Kent County Council

Charity Number: CUSTOM_4E496114

Annual Expenditure: £1.5M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1.5 million+ (estimated across community grant programs)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: 1-3 months depending on program
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - £30,000
  • Geographic Focus: Kent County, UK (excluding London boroughs of Bexley and Bromley)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.kent.gov.uk/leisure-and-community/community-grants-and-funding

General Enquiries:

Program-Specific Contacts:

  • Reconnect County Grant: reconnect.kentcyp@kent.gov.uk
  • KPSN: 03000 417736 / kpsn@kent.gov.uk
  • Funding for All (community support): Sharon Phillips at sharon@hlcdartford.org.uk / 01322 311265

Overview

Kent County Council is a local government authority that operates multiple community grant programs to support voluntary organizations, community groups, charities, and sports clubs across Kent. With an annual budget exceeding £2.6 billion for all services, KCC dedicates significant resources to community grants, including the Combined Members Grant program (distributed across 81+ county councillors at £3,600 each), the Village and Community Hall Grant Scheme (offering up to £30,000), Short Breaks for Disabled Children grants (£1.06 million annually), and various health and wellbeing funding streams. The council's strategic approach focuses on supporting community-led projects, improving facilities, enhancing health and wellbeing, and providing opportunities for children and young people, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Recent initiatives include the Crowdfund Kent program (£80,000 from Public Health in 2025) which partners with Spacehive to enable digital crowdfunding for community projects.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Combined Members Grant: £500 - £3,600

  • Each of Kent's 81+ county councillors can award grants up to £3,600 annually
  • Rolling application basis - contact your local county councillor directly
  • Supports small-scale, local community projects

Capital Grant Scheme for Sport: Up to £10,000

  • Administered by Active Kent & Medway
  • Fixed deadlines: Applications close at midnight on the final day of February, May, August, and October
  • Maximum £10,000 reserved for projects of countywide strategic significance
  • Decision notification by end of month following application deadline

Village and Community Hall Grant Scheme: Up to £30,000

  • Matched funding required - £1 for every £1 raised, up to 50% of eligible project costs
  • Annual allocation - applications due by 31 December
  • Decisions made 3 months later

Short Breaks for Disabled Children Grants: £1,000 - £25,000

  • Total annual funding: £1,060,000
  • Grants limited by district, with option to apply countywide
  • For organizations providing short breaks activities for children and young people with SEND

Crowdfund Kent: Up to £5,000

  • Public Health Fund: £80,000 available in 2025
  • Maximum pledge of £5,000 or up to 50% of crowdfunding target
  • Rolling basis through Spacehive platform
  • NHS Fund also available: up to £1,000 or maximum 50% of target

Innovation Grant - Short Breaks for Disabled Children Aged 5-8: Grant amounts vary

  • For new activities targeting disabled children aged 5-8
  • Rolling application basis

Early Help and Preventative Grants: Grant amounts vary

  • For projects supporting children, young people, and families
  • Focus on early intervention and prevention

Priority Areas

Community Infrastructure:

  • Village and community hall improvements and new builds
  • Sports facility development and equipment
  • Community safety schemes

Health and Wellbeing:

  • Perinatal mental health support groups for new or expectant mothers
  • Healthy eating and fitness programs
  • Weight loss/management programs
  • Tackling inactivity initiatives
  • Projects with “whole family” approach to mental health

Children and Young People:

  • Short breaks activities for children with SEND
  • Projects benefiting children and young people generally
  • Sports participation for ages 11-25
  • Early help and preventative services

Community Development:

  • Local events and activities
  • Community transport schemes (£560,000 awarded in recent year to 19 schemes)
  • Community-led improvement projects
  • Marketing and training costs for community groups

What They Don't Fund

  • Statutory curriculum delivery or teaching materials for schools and academies
  • Halls owned or managed by parish councils or church authorities (for Village Hall scheme)
  • Projects outside Kent County Council's administrative boundary
  • Activities in London boroughs of Bexley and Bromley
  • Projects that have already started (for Capital Grant for Sport)
  • 100% funding requests (match funding required for most programs)
  • Franchises, organizations with primarily political or religious nature (business grants)
  • Projects without planning permission when required
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Governance and Leadership

Kent County Council operates with a Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services who oversees grant decision-making, particularly for the Capital Grant Scheme for Sport. The council works in partnership with several key organizations:

  • Active Kent & Medway: Administers the Capital Grant Scheme for Sport and small grant programs
  • Spacehive: Digital platform partner for Crowdfund Kent
  • Action for Communities in Rural Kent (ACRE): Provides specialist advice to village and community hall volunteers
  • Funding for All: Delivers funding advice and cascades fundraising skills to voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations (VCSEs)

The council has established an Infrastructure Support Fund to provide charities, community groups, and community interest companies (CICs) with access to support services including funding advice, organizational planning and strategies, and mentoring and leadership training through Stronger Kent Communities and Charity Mentors Kent.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Combined Members Grant:

  • Contact your local county councillor directly
  • Applications accepted on rolling basis
  • Requires current bank account for organization/group

Capital Grant Scheme for Sport:

  • Online application through Active Kent & Medway
  • Must register on their club/organisation database first
  • Submit before deadline dates (end of February, May, August, October)
  • Must not have started project before application
  • Planning permission required (if applicable) before applying

Village and Community Hall Grant Scheme:

  • Annual application cycle
  • Deadline: 31 December
  • Must be registered charity with independent management committee following ACRE Model Constitution
  • Match funding evidence required

Crowdfund Kent:

  • Create project on Spacehive platform (www.spacehive.com/movement/crowdfund-kent)
  • Submit online application for KCC pledge support
  • Rolling basis throughout year

Decision Timeline

  • Combined Members Grant: Varies by councillor - typically 2-4 weeks
  • Capital Grant for Sport: Assessed after quarterly deadlines; applicants notified by end of month following deadline (approximately 1 month)
  • Village and Community Hall Grant: 3 months after 31 December deadline (March decisions)
  • Crowdfund Kent: Rolling basis - varies by project
  • Short Breaks Grants: Timing not specified - contact program directly

Success Rates

Success rate data is not publicly available for Kent County Council grant programs. However, the council demonstrates substantial annual investment:

  • Short Breaks grants: £1.06 million distributed annually
  • Community Transport: £560,000 awarded to 19 schemes in recent year
  • Combined Members Grant: Approximately £291,600+ annually across 81 councillors

Reapplication Policy

Unsuccessful applicants can request feedback and are encouraged to reapply at a later date. This applies across Kent County Council's grant programs. Organizations are welcome to improve their applications based on feedback received and submit again in subsequent funding rounds.

Application Success Factors

Key Success Factors:

  1. Local Councillor Engagement: For Combined Members Grant, build relationship with your local county councillor early. Demonstrate clear community benefit within their electoral division.
  1. Match Funding: Most programs require match funding or evidence of fundraising efforts. For Village Hall grants, you must demonstrate £1 for every £1 requested. Capital Sport grants cannot request 100% funding.
  • Improving children and young people's physical and mental health
  • Increasing participation by ages 11-25
  • Providing social, cultural, and sporting opportunities
  • Supporting families with mental health challenges
  • Early intervention and prevention
  1. Community Benefit Evidence: Show clear public benefit and how the project serves Kent residents. Projects supporting underserved populations (SEND children, expectant mothers with mental health needs, inactive populations) are priorities.
  1. Proper Governance: Organizations must be properly constituted. For Village Hall grants, must be registered charity with ACRE Model Constitution. For Capital Sport grants, must be registered on Active Kent & Medway database.
  1. Planning and Readiness: For capital projects, ensure planning permission is secured before application (where required). Projects must not have started before applying.
  1. Geographic Eligibility: Clearly demonstrate location within Kent County Council administrative boundary. Projects outside this area or in Bexley/Bromley are ineligible.
  1. Crowdfunding Strategy: For Crowdfund Kent, demonstrate community engagement and realistic crowdfunding goals. KCC pledge provides up to 50% support, so must show ability to raise matching funds from community.

Support Resources Available:

Kent County Council publishes “Inside Track” newsletter with latest funding information and provides Infrastructure Support Fund access for organizational capacity building, including funding advice from organizations like Funding for All.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Multiple funding streams available: Don't limit yourself to one program - Kent County Council operates numerous grant schemes that may be combined or applied to sequentially
  • Start with your councillor: The Combined Members Grant (up to £3,600) offers the fastest route to funding for small local projects with direct councillor decision-making
  • Plan for quarterly sport deadlines: Capital Grant for Sport has only four application windows annually - plan submissions well ahead of February, May, August, and October deadlines
  • Match funding is essential: Budget for and demonstrate match funding capability; most programs won't fund 100% of costs
  • SEND and youth projects are priorities: Particularly strong funding available for disabled children's activities (£1.06 million annually) and youth engagement
  • Use support infrastructure: Take advantage of free funding advice through Funding for All and other Infrastructure Support Fund partners before applying
  • Crowdfunding opens new opportunities: Crowdfund Kent provides up to £5,000 pledge for community-backed projects, combining traditional grant funding with modern crowdfunding approaches

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