What are your themes?

Under our Main Grants Scheme, for grants of between £10,000 and £75,000, we have four different funding themes, each with its own eligibility criteria. The themes are Community Buildings, Recreation, Cultural Facilities and Rebuilding Biodiversity. You should carefully consider your theme before making an application as there can be no crossover between themes. You must select one theme and meet all the eligibility criteria for that theme. To find out more download our Main Grants Scheme Guidance Notes. Please note that these might have changed if you have applied for funding before.

Under our Partnership Grants Scheme we have two different themes - Natural Environment and Build Environment.  Please check here to see whether our Partnership Grants Scheme is currently open for Expressions of Interest.

How do I find out whether my project is within the required distance of a Biffa operation or licensed landfill site?

When you chose the theme you would like to apply under, you can see our Postcode Checker at the bottom of the page. To choose your theme, go back to our Homepage and select from the themes listed.  You can then enter your project postcode  into the postcode checker to find out if there is a Biffa operation or Biffa landfill site within the required distance.

If you meet the distance criteria for a Biffa operation, you can  call the regulator Entrust on 01926 488300 to confirm whether you have any licenced landfill site within the required distance.

Does my project have to benefit the whole community?

Yes. All of the projects that Biffa Award funds through our Main Grants Scheme benefit the whole community - that is what makes our funding so special. We will ask you to evidence the community benefit of your project when you apply to us, so make sure that everyone is on board before you start your application! We will ask you to provide letters of support or evidence of community consultation to prove that everyone wants the project as much as you do!

Can I apply if my project is on school or college grounds?

No, we do not fund any projects that are located on school or college grounds. This is a rule enforced by our regulator, ENTRUST and so there are no exceptions.

Can we apply for a Rebuilding Biodiversity project if we don’t own the land?

If you’re not the landowner, you will need to have a signed landowner agreement in place agreeing to access for maintenance, surveying and monitoring for a period of not less than 8 years from completion of the project. Contact the team if you want further clarification.

What is the maximum amount of money I can receive?

The maximum amount of Biffa Award funding a Main Grants Scheme project can receive is £75,000. If your project costs more than this, you can secure funding from multiple sources but we will need to know how much money you’ll be getting in total and who the other funders will be. The total project must cost no more than £200,000 including VAT.

How long does the application process take?

The Main Grants Scheme application process is a two stage process and can therefore take some time. Once you’ve submitted an Expression of Interest, it usually takes up to six months to find out if your project has been approved, subject to you being invited to Full Application stage and fulfilling all of our criteria.

When should I submit my application and when will I hear?

Submissions of Expression of Interest  for our Main Grants Scheme are on a rolling basis. The Board meets four times a year to decide which projects to fund. Your application will go to the next available meeting so there are no restrictions on when you can apply. However this does mean that it may take up to six months until you hear whether you have been successful.

Who is ENTRUST and why do I need to register with them?

ENTRUST acts on behalf of HM Revenue and Customs as the sole regulator of the Landfill Communities Fund. ENTRUST enrols organisations as Environmental Bodies, and then audits their activities to ensure compliance with the Landfill Tax Regulations 1996. The applicant organisation and project must be eligible for enrolment and registration with the scheme's regulator ENTRUST. These will be conditions of any grant approved. Registration of both organisation and project must be completed within two weeks of any conditional offer.

Who can be a third party contributor and why do I need one?

Under the regulations of the Landfill Communities Fund, only 90 percent of a grant can be provided from landfill tax - the remainder must come from another source. You apply to Biffa Award for 100 per cent of the grant and let us know on your application form who your third party contributor will be. If your application is successful, the third party pays the contribution to Biffa Waste Services in order for us to release the full amount of the grant.

Please note that third party contribution is completely separate from general match funding - you may need to make up the total costs of your project alongside the grant; you cannot count and spend the same amount twice!

Third party funding is a tricky concept to explain and to grasp. Some people prefer to think of it as leverage - finding a relatively small amount of money in order to release a much larger sum. Any individual or organisation who is willing to make the required contribution. However, third party funding cannot be made up of other Landfill Community Fund monies and cannot be funded by anyone that is going to derive a unique benefit from the project going ahead, e.g. a contractor for the project works. Third party funding cannot be supplied by the applicant from its own funds.

Will you come to our opening event?

The Biffa Award team is very small and so we’re not always able to join you at celebration events. However, if you send the information to biffa-award@wildlifetrusts.org, we will check our diary and let you know.

What is the process?

To find out more about the funding process please download our Main Grants Scheme Guidance Notes. Please note that these might have changed if you have applied for funding before.

What should I do if I have any more questions?

If this Frequently Asked Questions page has not answered your query, you can contact us by emailing biffa-award@wildlifetrusts.org or by calling us. Our contact details are here.