Funding

Latest funding news, opportunities, resources and the William Kendall Small Awards Programme exclusively for Bexley groups.  

You can find funding opportunities from our most recent monthly e-bulletins here:

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CURRENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES via BVSC

BVSC GRASSOOTS SEED GRANT 

BVSC is pleased to launch a seed grant opportunity to support grassroots organisations in Bexley. This programme is commissioned through the South East London Integrated Care System (SEL ICS).

The Grassroots Seed Fund provides small grants to help grassroots and VCSE organisations get started and build strong foundations.

Total Fund: £20,000

  • Grants of up to £500 per organisation
  • Opens: 30th June 2026
  • Delivered in a single funding round

What the BVSC Grassroots Seed Grant can be used for The BVSC Grassroots Seed Grant is designed to support core costs—everyday expenses that help community groups establish themselves and build long-term sustainability.

Funding can be used for the following:

  • Running and Administrative Costs
  • Governance and Compliance
  • Communications and Digital Development
  • Volunteer and Member Support
  • Organisation Development

This list is not exhaustive. Please read the guidance document for more information. Please clearly outline in your application how the funding will be used. All proposals will be considered by the panel.

Priority Focus Areas

  • Multiple long‑term conditions
  • Isolation and frailty
  • Children and young people with complex needs

Priority Groups

Priority will be given to organisations working with:

  • Young people
  • Older people
  • Global Majority and migrant communities
  • People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
  • Residents of North Bexley
  • Delivering to underserved/Core20PLUS5 groups
  • Equity led ‘ For and By’ organisations and groups

What Cannot Be Funded

  • Direct delivery of services or activities (e.g., events, classes, trips, or meals)
  • Salaries or wages for service delivery
  • Capital items over £500 in value
  • Political or religious campaigning
  • Animal charities
  • Individuals
  • For-profit organisations (including companies limited by shares)
  • Organisations that do not benefit Bexley residents
  • Organisations with an annual income over £100,000
  • Groups without a bank account, unless supported by an approved sponsor organisation

Application Process

  • Complete a short online application
  • Initial eligibility screening by the BVSC Grassroots Development Officer
  • Panel assessment based on eligibility.

Key Dates

  • Applications open: 30 June 2026
  • Drop‑in session: 14 July 2026 11:00am-12:00pm
  • Applications close: 11 August 2026
  • Outcomes announced: 28 August 2026
  • Monitoring submissions: By 30 October 2026

Successful applicants will be required to submit a short report on how the funding was used during the monitoring period.

A drop-in session has been organised to share information. Register To Attend Here 

Documents to Submit

Please email the following documents to sectorsupport@bvsc.co.uk before the application deadline:

Groups without a bank account in their own name may nominate a sponsor organisation. This must be a registered charity, CIC, or CIO based in or operating within Bexley.

Groups that wish to apply but do not have the required documentation and may need support, please contact:
Anne – Grassroots Development Officer
📧anne@bvsc.co.uk

Please ensure all documents clearly include your group or organisation name.

Applicants are encouraged to go through the guidance document (View Here ) for more information.

APPLY HERE

 

WILLIAM KENDALL SMALL AWARDS PROGRAMME FOR BEXLEY

The next  round of the William Kendall Small Awards Programme for Bexley from the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers will open in Autumn/Winter 2026

If you have any questions please contact: Nick Snow, Head of Capacity Building & Volunteering via email: sectorsupport@bvsc.co.uk or call 01322 524682 option 4. 


Aims

The William Kendall Charity of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers aims to fund charitable purposes for the general benefit of the inhabitants of the London Borough of Bexley, and the relief of need, hardship or distress.

How much can you apply for?

The maximum award is £5,000.  Awards are not made for less than £500 and must be used within 12 months of receipt of the award offer letter.
 

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible to apply, organisations MUST:

  • Be based in the London Borough of Bexley and/or benefit Bexley residents.
  • Be formally constituted and not–for–profit with a charity and/or limited company reference number.
  • Be small enough for the funding to make a real difference, i.e. those with less than £200k in cash at bank in the accounts for the last financial year (Cash at bank refers to the total amount of money held at the bank by a person or company, either in current or deposit accounts. It is included in the balance sheet under current assets).
  • Follow applicable Charity Law and Charity Commission guidelines, for example but not limited to, having a management committee of at least three people with two independent cheque signatories (and online banking authorisers); and an appropriate governing document which confirms the organisation is operating on a not-for-profit basis with appropriate governancepolicies and procedures which includes, amongst other things, a dissolution clause, which outlines what happens to any assets should your organisation cease to operate.
  • Have submitted all the necessary end of award completion forms for any previous awards from the William Kendall Small Awards Programme for Bexley.
     

The William Kendall Small Awards Programme for Bexley will NOT fund organisations who:

  • Do not have their own charity number or limited company registration number
  • Are statutory or public bodies
  • Exist solely to make a profit, with no community benefit
  • Have cash and investments sufficient to comfortably fund the project themselves (i.e. those with £200,000 or more in cash at bank in the accounts for the last financial year)
  • Give voice to specific interest, campaign or pressure groups or who promote a political agenda, whether party-political or local


WHAT WILL/WON'T BE FUNDED

The William Kendall Small Awards Programme for Bexley will ONLY fund projects which:

  • Help to deliver a specific new, improved or extended charitable benefit to the community
  • Are well costed, good value for money and deliver an outcome costing between £500 - £5,000 in total.
     

The William Kendall Small Awards Programme for Bexley will NOT fund:

  • Ongoing revenue items like rent, rates, or energy costs — unless for a start-up or to support a registered charity through a one-year gap in funding where there is an identified prospect of ongoing funding
  • Over-priced projects that do not deliver good value for money
  • Internally focused projects to upgrade facilities for the benefit of staff only
  • Teachers’ salaries in a school that should be funded by government
  • Applications that do not fit with these guidelines.