Groups in Warwick district have until Wednesday 30 September to bid for up to £3,000. Bids are scored out of 9, and 5 or less is unlikely to be funded.
Community groups in Warwick district have until Wednesday 30 September to apply for a council grant of up to £3,000. The money is for projects that help households struggling with the cost of living.
Warwick District Council reopened its Cost of Living Fund on 2 September. That leaves groups four days, counting today, to get a bid in.
Who can apply
The fund’s own page sets out who is eligible:
- not-for-profit community groups based in Warwick district, if they have a constitution
- new or informal groups working in the district, if another group or service will hold the money in its own bank account for them
- schools in the district, but only through a Parent Teacher Association or “Friends of” group
Individuals, political or lobby groups and organisations based outside the district cannot apply.
What the money can pay for
The council lists these kinds of project:
- food and other household essentials
- running costs and activities at community hubs
- school holiday activities, or food during the holidays
- help with household budgets, income and debt
- mental health and wellbeing support
- events or activities based on local need
It will not pay for anything bought or done before the grant is awarded. Loans, debt repayments and work the council already pays a group to do are also excluded.
How bids are scored
This is the part worth reading before you start. Every bid is marked out of 9 points. The council’s benchmark is 6, and it says bids scoring 5 or less are unlikely to win.
So a bid that only covers the cost of living question can score 3 at most. To reach 6 it also has to show some of the rest:
- how it helps people’s mental health and wellbeing (2 points)
- what lasting benefit remains once the grant is spent (2 points)
- that local people helped shape it (1 point)
- that it works with other organisations (1 point)
Practical tips from the council’s page
- The online form cannot be saved. It has to be done in one sitting.
- Each answer is capped at 1,000 characters.
- The council publishes the questions as a document so you can draft answers first and paste them in.
- Send quotes as evidence of costs where you can.
- Successful groups have to fill in an evaluation form afterwards.
The application form is on the council’s site. Questions go to the community and wellbeing team at communitywellbeingteam@warwickdc.gov.uk. Warwickshire Community and Voluntary Action (WCAVA) also helps groups with funding bids.
Who got it last year
Twenty local organisations won grants in the last round, the council says. They included:
- Chase Meadow Community Centre, Warwick, for Christmas food hampers and presents for children
- Bubbenhall Village Hall, to keep its Cosy Café warm hub going, about five miles north-east of Leamington
- the Sydni Centre in Sydenham, Leamington, for its weekly Warm and Well Hub with a free lunch
What it means for you
- If you run a group: the deadline is Wednesday. Download the questions today and draft against the five scoring points.
- If you need help this winter: the grants go to groups, not people. Ask your local community centre what it is planning. The district’s claimant count is in our August jobs figures.
Sources: Warwick District Council news release, 2 September 2026; Warwick District Council Cost of Living Fund page, read 27 September 2026.
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