Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund

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2027-2028 Programme Overview

The Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund for 2027-28 is provided by West Sussex County Council (WSCC) in partnership with Biffa and provides support for community organisations to deliver new or expanded, innovative waste prevention and reuse initiatives resulting in a reduction of household waste. This includes Community Groups, CIC’s, charities, social enterprises.

Grants of up to a maximum of £5,000 are available for projects delivered across West Sussex in 2027/2028. There is no minimum level of funding.

Projects must meet the following aims:

  • Support local community activity to improve waste prevention behaviours through reuse and / or waste prevention projects reducing household waste
  • Make a difference to the wider community, and to people’s lives in West Sussex
  • Have an on-going or legacy impact at the end of the funding period

This section gives an overview of the project including funding criteria and eligibility, what will be funded, types of Organisations and Projects that will be considered for the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund.

Fund Criteria and Eligibility

The maximum amount awarded to each project will be £5,000. There is no minimum amount.

Applications will be ranked and scored based on their:

- Demonstrated impact in preventing household waste.

- Innovation to services and / or introducing new projects to local areas already proven to reduce household waste elsewhere.

- Ability to be sustained post funding and / or have an on-going impact.

- Social and community benefits.

- Experience in successfully delivering previous projects will also be assessed.

- Please note that funding will be awarded to the highest scoring applications subject to grant funds being available.

- Projects will be funded for 12 months and delivered in 2027/2028

Projects must demonstrate the following objectives:

  • That they will have an impact on the population within the County.
  • That they do not duplicate activity in the local area (e.g., District/Town/Parish) that is already taking place.
  • Measurable reductions in the amount of household waste, e.g., through furniture reused, or food diverted from waste.
  • Social benefits (jobs/volunteer posts created, number of residents trained etc)
  • Who the project is likely to directly engage.
  • How the project is innovative or new (to the local area).
  • The methods used to effect behaviour change.
  • Sustainability and / or an ongoing impact in terms of waste prevention outcomes. The fund will only support new, or expansion of existing products and services. It will not pay for existing activities.

Funding can be awarded to the following groups:

  • Community, neighbourhood, or voluntary groups; that have an overarching community purpose that reaches beyond its membership.
  • Registered Charities; you should provide your Charity Number if applicable.
  • Schools, colleges, and universities
  • Not-for-profit organisations (including social enterprises) this is a registered legal entity that does not make a profit for directors, members, or shareholders.
  • Parish Councils

Examples of suitable organisations and projects

Organisation and Project

Material Focus

Project Summary

Cookery

Food

This type of project could deliver cooking and waste demonstrations to residents to reduce and reuse food.

Food Hubs

Food

These examples would focus on reducing and reusing food waste in homes across West Sussex. The project could enable the residents to donate their unwanted food which could be redirected / repurposed to other residents who have use for them across the county. Funding for organisations to deliver information sessions focussing on cookery, growing, and composting including Grow your own swap shops could also be requested.

It might also glean food from gardens and offer practical skills in preparing, preserving, pickling, fermenting etc.

Community Fridges

Composting (HOTBIN)

Pantry

Repair Cafes


Electrical Waste / equipment

Textiles

This type of project focuses on reuse and repurposing of items that are repairable and reusable and hence reducing waste. The project could aim to have experts such as seamstress, electrician, clock repairer, cobbler, a joiner who will be available to fix items free of charge.

Sewing Groups

Textiles

This type of project could provide a sewing group that teaches and supports new sewing skills, focussing on re-fashioning old worn and damaged clothes into new items and mending items which provides an alternative to ‘fast fashion’.Online classes can also be made available. It could also deliver Swap Shops and use recycled and repurposed materials.

Nappy Library

Textiles

This type of project could focus on reusable nappies by educating and encouraging residents to move from disposable nappies to reusable nappies. There could be resources such as cloth nappies, safety pins etc available for residents to borrow and use for trials at home and there could be funds available to purchase the necessary resources that would be available to residents. This would contribute to the reduction in the amount of disposable nappy waste being processed as residual waste.

Furniture

Furniture

Furniture restoration would encourage reuse, repair, and repurposing of furniture items by establishing drop-in upcycling sessions which could be a dedicated space for residents to learn new skills by upcycling their furniture by bringing their own items or utilising donated furniture.

The project could receive unwanted and donated furniture for restoration whilst training and offering volunteers vital upcycling skills and knowledge.

Library of Things

Food equipment and electricals

This type of project could focus on offering kitchen equipment and household electricals lending library such as cake tins, preserving jars, fruit press, carpet cleaners and other food saving items and household appliances.

Toy Library

Textiles, plastics, and toys

This type of project will focus on sustainability and reduction of waste. It could be delivered through children’s clothes swap, playgroups which will support and inspire families by exploring sustainability with their children. The grant could also be used to introduce a lending library with toys and baby items.

Funding cannot be awarded to:

  • Individuals
  • Business as usual activities
  • Recycling projects
  • Projects which focus on reducing business or commercial waste, including school waste
  • Projects where the impacts will be outside of the County Council’s area
  • Projects that already exist.
  • Projects that previously received funding from the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund – however new ideas from previous groups are welcome
  • Core costs that are not specific for the project
  • Research projects
  • Activities that any other organisation has a duty to undertake
  • Projects which deliver activities that are the responsibility of local authorities
  • Costs for activities already provided by other funders
  • Contribution to endowment fund(s), payment of deficit funding or repayment of loans

Period and amount of Waste Prevention Community Grant Funding (WPCGF)

  • Funding must be spent within 1 year of award of contract.
  • Payments aimed to commence from February 2027.
  • Payments will be scheduled in line with key project milestones outlined by the applicant in the Additional Project Details document.
  • Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund payment schedule will be agreed with successful applicants as part of the formal grant offer.
  • Scheduled reporting including a full and final report, will be required for 15 months from the first fund payment.
  • Applicants will have a plan on how the project will be sustained and/or identifies outcomes which demonstrates a significant expansion (expansion into different areas/multiple projects) and/or legacy beyond the funding period of 12 months.

Trial locations

  • to be set up in areas where there is a significant need for specific type of project to be set up to be successful when fully commissioned.

Expected Benefits

  • Materials targeted – electricals, textiles, clothes, food, plastic, furniture, and garden waste.
  • Types of organisations – schools, charities, community groups and others outlined above
  • Funding summary – number of projects and amount invested.
  • Impacts to be measured:

- Number of waste prevention (reuse or repair) projects set up.

- Evidence of positive impact on the environment e.g. carbon savings

- Amount of income generated in the local community.

- Number of training sessions and events

- Quantity and quality of materials diverted away from waste.

- Number of people engaged.

- Number of volunteer hours

- Number of volunteer opportunities created.

- Social Value

- Number of items repaired and reused.

- Number of low-income residents supported.

Applications and the grant allocation process:

Only eligible groups should apply. Proposals should be submitted using the application form, completing all questions, and attaching required documents. This will enable us to award grants in an efficient and transparent manner according to agreed funding specifications.

Please read your application carefully before sending it in, as you will not be able to return to your application to amend or provide further information once you have submitted.

We recommend that you read the FAQ section on our website (opens in new window): prior to completing an application, to assist you in gathering information for submission and to fully understand the requirements for the application itself.

We have provided templates to assist you in planning your application responses, these can be downloaded from the Your Voice website (opens in new window).

If you have any questions regarding your application that are not covered on the FAQs on our website, please contact us for further information at wasteprevention.fund@westsussex.gov.uk

Your applications should include:

  • A clear proposal of your how your project will meet the objectives above, you must use the Project Plan template and attach it to this application form (Downloadable from the Your Voice website as above)
  • A completed risk assessment of your project and any related activity, either using the Risk Assessment template or your own, attached to this application form (Downloadable from the Your Voice website as above)
  • A completed Budget Breakdown for your project using the Budget Breakdown template (Downloadable from the Your Voice website as above) or your own, attached to this application form.
  • Copies of current public liability and Employers liability Insurance Certificates attached to this application form. If you do not currently have these please continue to apply and note this on your application.
  • Audited accounts for the last financial year attached to this application form
  • Evidence of funding from the Third Party [if applicable] attached to this application form
  • DBS Certificate if required as outlined in the Grant Application Template copy attached to the application form

We recommend that you have all the necessary documentation ready to attach before you start completing the application.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion:

Providers will be asked to consider and identify how they propose to meet the needs of diverse groups i.e. food provision which cater for religious beliefs, activities which are gender-aware and inclusive for children with additional needs or disabilities.

Freedom of Information (FOI)

The Council is subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (“EIR”) and shall provide all necessary assistance and co-operation reasonably requested by the Council (at the Council’s expense) to enable the Council to comply with its obligations under the FOIA and EIR’s in relation to any request for information concerning the Grant Funding or the Project.

How to get your questions answered:

If you have questions about the project, please get in touch to find out more. You can contact us via email at wasteprevention.fund@westsussex.gov.uk

Accessibility Statement

If you require any of the information for this project in an alternative format, please contact us on 01243 777100 or via email at wasteprevention.fund@westsussex.gov.uk and we will do our best to assist you. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have an BT Relay (UK) texting app installed on your computer, laptop or smartphone, you can contact us on18001 01243 777100.

Please note, you can use the Google Translate function to access this project in a range of different languages. The Google Translate widget can be found at the top left-hand side of the project page, where it sits just above the black West Sussex County Council ribbon.

For more information about the accessibility of this website, please see our Accessibility tab (opens in new window) at the foot of the page.

Survey web browser compatibility

Please use one of the browsers below when completing the survey to ensure it looks and works as it should. These are:

  • Microsoft Edge version 86 and above
  • Chrome version 86 and above
  • Firefox version 78 and above
  • Safari version 14 and above

Privacy Policy


The Place Services Team at West Sussex County Council will use this survey to collect some personal data (e.g., name, email address), the processing of which is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) complies with the 2018 Data Protection Act and the GDPR (UK) and is registered as a ‘Data Controller’ with the Information Commissioner’s Office (Reg. No. Z6413427). The Data Protection Officer (DPO) for WSCC can be found on our website (opens in new window).

The data we will collect will be held for a period of up to 10 years before being appropriately destroyed. We will also share the data with our partners, Biffa, to help us identify those projects to whom a grant should be awarded. Please read Biffa’s Privacy Statement (opens in new window).

2027-2028 Programme Overview

The Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund for 2027-28 is provided by West Sussex County Council (WSCC) in partnership with Biffa and provides support for community organisations to deliver new or expanded, innovative waste prevention and reuse initiatives resulting in a reduction of household waste. This includes Community Groups, CIC’s, charities, social enterprises.

Grants of up to a maximum of £5,000 are available for projects delivered across West Sussex in 2027/2028. There is no minimum level of funding.

Projects must meet the following aims:

  • Support local community activity to improve waste prevention behaviours through reuse and / or waste prevention projects reducing household waste
  • Make a difference to the wider community, and to people’s lives in West Sussex
  • Have an on-going or legacy impact at the end of the funding period

This section gives an overview of the project including funding criteria and eligibility, what will be funded, types of Organisations and Projects that will be considered for the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund.

Fund Criteria and Eligibility

The maximum amount awarded to each project will be £5,000. There is no minimum amount.

Applications will be ranked and scored based on their:

- Demonstrated impact in preventing household waste.

- Innovation to services and / or introducing new projects to local areas already proven to reduce household waste elsewhere.

- Ability to be sustained post funding and / or have an on-going impact.

- Social and community benefits.

- Experience in successfully delivering previous projects will also be assessed.

- Please note that funding will be awarded to the highest scoring applications subject to grant funds being available.

- Projects will be funded for 12 months and delivered in 2027/2028

Projects must demonstrate the following objectives:

  • That they will have an impact on the population within the County.
  • That they do not duplicate activity in the local area (e.g., District/Town/Parish) that is already taking place.
  • Measurable reductions in the amount of household waste, e.g., through furniture reused, or food diverted from waste.
  • Social benefits (jobs/volunteer posts created, number of residents trained etc)
  • Who the project is likely to directly engage.
  • How the project is innovative or new (to the local area).
  • The methods used to effect behaviour change.
  • Sustainability and / or an ongoing impact in terms of waste prevention outcomes. The fund will only support new, or expansion of existing products and services. It will not pay for existing activities.

Funding can be awarded to the following groups:

  • Community, neighbourhood, or voluntary groups; that have an overarching community purpose that reaches beyond its membership.
  • Registered Charities; you should provide your Charity Number if applicable.
  • Schools, colleges, and universities
  • Not-for-profit organisations (including social enterprises) this is a registered legal entity that does not make a profit for directors, members, or shareholders.
  • Parish Councils

Examples of suitable organisations and projects

Organisation and Project

Material Focus

Project Summary

Cookery

Food

This type of project could deliver cooking and waste demonstrations to residents to reduce and reuse food.

Food Hubs

Food

These examples would focus on reducing and reusing food waste in homes across West Sussex. The project could enable the residents to donate their unwanted food which could be redirected / repurposed to other residents who have use for them across the county. Funding for organisations to deliver information sessions focussing on cookery, growing, and composting including Grow your own swap shops could also be requested.

It might also glean food from gardens and offer practical skills in preparing, preserving, pickling, fermenting etc.

Community Fridges

Composting (HOTBIN)

Pantry

Repair Cafes


Electrical Waste / equipment

Textiles

This type of project focuses on reuse and repurposing of items that are repairable and reusable and hence reducing waste. The project could aim to have experts such as seamstress, electrician, clock repairer, cobbler, a joiner who will be available to fix items free of charge.

Sewing Groups

Textiles

This type of project could provide a sewing group that teaches and supports new sewing skills, focussing on re-fashioning old worn and damaged clothes into new items and mending items which provides an alternative to ‘fast fashion’.Online classes can also be made available. It could also deliver Swap Shops and use recycled and repurposed materials.

Nappy Library

Textiles

This type of project could focus on reusable nappies by educating and encouraging residents to move from disposable nappies to reusable nappies. There could be resources such as cloth nappies, safety pins etc available for residents to borrow and use for trials at home and there could be funds available to purchase the necessary resources that would be available to residents. This would contribute to the reduction in the amount of disposable nappy waste being processed as residual waste.

Furniture

Furniture

Furniture restoration would encourage reuse, repair, and repurposing of furniture items by establishing drop-in upcycling sessions which could be a dedicated space for residents to learn new skills by upcycling their furniture by bringing their own items or utilising donated furniture.

The project could receive unwanted and donated furniture for restoration whilst training and offering volunteers vital upcycling skills and knowledge.

Library of Things

Food equipment and electricals

This type of project could focus on offering kitchen equipment and household electricals lending library such as cake tins, preserving jars, fruit press, carpet cleaners and other food saving items and household appliances.

Toy Library

Textiles, plastics, and toys

This type of project will focus on sustainability and reduction of waste. It could be delivered through children’s clothes swap, playgroups which will support and inspire families by exploring sustainability with their children. The grant could also be used to introduce a lending library with toys and baby items.

Funding cannot be awarded to:

  • Individuals
  • Business as usual activities
  • Recycling projects
  • Projects which focus on reducing business or commercial waste, including school waste
  • Projects where the impacts will be outside of the County Council’s area
  • Projects that already exist.
  • Projects that previously received funding from the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund – however new ideas from previous groups are welcome
  • Core costs that are not specific for the project
  • Research projects
  • Activities that any other organisation has a duty to undertake
  • Projects which deliver activities that are the responsibility of local authorities
  • Costs for activities already provided by other funders
  • Contribution to endowment fund(s), payment of deficit funding or repayment of loans

Period and amount of Waste Prevention Community Grant Funding (WPCGF)

  • Funding must be spent within 1 year of award of contract.
  • Payments aimed to commence from February 2027.
  • Payments will be scheduled in line with key project milestones outlined by the applicant in the Additional Project Details document.
  • Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund payment schedule will be agreed with successful applicants as part of the formal grant offer.
  • Scheduled reporting including a full and final report, will be required for 15 months from the first fund payment.
  • Applicants will have a plan on how the project will be sustained and/or identifies outcomes which demonstrates a significant expansion (expansion into different areas/multiple projects) and/or legacy beyond the funding period of 12 months.

Trial locations

  • to be set up in areas where there is a significant need for specific type of project to be set up to be successful when fully commissioned.

Expected Benefits

  • Materials targeted – electricals, textiles, clothes, food, plastic, furniture, and garden waste.
  • Types of organisations – schools, charities, community groups and others outlined above
  • Funding summary – number of projects and amount invested.
  • Impacts to be measured:

- Number of waste prevention (reuse or repair) projects set up.

- Evidence of positive impact on the environment e.g. carbon savings

- Amount of income generated in the local community.

- Number of training sessions and events

- Quantity and quality of materials diverted away from waste.

- Number of people engaged.

- Number of volunteer hours

- Number of volunteer opportunities created.

- Social Value

- Number of items repaired and reused.

- Number of low-income residents supported.

Applications and the grant allocation process:

Only eligible groups should apply. Proposals should be submitted using the application form, completing all questions, and attaching required documents. This will enable us to award grants in an efficient and transparent manner according to agreed funding specifications.

Please read your application carefully before sending it in, as you will not be able to return to your application to amend or provide further information once you have submitted.

We recommend that you read the FAQ section on our website (opens in new window): prior to completing an application, to assist you in gathering information for submission and to fully understand the requirements for the application itself.

We have provided templates to assist you in planning your application responses, these can be downloaded from the Your Voice website (opens in new window).

If you have any questions regarding your application that are not covered on the FAQs on our website, please contact us for further information at wasteprevention.fund@westsussex.gov.uk

Your applications should include:

  • A clear proposal of your how your project will meet the objectives above, you must use the Project Plan template and attach it to this application form (Downloadable from the Your Voice website as above)
  • A completed risk assessment of your project and any related activity, either using the Risk Assessment template or your own, attached to this application form (Downloadable from the Your Voice website as above)
  • A completed Budget Breakdown for your project using the Budget Breakdown template (Downloadable from the Your Voice website as above) or your own, attached to this application form.
  • Copies of current public liability and Employers liability Insurance Certificates attached to this application form. If you do not currently have these please continue to apply and note this on your application.
  • Audited accounts for the last financial year attached to this application form
  • Evidence of funding from the Third Party [if applicable] attached to this application form
  • DBS Certificate if required as outlined in the Grant Application Template copy attached to the application form

We recommend that you have all the necessary documentation ready to attach before you start completing the application.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion:

Providers will be asked to consider and identify how they propose to meet the needs of diverse groups i.e. food provision which cater for religious beliefs, activities which are gender-aware and inclusive for children with additional needs or disabilities.

Freedom of Information (FOI)

The Council is subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (“EIR”) and shall provide all necessary assistance and co-operation reasonably requested by the Council (at the Council’s expense) to enable the Council to comply with its obligations under the FOIA and EIR’s in relation to any request for information concerning the Grant Funding or the Project.

How to get your questions answered:

If you have questions about the project, please get in touch to find out more. You can contact us via email at wasteprevention.fund@westsussex.gov.uk

Accessibility Statement

If you require any of the information for this project in an alternative format, please contact us on 01243 777100 or via email at wasteprevention.fund@westsussex.gov.uk and we will do our best to assist you. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have an BT Relay (UK) texting app installed on your computer, laptop or smartphone, you can contact us on18001 01243 777100.

Please note, you can use the Google Translate function to access this project in a range of different languages. The Google Translate widget can be found at the top left-hand side of the project page, where it sits just above the black West Sussex County Council ribbon.

For more information about the accessibility of this website, please see our Accessibility tab (opens in new window) at the foot of the page.

Survey web browser compatibility

Please use one of the browsers below when completing the survey to ensure it looks and works as it should. These are:

  • Microsoft Edge version 86 and above
  • Chrome version 86 and above
  • Firefox version 78 and above
  • Safari version 14 and above

Privacy Policy


The Place Services Team at West Sussex County Council will use this survey to collect some personal data (e.g., name, email address), the processing of which is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) complies with the 2018 Data Protection Act and the GDPR (UK) and is registered as a ‘Data Controller’ with the Information Commissioner’s Office (Reg. No. Z6413427). The Data Protection Officer (DPO) for WSCC can be found on our website (opens in new window).

The data we will collect will be held for a period of up to 10 years before being appropriately destroyed. We will also share the data with our partners, Biffa, to help us identify those projects to whom a grant should be awarded. Please read Biffa’s Privacy Statement (opens in new window).

Page last updated: 18 Sep 2026, 12:34 PM