How to apply

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Grant applications

You must apply by completing our application form. Please make sure you read our guidelines carefully before making an application.

The guidelines will help you:

• Determine if your school or charitable organisation is eligible to receive a grant

• Understand how the application process works

• Complete your application form

Depending on the size of the grant you are seeking, not all of the questions on the form will be relevant to you.

	Application process

	Eligibility

	Grant deadlines

	Make an application

You must apply by completing our application form. Before completing the form, please read the Guidance Notes for Grant Applications.

Once we have received your application, together with any supporting documents, we will assess whether it complies with the Trustee’s guidelines.

We’ll write to let you know whether:

• your application will be considered and when you can expect to hear the outcome;
• your application will not be taken further and the reasons why

Accepted applications are considered at Trustee meetings.

There are two types of grants to apply for:

• Small grants for amounts up to £250, available four times each year
• Large grants for amounts over £250 and usually up to a maximum of £3,000. Large grants are considered by the Trustees twice a year

Once the Trustees have made a decision, we will write to let you know the outcome.

We receive many more applications than we unfortunately have resources for. So the number of applicants we are able to help is limited. Please bear in mind that the decision of the Trustees is final.

As part of our decision-making process, we reserve the right to visit applying organisations to view the project first hand, or speak to those involved.

Please note, if your application is successful, you will be required to confirm receipt of your grant. Failure to do so within three months of receipt of a grant cheque may result in your organisation becoming ineligible to receive further grants for up to five years.

Grant applications from the following organisations will be considered:

• Registered charities

• Schools/PTAs (Non-fee paying, state sector schools only. Independent/private, fee paying, schools will not be considered)

• Non profit organisations (including small clubs and societies)

Grant applications supporting the following activities will be considered:

• Work that has clear benefits to the local community/environment

• Work with young people/children

• Education/schools (mainstream)

• Special education needs

• People with disabilities

Grant applications will only be considered for projects being undertaken/expenditure being made in locations near Ford Motor Company Limited’s UK operations.

• Essex (including East London)

• Bridgend (South Wales)

• Southampton

• Daventry

• Exceptions may be made for initiatives in which Ford Motor Company Limited employees and retirees are involved

Grants cannot be provided to individuals.

Grant applications are considered for the following purposes:

• Contributions to capital projects (e.g. refurbishments)

• Capital expenditure items (e.g. furniture/equipment/computers)

• Contributions towards the purchase or leasing of new Ford vehicles (maximum grant £2,000)

• General funds (small grants up to £250 only)

Additional conditions:

• Applications for IT equipment will be subjected to the Trust’s internal guidelines for maximum grants for such items, which are available on request

• Grants towards buying/leasing new Ford vehicles will be for a maximum of £2,000. If you are intending to buy vehicles, you will need to confirm that at least two thirds of the purchase price has been raised from other funding sources

• If you are intending to lease vehicles, you will need to do so via Ford Business Partner. Please contact the Ford Britain Trust before submitting your application

• Grants towards leasing apply to minibuses and Transits only and are not available for the leasing of cars

Applications for small grants do not need to specify the purpose of the grant if one has not been identified.

Applications relating to core funding, operating costs, salaries or revenue expenditure will be considered in the same way as requests for general funding and will, therefore, be eligible for small grants only.

Grant applications are NOT considered if they support the following purposes or activities:

• major building works

• sponsorship or advertising

• research

• overseas projects

• travel

• religious projects

• political projects

• purchase of secondhand vehicles

• third party fundraising initiatives (exceptions may be made for fundraising initiatives by Ford Motor Company Limited employees and retirees)

Small grant applications are considered in March, June, September and November.

Application deadlines are:

• 1st March

• 1st June

• 1st September

• 1st November

Large grant applications are considered at Trustees meetings in July and November.

Application deadlines are:

• 1st May
• 1st September

You can apply in one of three ways:

1. You can download the PDF version or Word version to print out, complete and return to us by post.
2. You can save the Word version to your computer, complete it electronically and return to us by email at fbtrust@ford.com.
3. You can request a paper copy on 01277 252551 to complete and return to us by post.

Post your completed form to:

Ford Britain Trust

Room 1/445

c/o Ford Motor Company Limited

Eagle Way

Brentwood

Essex

CM13 3BW

How to fill in the form

All applicants must complete sections 1, 2 and 3. If you are applying for a large grant, you must also complete section 4.

We will not consider incomplete applications. If a question does not apply to your application, please state ‘Not Applicable’.

Answers may be continued on a separate sheet if necessary. Supporting documents (e.g. budget submissions, project outlines, quotations for equipment etc) must be submitted with your application if appropriate.

Please submit copies of your organisation's most recent Report and Accounts with all large grant applications, where available. Please bear in mind that we do not return any documents. However, if you request the return of specific items, we will do our best to comply.

Applications are accepted on the understanding that successful organisations may appear in possible publicity that the Ford Britain Trust or Ford Motor Company Limited produce.

The Trust encourages and welcomes any appropriate public acknowledgement of grants, including the use of the Trust's logo on any publicity about the grant and/or on any relevant materials that the organisation may produce.

A jpeg version of the Trust's logo can be made available to successful applicants upon request