LONDON GREENING OPEN CALL

This call for proposals is to provide capital grants to London-based charitable organisations looking to create or improve greenspace in central London. (Exclusions apply, see Eligibility Criteria). 

PROGRAMME CRITERIA

~ Grant applications up to £250k will be considered. All grant requests must be at least one-to-one match funded
~ Projects must create or significantly improve publicly accessible greenspace
~ Applicants must be able to demonstrate the ability to maintain the green space long term
~ Organisations must own, have a long term lease or long term operational control of at least 20 years for the proposed green space
~ Priority will be given to projects that have considered climate resilience and biodiversity in their design
~ Builds which have already received planning permission from the local authority, and have confirmed costings through a tendering process will be looked upon favourably
~ Applicants should be able to provide and explain the cost per square metre of their plan

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

You must:

~ Be a registered charity in England, including charities linked to NHS trusts – Universities and museums will also be considered
~ Have a turnover of over £IM in your latest published accounts
~ Ensure that the project being applied for take place entirely within one or more of the following boroughs: Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth, Hammersmith and Fulham, Brent, Camden, Islington, City of London, Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham or Wandsworth
~ Hold a valid UK registered bank account in the name of the organisation
~ Have an active website
~ Have governance and financial management systems appropriate to your overall work and the proposed programme
~ Hold relevant DBS checks and safeguarding policies and procedures
~ Have paid staff

 Organisational Exclusion Criteria:

~ Schools, colleges, or nurseries, even if registered charities
~ Places of worship, even if registered charities
~ Political organisations, or those primarily concerned with policy influencing or advocacy

Please note that we can only consider one application per organisation. Current grantholders, charities already in conversation with Kusuma Trust or anyone who has had an application declined in the last 12 months, please speak to us before applying.

We will not fund projects that have already been completed.

PROCESS & ASSESSMENT

If you meet the eligibility criteria above, the application process involves completing an online eligibility checklist. If eligible, you will be asked to schedule a brief introductory call with staff to review your ideas.  After internal consideration, you may then be asked to complete a concept note and provide plans and a budget for the associated project costs. 

The application will be assessed against the following criteria:

~ There is a need for the project you are proposing
~ The project will positively impact the London landscape and make a measurable difference to Londoners access to greenspace
~ You have the experience and capacity to implement capital grants effectively
~ The project is sustainable and provides value for money
~ The project will be monitored and evaluated effectively
~ KTUK funds will make a demonstrable difference to your ability to complete the project
~ You have taken steps to ensure the sustainability of the project

If your application goes through to the next stage of our process, due diligence will be carried out by the Trust, including an approximately 90 minute video meeting and a site visit with the Grants Team.  We will also require evidence of the other funding you have received, if any.

HOW TO APPLY

If your organisation and proposed project fit the criteria above, please follow the link here to complete the eligibility checklist and arrange a preliminary call.

The open call will remain open in 2024, however we may close the application process early if we have received a high volume of quality applications. In this case, two weeks closing notice will be posted on this site. While we endeavour to respond to all applications, if you have not heard within eight weeks of the closing date please assume that your request for funding has been unsuccessful on this occasion. 

This information is available for download as a PDF document here. If you require additional help or assistance with completing the application form, please do not hesitate to contact us via phone on 02074200650.