£500 Micro Grants
Grassroots bodies needing extra funding to deliver community projects can apply for a £500 communication and technology support grant from Essex County Council.
Micro-grants are available up to the value of £500 to support grassroots organisations responding to the pandemic who rely largely on volunteers to deliver their offer and have no infrastructure to support communications and technology.
The grants will be awarded twice a month, on a continuous engagement basis and are one-time-only grant award that are available to for example; community groups, foodbanks, clothes banks, community kitchens and cafes that would have outcomes that generally reduce social isolation, improve wellbeing and support better connected communities. The communication and technology micro-grants are available to help improve promotion, community reach and access to their offer/service.
Examples of how the grant could be used include and not exclusively.
▪ Designing and printing costs for leaflets that provide key information to the community who may not have access to social media
▪ Distribution of literature/leaflets
▪ Paid for advertisements in local papers
▪ Building or improving websites
▪ Improving social media presence and reach
▪ technological expertise and training
Applicants must provide their bank account details on headed paper. If you do not have access to a business bank account, then the EALC can look at local Voluntary Sector Organisations who can act as a broker to arrange payment.
An application form has been provided below along with further details about the scheme.