It’s been a busy summer and we’re pleased to announce that from Tuesday 4 October the BLFF Citizens Panel participatory grantmaking scheme will be open for applications.
How did we get here?
A key difference about the Bristol Local Food Fund is that the funds would be allocated to food projects using a participatory grantmaking process. This can take a little longer than typical grant giving procedures, but we think that it was time worth spending to ensure that the decision-making stays in the community rather than being outsourced to people without the lived experience of food insecurity.
After an application process, a panel was selected to represent the diverse geographical and interest-based communities of Bristol. The citizens panel, which is made up of individuals with lived experience of food insecurity, then met for facilitated sessions where they learned about grantmaking systems, household food insecurity in Bristol, and the work and needs of community food projects in the city.
The next stage was to collate this knowledge to design the grantmaking process. This included making decisions on grant sizes, priority locations in Bristol, the activities that would be funded, application procedures and funding criteria. The panel came to an agreement on all of these areas, deciding that the funds should be divided into grants of £5000 and £1000 and awarded to community food projects across the areas most at risk of food insecurity in the Cost of Living Crisis in Bristol.
What will the grants fund?
These grants can support charitable and community activities, projects and services that improve or maintain access to good quality, affordable, culturally appropriate food in the City of Bristol.
The grant can fund any cost related to the activity, including resources such as ingredients for healthy meals and equipment. It can also fund core activity costs such as rent, staff costs, volunteer expenses and transport costs.
It will prioritise supporting groups that are working on the following types of activity:
Education activities focused on improving access to good quality nutritional food, e.g. healthy
eating, cooking workshops; food budgeting workshops.
Projects that reduce food waste.
Food growing projects
What is the application process?
Applicants can start the process by clicking on this link. To improve accessibility, applicants can choose to complete the main section of the application with either audio, video or written answers.
Who can apply?
Incorporated groups such as charities, community interest companies, community benefit societies, and non-incorporated groups with a proven record of providing services within a community or location can apply.
What is the deadline?
The participatory grantmaking programme will be open from 9am Tuesday 4th October until 8am on Monday 13 November.
If you have questions or need some help with the application process, please contact Lucy at lucy.gilbert@quartetcf.org.uk or on 07788 214667.
Make an application below, and help us share the link widely! https://quartetcf.org.uk/grants/bristol-local-food-fund-grant/