Development Grant Programme

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Active Essex is excited to launch the Development Fund 2025, a new approach to funding that focuses on strengthening organisations from within. Unlike traditional project-based funding, this fund is designed to support the development needs of your organisation—whether that’s improving internal processes, investing in staff, enhancing governance, or building long-term resilience.

This fund is open to organisations working to improve health and wellbeing across Essex through active lives and is part of our commitment to supporting people, culture, and skills that drive meaningful change.

This initiative is powered by Active Essex and the London Marathon Foundation, offering grants of up to £3,000 to eligible organisations working to improve health and wellbeing across Essex through active lifestyles.

This page is your one stop shop for the Development Grant fund.

Below you will find further information around the eligibility criteria, detailed Guidance Notes and a recorded webinar to support you through the process. Please make sure to review the page before applying as well as the Case Studies below.

Eligibility Criteria for the Development Fund

To apply for the Development Fund, your organisation must meet the following criteria:

Purpose of Funding

The fund supports organisational development, not direct delivery of physical activity sessions.

Funding can be used for:

Staff development and training
Improving governance or internal processes
Enhancing organisational resilience
Strategic planning or fundraising capacity building.

Priority Areas

Your application must align with at least one of the following four development priorities:

Workforce Journey: Supporting staff or volunteers through recruitment, onboarding, and progression.
Engagement & Wellbeing: Improving how your organisation supports and understands staff/volunteer wellbeing and motivation.
Learning & Development: Investing in skills, training, and leadership development.
Governance & Supervision: Strengthening organisational oversight, data management, and exit processes.

Funding Amount

Grants of up to £3,000 are available.
The fund is powered by Active Essex and the London Marathon Foundation.

Who we can fund

You can apply if you are a:

Formally constituted club, association, or trust
Registered Charity
Social Enterprise,
Registered CASC
Community Interest Company,
Non-for-profit company limited by guarantee, without share capital and without persons of significant control.
Sole Traders

You must operate within the Essex County Council footprint (excluding Southend and Thurrock).

Organisations must be actively involved in sport and/or physical activity as part of their regular operations or service delivery.

You should be delivering services, programmes, or initiatives that promote active lifestyles and improve physical wellbeing.

Previous Involvement

Organisations must not have previously received support through Active Essex’s organisational development initiatives.

Standards

Applicants must adhere to Active Essex’s Standard Operating Conditions and Safeguarding Policy Guide.

Application Support

You will need to complete the Organisational Support Needs Diagnostic Tool to help shape your application.
Review the Guidance Notes and attend the support webinar before applying.

Applying

The application process includes two parts:

Organisational Support Needs Diagnostic Tool – A reflective tool to help you identify strengths, areas for growth, and development priorities. This will also generate a tailored one-page report to support your planning and fundraising efforts.
Development Fund Application Form – A chance to tell us how you’d like to use the funding, what you hope to achieve, and the impact it will have.

You will need to complete the Organisational Support Needs Diagnostic Tool to help shape your application.

The Diagnostic Survey

The Application Form

Important documents

The Guidance Notes here

Download

The Diagnostic Tool questions as a word document

Download

Find Your Active Development Grant Webinar

Before applying for the Development Grant, we would recommend you watch our webinar that provides further details of the fund, outlines the application process and provides top tips to help you with your submission. Or download the slides below.