Four Microgrants Funding Opportunity - Community Voices and Cohesion Programme
Sandwell Council, on behalf of the Safer Sandwell Partnership, is offering four microgrants of up to £975 to local Faith, Voluntary and Community Sector (FVCS) organisations to deliver activities that bring people together and strengthen community cohesion across Sandwell.
The programme aims to support projects that encourage residents from different backgrounds to connect, build relationships and celebrate diversity within their communities.
Examples of activities that could be funded include community conversations and discussion events, interfaith and intercultural engagement activities, shared community events, meals and celebrations, intergenerational activities, arts, cultural and storytelling projects, community exhibitions or performances, youth-led engagement projects, and community media or digital storytelling initiatives.
Applications from organisations working within West Bromwich, Oldbury, Smethwick and Rowley Regis are particularly welcomed. Applications that demonstrate partnership working or collaboration between organisations are also encouraged.
Projects must clearly demonstrate how they will bring together people from different backgrounds and contribute to community cohesion.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for funding, organisations must:
- Be a non-profit organisation.
- Have a governing document, constitution or set of rules.
- Be based in Sandwell or deliver activity within Sandwell.
- Have an organisational bank account.
- Ensure that staff or volunteers delivering the project have a recent Enhanced DBS check where required.
- Be able to deliver activities between October 2026 and March 2027.
- Agree to provide the required monitoring information.
- Hold appropriate public liability insurance, or obtain it before delivery begins.
- Be committed to delivering activities that are inclusive and accessible to all participants.
Organisations that are unable to confirm all of the above eligibility criteria will not be considered for funding.
Key Information
Grant amount: Up to £975
Number of grants available: Four
Project delivery period: October 2026 to March 2027
Closing date: 3.00pm on Wednesday 23 September 2026
Complete the Expression of Interest Form
Completed application forms, along with any enquiries regarding the programme, should be submitted by email to:
community_safetyteam@sandwell.gov.uk
Applications must be received by 3.00pm on Wednesday 23 September 2026.
Grant Funding Opportunity - Cultural and Creative Investment Grants Programme (CCIP) 2026
Sandwell Council are inviting local Voluntary and Community Sector organisations (Definition here) to apply for a grant between £2,000-£5,000 to enhance the cultural and creative infrastructure of Sandwell and the West Midlands. This has been supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Programme Overview
This programme will support Sandwell’s local cultural and heritage sector to grow and become more sustainable by investing in the adaptive reuse and improvement of locally significant cultural and heritage buildings. Sandwell wants to invest in locally significant cultural assets that support inclusive growth, civic pride, and community wellbeing. This aligns with WMCA’s strategic priorities around place-based regeneration and improving access to culture across the region.
The Sandwell Cultural Infrastructure Programme is particularly interested in supporting locally significant cultural and heritage assets in areas of Sandwell facing economic disadvantage and low cultural engagement.
These capital grants are designed to deliver tangible improvements in cultural infrastructure that contribute to long-term social and economic outcomes. It supports WMCA’s commitment to inclusive growth by creating spaces that foster creativity, community cohesion, and local pride. The programme also complements other regional initiatives in housing, transport, and skills, helping to embed culture as a core component of place-making. Through strategic investment in locally significant projects, the programme will strengthen the region’s cultural ecosystem and enhance quality of life for residents
The programme will address the following core objectives.
- Drive economic growth and attract investment in the creative economy: Strengthen the creative and cultural sector as a driver of economic growth and positioning the West Midlands as a nationally recognised hub for creative innovation, talent and investment.
- Support cultural-led place regeneration and civic pride: Animate high streets, town centres and community spaces through culture-led regeneration, enhancing pride in place, stimulating local spending, and improving quality of life through vibrant, accessible cultural infrastructure.
- Promote environmental and social sustainability and inclusion: Enable the adaptive reuse of cultural buildings while embedding net zero principles and ensuring equity and inclusion in the design and delivery of investment; infrastructure and ensure that under-represented communities have equitable opportunities to create, participate in, and benefit from culture and creativity.
- Enhance cultural infrastructure and participation: Invest in locally significant cultural assets to broaden public access, improve the quality and resilience of cultural venues, and increase opportunities for people from all backgrounds to participate in cultural life
Project Brief:
Develop and deliver a capital works project that support small-to-medium scale capital works that enhance or upgrade locally significant cultural and heritage assets - whether owned by local authorities or operated by community and cultural organisations. The fund is intended to unlock underutilised infrastructure, widen access to cultural experiences, and drive inclusive, place-based regeneration through culture
Projects should be delivered in Sandwell only, utilising organisation’s own venues and cultural assets within Sandwell.
Please refer to the CCIP Guidance Notes 2026
Eligibility:
Your organisation must:
- Be a voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations operating on a non-profit basis, we welcome applications from small grassroots community organisations.
- Have a constitution/terms of reference and bank account
- The applicant’s cultural/heritage asset must be based in Sandwell. The organisation does not need to be registered in Sandwell, but it must operate its activities in a Sandwell based cultural/heritage asset that is either owned or rented by that organisation.
- The applicant must have demonstrable experience in developing and delivering cultural and arts projects in Sandwell over the past three years.
Applications will be rejected if these criteria are not met.
Funding:
Between £2,000- £5,000
Minimum spend for capital works should be no less than £2,000. This can be multiples of the same item to reach £2,000.
Delivery Period:
Grant spend should be completed within six months of award.
Stacey Anne Bagdi, the Cultural Development Officer for Sandwell Council is holding a drop-in questions session on 25 August 2026 between 11-3pm. If you’d like to book a 15-minute chat with Stacey to discuss your proposal, please email Stacey_bagdi@sandwell.gov.uk
Application Closing Date:
20 September 2026
Complete the Application Form
Smethwick Pride in Place Funding
Pride in Place is a government-funded programme designed to support communities to improve their neighbourhood's area and strengthen local pride. It focuses on:
- Creating thriving places
- Building stronger neighbourhoods
- Giving communities more control over local decisions
Smethwick has been selected as one of 284 places across the UK to receive up to £20 million over 10 years.
This long-term funding is a real opportunity for change but more importantly, it puts power where it belongs - in our hands as a community. This programme is designed to ensure that we, the people who live and work in Smethwick, lead the way in setting priorities and shaping projects for our townnformaton on how to apply can be found here
Click here for further Information on how to apply.