small items of equipment; minor capital works; activities, events and projects; business development and start-ups; pilot projects.
Micro Grants can help cover the costs of community events, give the finishing touch to a larger scheme or can be the stimulus to a start-up; they can help publicise a service or support feasibility studies to develop bigger schemes. Grants have an upper limit of £6,500 but we expect many awards to be for smaller sums, and we actively invite those applications.
There are three Fund strands:
Micro Fund: Community – for voluntary and community organisations, social enterprises, community and town councils, and school PTAs.
Micro Fund: Business (New) – For new businesses that have been operating for under 6 months.
Micro Fund: Business (Existing) – For existing businesses that have been operating for over 6 months and who are looking to develop their business.
Although statutory bodies cannot apply for a Micro Fund grant, we welcome projects or activities developed and delivered collaboratively. We welcome partnership working with the statutory sector. The Micro Fund cannot support ongoing costs and you shouldn’t expect to apply every year for the same activity.
How to make a Micro Fund application
You’ll need to complete the Form that best fits with what you want to do. You can start your online application here https://penycymoedd.flexigrant.com/ when the round is open.
We’ll read carefully through your application and get in touch if we have any queries or need more information. Decisions about whether or not to award funding are made by the Community Interest Company Directors – normally within 6 weeks of each application round closing date.
It’s best to take your time in putting an application together, to ensure that you can make the best possible case. We’ll be looking closely at these aspects of your proposal:
A. ELIGIBILITY
General eligibility and links with Fund aims and themes
B. VERIFICATION
Identity and verification checks – our standard fraud prevention procedures to safeguard the Fund. These are not credit checks – they are just to ensure that you are who you say you are.
C. IMPACT and DELIVERY
Includes both depth and scale of change
D. FEASIBILITY
Do we have confidence they can deliver what they’re promising, given their resources and planning.
E. VALUE FOR MONEY
Not strict “value for money” — considers proportionality and wider benefit.
F. INNOVATION
Not about ‘new’ or ‘novelty’, but different thinking and extended impact
G. SUSTAINABILITY
Includes organisational strength (staff and volunteers), environmental, and financial aspects
H. ORGANISATION GOVERNANCE
Capacity, governance structure, policies, insurance, safeguarding, and team
I. ENGAGEMENT
Willingness and ability to involve people openly and widely.
VISION FUND
The Vision Fund offers grants over £6,500 (capital and/or revenue) to support activities that help to deliver one or more of the priorities set out in the Fund Prospectus. New and developing businesses, voluntary sector and community groups can all apply. Although public sector bodies are not eligible, we welcome partnership working.
Applicants will need to show how their proposal:
- is visionary, bold and ambitious – a bit out of the ordinary
- involves partnership working with others to deliver more really benefits people and communities and supports regeneration (if the applicant is a business, it’s expected that job creation and skills development benefiting those in the Fund area will be a key element of the proposal).
- is sustainable in the longer term – maximising local value and benefits
- represents value for money
You may have received a Micro Fund grant to help start the work you’re doing, and now wish to take that further with a Vision Fund grant. If that’s the case, you’ll need to have completed the initial project and be able to demonstrate the results and achievements before a further application can be considered.
Top Tips for drafting your Vision Fund proposal:
- Give your project / activity a brief and catchy name! Sounds trivial, but it really makes a difference.
- Make sure you explain what you’d like to do as clearly and concisely as you can. Ask someone unconnected with it to read it and feedback.
- Tell us exactly who will benefit and how – what difference will the project make to people and communities, the local economy, and the environment?
- Make sure that it’s clear how your funding request relates to your aims and plan.
- Provide realistic and researched cost estimates or quotes.
- Explain how the project or activity will be sustainable in the longer-term.
Application Process
Depending on how much you are asking for there are different application processes.
Between £6501 – £26,000
This is a one stage online application process.
Between £26,001 and £149,999
This is a two-stage process. The first stage is an Expression of Interest (EOI), which will be reviewed by the Board. If your EOI is considered potentially supportable, you will be invited to progress to a Stage 2 application.
Please note that an invitation to Stage 2 does not guarantee funding; it indicates that the Board is interested in receiving more detailed information about your proposal.
Over £150,000
This is also a two-stage process as above but you may also be asked to meet with and present your proposal to the Board of Directors.
Before you submit any Vision Fund application or Expression of Interest, you must get in touch with us to discuss your plans. If appropriate, we will then send you a link to apply online.
If you have any questions at all, give us a call on 01685 878785 or send us an email:
WHAT THE COMMUNITY FUND CANNOT SUPPORT
- Activities that don’t deliver clear benefits to communities within the Fund’s Area of Benefit
- Applications for activities or projects which exclude certain groups of people without very clear and legally defensible reasons
- Applications from public sector bodies
- Activities which are the statutory responsibility of public sector bodies
- Applications from individuals other than those wishing to set up or develop a business
- Activities which are exclusively party political or religious
- Past expenditure / costs incurred for activities that have already taken place
- VAT that can be recovered
- Projects which promote, provide, develop, operate or otherwise support any non-renewable energy scheme or associated resource.
Our Ethical Guidance provides more information about what the fund cannot support. You can read it here: Ethical Funding
If you’re unsure whether your project ideas are eligible for support, please contact our team at enquiries@penycymoeddcic.cymru
or call 01685 878785.
Useful Guides
1. Website & SEO Guidance Note
Click to Download
2. Tourism Accommodation & Attractions
Click to Download
3. Community Consultation
Click to Download
4. Community Playgrounds
Click to Download
5. Consumable and Saleable Items
Click to Download
6. Places of Worship
Click to Download
7. Continuation of Projects
Click to Download
8. Ethical Funding
Click to Download
9. Pathway to Board Guidance Note
Click to Download
10. Sports Clubs and Groups
Click to Download
11. Living Wage Guidance Note
Click to Download
12. Tender Process Guidance Note
Click to Download
13. Projects in Schools
Click to Download
14. Outside Fund Area Guidance Note
Click to Download
15. Funding Support Guidance – Grants, Loans & Investment
Click to Download
16. Using AI Tools Guidance Note
Click to Download
17. Business Plan Template
Click to Download
18. Your Organisation's Accounts
Click to Download
19. Buying Goods & Services
Click to Download
20. Promoting Behaviour Change
Click to Download
21. Businesses Guidance Note
Click to Download
22. Trips and One Off Events
Click to Download
23. Looking After the Environment
Click to Download
24. Safeguarding
Click to Download
Quick Links
- @Get Inspired
Read case studies and inspiring stories about the groups, businesses and activities supported by the Community Fund.
See Our Case Studies
- @Upcoming Events & Latest News
Catch up with the latest Pen y Cymoedd CIC events and keep up to date with the latest developments!
See the Latest
- @Apply For Funding
Learn more about the fund and download a grant application. You can also submit your completed application through this website!