Big Ideas Grants 2025 to 2028: how to apply

Oxford Community Impact Fund: Big Ideas Grant has allocated funding of £338,000 per year. Not-for-profit organisations can apply for up to £35,000 per year for a maximum of three years.

Unsuccessful applicants may be able to apply for funding from our Small Grants. However, successful Big Idea Grant applicants will not be eligible to apply for a Small Grant.

What we are looking to achieve

We are looking for this grant programme to help deliver the following key interconnected priorities, in line with the Council's Strategy:

Criterion 1: Reducing inequalities in the city - score up to 60%
Criterion 2: Evidence of providing cash match funding of at least 70% - score up to 40%

Criterion 1 gives you the opportunity to tell us what you will be focusing on and whether you wish to apply for core funding, project funding or capital funding or a combination. We want you to apply for what works best for you and your beneficiaries.

Criterion 2 demonstrates that you can provide cash match funding of at least 70%.

Your application will be assessed against the criteria above. We're most interested in the difference and impact you want to make. We intend our grants to deliver a wide programme of activity, catering for the needs of our diverse communities across the city. Ensuring the right balance across these will form part of the decision making process. We welcome joint bids.

Information about how to strengthen your application is available to read in advance and you can also attend a briefing session (see above for details).

Briefing sessions

We will be holding three optional briefing sessions to go through the application form and to answer any questions you may have. These are on the following dates and times, and you can register for these session on the Eventbrite website below:

Should you require an alternative way of receiving the information, please let us know by email at grants@oxford.gov.uk.