The second Bristol Impact Fund from Bristol City Council will soon be open for medium and large grant applications from voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations in the city. Voscur has created a programme of support to guide you through every stage of the application process.  

This funding, set to run from 2021-2025, will help local groups of all sizes reduce inequalities in the city and will prioritise residents facing greatest inequalities. £1.4 million this amount has increased – see Cabinet papers has been allocated for medium and large grants in the first year.  

The first Bristol Impact Fund, which ran from 2017-2021, helped local organisations such as Bristol Mind, Nilaari and One25 provide targeted support in their communities. This second fund has been designed by Bristol City Council following consultation with VCSE organisations in late 2020. It includes longer deadlines to take into account how COVID-19 has changed working practices and resources in the sector. 

To aid organisations applying during the COVID-19 pandemic, our support will be delivered remotely (by telephone or over Zoom), and will include online briefings, training courses on topics matched to the Bristol City Council baseline standards for funding, collaboration support, one-to-one advice surgeries, and a mailing list for programme updates. 

We know that some organisations need more help than others - that’s why there are three support levels in our programme: 

• Self-help is for all organisations that want to apply. This includes resources such as PDF guides, templates, useful web links, and videos.  
• Guided support is for equalities-focused organisations or resident-focused organisations in Bristol’s top 10-20% areas of multiple deprivation*), and organisations with an annual turnover of less than £250,000.  
• In-depth support is for organisations ‘of’ communities of identity or experience*** (Black, Asian and Other Ethnic Groups, LGBT+, people with disabilities, young people and older people) or resident-led organisations in Bristol’s top 10% areas of multiple deprivation*, for organisations with a turnover of less than £100,000, and for organisations forming a collaboration bid. There will be a number of reserved places on training courses and briefings for organisations in this category.  

We look forward to helping a diverse range of VCSE groups  apply for this exciting funding opportunity. Our online support form is available to fill in now – tell us what your organisation needs, and sign up to the Bristol Impact Fund mailing list to keep track of the latest news. 

* top 10-20% - Hareclive, Bishport Avenue, Bishport Avenue East, Fulford Road North, Whitchurch Lane, Inns Court, Ilminster Avenue West, Filwood Broadway, Bishport Avenue West, Throgmorton Road, Southmead Central, Easton Road, Four Acres, Gill Avenue, Redcliffe South, Stokes Croft West, Leinster Avenue, Lawrence Weston South, Fair Furlong, Cabot Circus, Lawrence Weston Parade, St Philips, Newtown, East Hillfields, Whitchurch Park West, Crow Lane, St Judes, Barton Hill, Withywood, Burnbush Hill, Stapleton Road, Ilminster Avenue East, Trymside, St Pauls Grosvenor Road, Glyn Vale, Burnbush, Sherrin Way, Marksbury Road, Hengrove West, Hicks Gate, Lockleaze South, St Pauls City Road, Wharnecliffe Gardens, Bedminster East, St Agnes, Greenbank, Lawrence Weston West, Lawrence Weston East, Highridge, Highridge Common, St Marks Road, Lockleaze North, Whiteway. 

** top 10% - Hareclive, Bishport Avenue, Bishport Avenue East, Fulford Road North, Whitchurch Lane, Inns Court, Ilminster Avenue West, Filwood Broadway, Bishport Avenue West, Throgmorton Road, Southmead Central, Easton Road, Four Acres, Gill Avenue, Redcliffe South, Stokes Croft West, Leinster Avenue, Lawrence Weston South, Fair Furlong, Cabot Circus, Lawrence Weston Parade, St Philips, Newtown, East Hillfields, Whitchurch Park West, Crow Lane, St Judes. 

*** We are using the Association of Charitable Foundations’ definition of organisations led by people with direct lived experience of injustice or inequalities. These organisations are sometimes called organisations ‘of’ communities of identity or experience. These organisations are led and controlled by a majority of people who have relevant lived experience and so reflect and are ‘of’ the communities that organisation works with. These organisations have a majority of people with lived experience at all levels of their organisation including trustees, senior management, staff and volunteers.