Applications for Care Together seed-funding must be submitted by Monday 25 November 2024 (extended deadline)
Care Together seed funding 2025-2026
Care Together is a place-based, co-produced programme to support older adults to live happily for longer in the community they call home.
What is the seed-funding offer?
The seed-funding offer is designed to kick-start new initiatives or support expansion of existing activities proven to be effective, into new areas. Ideas and activities that enable older adults to interact with one another through organised groups and social/themed activities in their community. For some people, attending such groups combats loneliness and social isolation.
Some examples of previously seed-funded activity include:
- Community hubs
- Lunch clubs
- Community transport
- Good neighbour schemes
- Physical activity and exercise
The Care Together seed-funding grants are intended to empower communities to identify local needs and co-produce innovative solutions with endorsement from both Health (Integrated Neighbourhoods) and City/District Councils.
When is the deadline for submitting an application?
Applications for Care Together seed-funding must be submitted by Monday 25 November 2024 (extended deadline).
Who is eligible to apply?
Organisations or community groups that:
- can work within local communities
- are registered with The Charity Commission or Companies House (for Community Interest Companies)
- can provide a governance structure for their group
- are holders of a UK business bank account
- can provide policies and procedures that align with Cambridgeshire County Councils Equality Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens as a pdf) for their organisation or group
- can start the project within 3 months of grant award and keep the project running for at least 12 months, ideally evidencing long-term sustainability once funding ends.
How do we submit an application?
- Download the Care Together Seed-Funding Application Form 2025-2026 (opens as a docx)
- Complete the form with as much detail as possible.
- Before sending, save or change the document file name so it includes your district and organisation name. For example Care Together Seed Funding Application East Cambridgeshire Fit and Funny.docx
- Email your completed form to care.together@cambridgeshire.gov.uk by Monday 25 November 2024 (extended deadline).
Our project is in multiple locations, can we apply for them all?
An organisation can apply for seed-funding for projects in more than one district. Separate applications must be submitted and it may be that a grant is awarded for only one of those projects, so they must be viable and sustainable, independently of one another.
What is the definition of a district?
Cambridgeshire is split in to 5 districts, Cambridge City, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire. The district is the wider area that the project location takes place in.
How are applications evaluated?
A panel for each district comprising Care Together Commissioners, Health Colleagues and members of the our Communities Team will be formed. Individual panel members will evaluate the applications against the specified criteria as set out on the evaluation form. Responses will be scored in a consistent manner. They will then come together to moderate all scores by consensus.
What are the project priorities for each district?
Cambridge City
- New social Inclusion activities or groups, considering promotion and transport
- Support for those with dementia and their carers
- New offers of physical activity/exercise/fitness for over 65s
- Inclusive activities for older men, including widowers, relating to nutrition
- Kickstart more self-help groups for unpaid carers
East Cambridgeshire
- Continued offers of physical activity in rural areas (especially those not previously covered)
- Support for dementia carers (respite) and supporting people with dementia
- Low-cost transport from rural areas to social groups, hubs etc.
- Kickstart more self-help groups for unpaid carers
Fenland
- New social inclusion and enrichment activities, including arts, crafts, bowls, technology, gardening, cooking, further learning, intergenerational activities
- Support for those with dementia and their carers
- Information, advice and guidance on local activities and groups, including printed material
- Healthy eating/cooking to support with frailty, diabetes, widowhood
- New roving offers of physical activity/exercise (indoor and outdoor) to prevent falls and frailty.
- Kickstart more self-help groups for unpaid carers
Huntingdonshire
- Low-cost transport in rural communities underserved by public transport for individuals to attend a regular social group or hub
- Support for individuals with dementia and their carers
- New offers of roving physical activity/exercise (indoor or outdoor) to increase health and wellbeing
- New regular social inclusion activities for older men including widowers and armed forces veterans
- Kickstart more self-help groups for unpaid carers
South Cambridgeshire
- Healthy eating and cooking to support with frailty, diabetes, widowhood
- New offers of physical activity/exercise/fitness for over 65s, including use of green spaces
- Community transport, especially from rural villages underserved by public transport to Cambridge or Bar Hill
- Kickstart more self-help groups for unpaid carers
How is the seed-funding offer advertised?
The seed-funding grant offer and application process will be advertised on the Care Together website. It will be shared with multiple partner organisations, including Cambridge Council for Voluntary Services (CCVS) and Hunts Forum. From here, the offer is further circulated to Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations and community groups across the county.
In addition, Care Together Commissioners will promote the seed funding-opportunity within their districts by means of:
- Conversations with partners in the integrated neighbourhoods, Communities Service team and other stakeholder forums.
- Publication in Cambridgeshire Matters, our newsletter for Councillors and partners across the county.
Local project priorities, co-produced with residents and partners will be made clear to applicants so proposals are more closely aligned with identified gaps.
How will we know the outcome of our application?
Successful applicants will be informed of the outcome of the evaluation and moderation stage. Next steps and key dates for agreement signing and when the project can start will be agreed.
The names of successful applicants and a summary of the projects they will be funded to deliver will then be included on these Care Together webpages.
For organisations that submitted an unsuccessful application in this round of seed-funding will be provided with feedback to support future applications. If appropriate, signposting to possible alternative sources of funding will be provided.
How is a project monitored?
Place-based commissioners will meet regularly with successful applicants to monitor spend and activity in line with the level of spend awarded to the service and with the signed grant funding agreement.
What happens if seed-funding allowance is not allocated?
If seed-funding has been unallocated due to insufficient applications or failure of some applications to meet minimum quality standards, a stakeholder panel will decide how best to spend unallocated funds.
Previous applications and outcomes
Find out more information on previous grant and funding applications and their outcomes.
