Climate Change Grant

When seeking to apply for the Climate Change grant, please read the guidance notes carefully and ensure you liaise with council officers to discuss your project and confirm whether it is eligible prior to submitting an application.

The grant covers projects to be delivered within the borough of Test Valley. Eligibility for this grant is outlined below:

• Not-for-profit community groups
• Charitable organisations
• Community building and asset management committees
• Community associations
• Parish and Town Councils

If your organisation is not listed above, please contact the climatechange@testvalley.gov.uk to check if you are eligible.

There is not a definitive list of the projects that will be eligible for this grant. It will be essential for the application to be clear on how the project or proposed works fall within the remit of what this grant is designed to fund.

Types of work that could be funded for community buildings include, but is not exclusive to:

• LED lighting
• Replacement for single/failed glazed windows with more energy efficient windows
• Insulation
• Thermal blinds
• Repairs to roofs to enable other projects such as solar panels
• Battery storage
• Electric vehicle charging points
• Contribution towards solar panels
• Contribution to Air Source Heat Pump

If your project is not listed above, please do get in touch to check if it is eligible.

Businesses are not eligible for this grant. If you are a business looking for grants there is information available on the council’s website.

This grant cannot be used alongside or for match funding with other Test Valley Borough Council community grants relating to the same project.

Only one climate change grant application per organisation will be considered in any one financial year.

Other areas not covered include:

• Base revenue and running costs.
• Low level maintenance and repairs or projects including fixtures and fittings.
• Retrospective work.
• Any project that creates a revenue pressure for the Borough Council.
• Any activity which may be construed as radicalising or encouraging people into terrorism. Should any allegation be received, or if the Council has reason to suspect non-compliance, the Council will investigate and may decide to cancel, modify or withdraw any offer or grant made to ensure compliance with the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.
• Organisations with a sufficient level of funds held as uncommitted, free reserves to meet one year of running costs PLUS the cost of the project may not be eligible to apply. The level of reserves held by all applicants will be taken into account when calculating the level of any award.

• Applicants are able to apply for a grant of up to £10,000 towards a project.
• If applicants want to apply for grants of £5,000 or more, they will be expected to provide 20% match funding on anything above this sum. Evidence of where this additional funding will come from will need to be provided with application.
• Any grant application for up to £5,000 will not require match funding.
• A minimum of £250 will be set for grant applications.
• Only one grant per organisation will be made from this scheme for a particular project in any financial year.
• This grant can be used alongside Section 106 funding and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding.
• If your project has already commenced then get in touch to see if you are applicable for this grant.
• If you are applying for this grant to use on a project which is part of a wider scheme, then you are eligible for this grant.
• The project will need to be delivered by the end of the financial year (31st March 2026).
• A grant will not be awarded from this scheme if funding has already been given for the item or project from any other grant scheme.

The grant application window will close on 31st December 2025 or when the allocated budget has been awarded in full, whichever is sooner.

Grant applications will be reviewed intermittently by a panel and then awarded in due course.

Please be aware there will be a delay between application submitted and the council responding to applicants to take into account processing time.

If you application is successful, funding will only be sent to applicants once invoices of works have been submitted. The invoices will need to be addressed to the applicant organisation and dated after the date of approval.

• Please send the application form as a Word document. Applications must be typed, not handwritten.
• Please view the guidance notes, the ‘application form’ and other information for this grant to ensure your project is likely to be eligible.
• It is advised that all consents and approvals have been checked prior to applying for this grant.
• See section 9 for supporting document required.
• Please contact climatechange@testvalley.gov.uk to discuss your project and establish whether it is likely to be eligible. For information on other grants please contact your Community Engagement Officer. Contact details can be found here: Community Engagement Officers.
• We ask for one application form, so please talk to us if you have any questions when applying at only one application will be accepted. We will not accept resubmissions of an application prior to reaching a decision on whether to award a grant.
• Submit your application to climatechange@testvalley.gov.uk.

• Attach any supporting documents to the email alongside the application form e.g. evidence of work required and / or why this project has been identified
• An organisational environmental / sustainability policy or, if you don’t have one, an organisational statement on how you commit to being more sustainable as an organisation
• A fully completed, signed and dated application form.
• Two quotes for the works using the same specifications
• Evidence of the 20% match funding required on any application for a grant of £5,000 or more.
• Evidence of how the project / work is expected to reduce carbon emissions (e.g. evidence of emissions before and after works) and / or how it will improve resilience to climate change.
  • Applications below £5,000 can provide an explanation of climate resilience or emissions reduction if evidence is not available.
  • Applications for £5,000 and more will be required to show evidence of how emissions are reduced or in regard to fuel and energy savings.
• Where relevant, planning permission documents
• Where relevant, evidence of landlord consent to undertake the project
• Copy of Constitution

Please do not submit your application unless you have sent all of the document outlined within this list. Your application will not be considered unless all of the documents have been submitted.