Essex County Council’s locality fund for 2026/2027 is now open for applications.
Cllr Isi Rocha has an allocation of £10,000 to support projects across the entire division, and she wants to ensure this funding is distributed equitably and in line with local needs, so we are inviting anyone with a community project in mind to submit an expression of interest.
What the funding can support
Funding may be used to:
- Provide a grant to a registered charity, parish council, or properly constituted community or voluntary organisation for a specific project or service within the division
- Purchase goods or services
- Commission services from Essex County Council
The minimum grant is £300. There is no upper limit per project, provided the total across all nominations remains within the £10,000 allocation. Funding may also be pooled with neighbouring divisions to support larger projects.
Key dates
- The deadline to return your expressions of interest is 30th September 2026
This gives us seven weeks to review all submissions, ask and address any questions with you, and submit final nominations to Cllr Isi Rocha, for her consideration, before she then submits her final proposals to ECC ahead of their deadline of 8th January 2027. She aims to let us all know what funding she’s applying for by the end of December 2026, before submitting nominations to the ECC. Please note that all approved project expenditure and claims must then be completed by 20th March 2027 so do bear this in mind.
How to apply
Please complete the expression of interest form and return it to Halstead Town Council by 30th September 2026. If you have any supporting information such as quotes, estimates, or letters of support, please attach these alongside your completed form. We will then review all submissions and prioritise funding on the basis of local need, community benefit, and equitable distribution before making the formal submission to Cllr Rocha on your behalf.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have questions in the meantime!