More than £400,000 is being made available to support community projects in Medway through the new Medway Together Fund (MTF).

Applications opened on Wednesday, 8 April.

The MTF will replace, and look to build on the success of, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which provided more than £1.8million in funding for more than 140 projects in Medway across four years.

Three different funds will be offered through the new MTF – the Feasibility Fund, Medway Impact Fund and Summer Events Fund.

Feasibility Fund

Get support to help get an idea off the ground with grants of up to £5,000 available. This fund aims to support the development of projects and concepts which have the potential to have long-term impacts in Medway, but need a bit of help to get started. Applications to the Feasibility Fund will close on Friday, 22 May.

Medway Impact Fund

Grants up to £10,000 are available per application, with £15,000 grants available in exceptional circumstances.

Applications should focus on promoting a rich cultural experience for residents and visitors to Medway and support the social enterprise sector. This fund has a clear focus on improving local physical infrastructure, increasing service provision to our local communities, increasing the health and wellbeing of local residents and encouraging people to visit or explore Medway. Applications to the Medway Impact Fund will close on Friday, 22 May.

Summer Events Fund

Grants of up to £10,000 will be available to support large-scale summer events which will help promote pride in the local area. Eligible events must have an attendance of at least 500. Applications for the Summer Events Fund will close on Friday, 1 May.
Applications will be open to all legally constituted charities, voluntary organisations, private sector companies, higher and further education institutions and public sector organisations.

Applications to the MTF must align to at least one of the fund’s priorities, which include improving physical infrastructure, increasing service provision, improving health and wellbeing, encouraging people to explore or visit Medway and supporting local business. Full eligibility criteria will be available on the Medway Council website following the launch of the fund on Wednesday, 8 April.

Cllr Harinder Mahil, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Inward Investment and Social Regeneration, said: “It is fantastic to be able to announce the new Medway Together Fund. We know that the projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund made a real difference, so being able to continue that great work is a huge boost for Medway. I would encourage people to get their applications in as soon as possible, as we know these are always very competitive funds.

“Support for business in Medway remains a top priority for the council. We are committed to continuing to strengthen it, and it is an exciting time here – with this announcement coming hot on the heels of the recent Pride in Place funding which will see more than £60million invested in Medway through the programme. One great initiative – the Shopfront Improvement Grant Scheme – is already up and running through our Pride in Place funding – and I would encourage local businesses to make sure they check that out too.”

Application advice sessions

During the application period, Medway Council’s MTF team will run a series of advice sessions to offer face-to-face support with applications.

These sessions will provide one-to-one support to help scope and develop project ideas, and answer any questions around the application process.

The drop-in sessions will take place at Innovation Centre Medway on:

30-minute sessions will be available on each day between 10am and 4pm. You can book your slot here.

Cllr Mahil added: “Our team are on hand to help you out with these applications – as we want to ensure everyone has a fair shot at getting this funding. So, if you’ve got a great idea but you’ve never applied to something like this before – or you think you will just need a bit or advice and help – then make sure to book on to one of the sessions.”

To find out more about the Medway Together Fund, visit: Medway.gov.uk/MedwayTogetherFund.

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