Councillors' Ward Improvement Grant Scheme is now open for 2025/26

For 2025/26, each councillor has £5,000 available to grant to local organisations in their wards.

Councillors may decide to award this funding to one project or may choose to split it between several good causes, with the minimum grant being £1,000.

The scheme intends to financially support smaller projects that are easily deliverable and to be supportive of local organisations.

Those wishing to apply for a grant must be constituted with their own bank account and based within the Harborough district. Grants cannot fund regular expenses like salaries or rent. Projects must demonstrate lasting impact such as physical improvements or benefits to community cohesion and wellbeing.

The scheme is happy to fund items such as equipment for groups, community events, volunteer training, start-up funding, match funding for other grants, health and wellbeing programmes, emergency initiatives and capital costs for improvements to buildings or open spaces.

Cllr Jo Asher, Cabinet lead for Culture, Leisure, Economy and Tourism, said: “I am delighted that the Councillors’ Ward Improvement Grant Scheme is available to help our residents.

“We know that organisations are hard-working and are important to the local community, and with the current economic climate, it is essential that they are supported as much as possible.

"I strongly encourage groups interested in grants funding to contact their ward councillor for more information."

Funding must be paid by 31 March 2026, so projects need to be put forward by mid-February 2026 to meet this timescale.

It is also a requirement that the project is completed within 12 months of receiving the grant.

Once a councillor decides to support a project, they will put it forward to the council’s grant officers to work with applicants to complete the online application process.

Full details of the scheme including eligibility criteria can be found at: www.harborough.gov.uk/ward-improvement-grant

Find and contact your ward councillor here: www.harborough.gov.uk/mycouncillor