Learn about the Fairness Fund for People and the Fairness Fund for Place.
The Fairness Fund is now closed to applications.
The Fairness Fund reflects the outcomes of the council's plan for a fair and inclusive city.
Grant funding is available to community groups and voluntary organisations that:
The Fairness Fund for People supports grassroots community action led by and supporting marginalised communities and:
A total fund of £70,000 is available for activities taking place up to 4 September 2026. We anticipate that the funding will be divided equally between projects supporting these 3 communities. Around £23,000 will be available for each strand.
View a list of projects funded through the Fairness Fund for People 2024 to 2025.
The Fairness Fund for Place supports grassroots community action led by and supporting communities experiencing poverty.
A total fund of £105,000 is available for activities taking place up to 4 September 2026. This will be divided equally across 4 areas of the city (East, West, North and Central).
View a list of projects funded through the Fairness Fund for Place 2024 to 2025.
A maximum grant award will be £2000.
Example of activities or costs that could be supported by either Fund include:
be set up as a not-for-profit community group, voluntary organisation, or social enterprise
have a constitution or set of rules explaining how the group is run and organised
have a project named bank account or be in the process of setting one up (grassroots groups who wish to apply but do not yet meet these application criteria are encouraged to get in touch early for further advice)
have a maximum annual income of £35,000 for the year ending 31 March 2025
Community Buildings that have an annual income up to a maximum of £100,000 for the year ending 31 March 2025 are also eligible to apply for the Fairness Fund for Place
as an individual
if you're an organisation set up with the ability to distribute profits to members or shareholders
with requests for capital costs or the purchase of large items
for food crisis support (this will be covered by another funding stream)
for projects not taking place in Brighton & Hove
for activities which are the responsibility of statutory organisations (such as activities during school time)
The Fairness Fund is now closed to applications.
Yes, you can apply for both funds. However, you should carefully consider your applications and ensure you're not applying for the same activity in both funding streams.
No, you don't need to bid in partnership. You can apply as a single organisation.
Yes, you can still apply.
Yes, applicants can email for questions and arrange a phone call. You can do this by sending an email to communitiesteam@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
Yes. Ideally, the group will already have their own bank account or be in the process of setting one up. We can accommodate some hosting arrangements for groups without their own account. The host organisation must be a not-for-profit organisation.
It should be spent by 4 September 2026, when the project funding ends.
The fund doesn't generally fund equipment. The maximum for small-item purchases is £500. The fund is primarily for revenue funding, core costs, and project costs.
It's not all-or-nothing. Often, groups may be offered less than they apply for, allowing them to accept and seek complementary funding elsewhere. The council tries to give something to as many worthy applicants as possible.
The monitoring form is attached to the application pack, Section 5. It asks basic questions, including:
The criteria are the same as last year, but this time we are more explicit about focusing on marginalised communities who experience disadvantage and financial exclusion.
For example, a group that provides a printed newsletter for digitally excluded people in Portslade (and includes details about food banks and events to reduce isolation) would fit the criteria, as digital exclusion is often due to financial reasons.
If the focus is on one of the marginalised communities (such as LGBT+ older people), they could apply to the People Fund.
Yes, it does include running costs. Regarding marketing costs, it depends on the proportion and detail of what is being delivered. It's best to have a conversation about the specifics.
Yes, that's usually acceptable. The main concern with community interest companies is the capacity to redistribute funds. The fund doesn't treat CICs differently, as long as they're not paying directors' salaries. The focus is on the activity being delivered rather than salaries. Regarding safeguarding policies and insurance, these should be attached to the email when applying.
It can be estimated if that's a fair assessment. The age range is just to give an idea of who's benefiting. However, collecting this data might be useful for the group's own records and for other applications in the future.
The main pitfalls include:
We recommend:
Yes, a group called "Sewing to Save" was funded last year. They taught women to repair clothing, which addressed reuse and recycling objectives whilst offering skills to extend the life of garments and save money.
Contact the Communities Team.