Grant Grabbing

MSE_Martin

Whats this about?

There's a lot of free cash out there if you know where to look. Grants aren't just for students; there's money to do up your home, turn more environmental or start a business too. This is my quick guide to grabbing grants. My plan is to turn it into an article too - with your help.

If you know of more places to find grants please click reply and add them

Grant Grabbing for Individuals

• The Energy Saving Trust: This has a grant searcher so you can find out what money is available to help make your home more energy efficient. Link: The Energy Saving Trust. Of course it's also a very good idea to ensure you're using the cheapest energy supplier - read the Gas & Electricity cost cutting article for more.

• Home improvement agencies: These provide assistance for vulnerable homeowners or private sector tenants who are older, disabled or on low income to repair, improve, maintain or adapt their homes. Link: Home Improvement Agencies

• Student Scholarship Search: This is a great little database of bursary, scholarship and award funding for students. You'd be surprised what's available depending on religion, location, parental occupation and more. Link: Student Scholarship Search. Also read the Student Money Saving article.

• Family Welfare Association: A databsse of educational trust funds Funding search

• Earn under £66,000? You may be entitled to benefits. The benefits net spreads much wider than you think. Families with income under £66,000 may be eligible. Read the full Five Minute Benefit Check-Up article.

• Social Fund: This provides government grants and loans that help with essential costs you're unable to pay for if you're living on a low income. Link: Social Fund

• ILA Scotland: This gives up to £200 to people who are over 18 and live in Scotland towards the cost of learning new skills. Link: ILA Scotland

• Local council grants. There may also be grants available from your local council for a range of areas, contact them to ask for more information.

Grant grabbing for small companies, community and voluntary groups

• Funder Finder: A small UK charity that gives information on how and where to look for funding for individuals, community groups or voluntary organisations. Link: Funder Finder

• Business Link: potential sources of help with starting up a business or business development. Link: Business Link

• Award for all: The Lottery scheme that gives grants between £300 and £10,000 (depending on where you live) to help people take part in art, sport, heritage and community activities. Link: Awards For All

• GrantNet: A free to use funding search site for small businesses and community groups looking to fund specific projects. Link: GrantNet

• Local Council Grants. There may also be grants available from your local council for a range of areas, contact them to ask for more information.

Martin

IF YOU GET A GRANT FROM USING THIS CHART OR KNOW OF ANOTHER SITE/RESOURCE FOR GRANT GRABBING PLEASE CLICK REPLY AND REPORT IT BELOW!

blinko

thanks martin this is really helpful for me i need about £1000 odd for a maths book for A level std which im hoping to give away for free to poor schools and give the files away free on my website its just because i would only be printing up about 250 if costs quite a bit per book !

but thanks again will report any success here

ramborai1987

woot ur college is making you buy it. im sure all colleges supply books i didnt have to buy any when i was there. hard luck

motherhubbard

thanks Martin. my children are getting sick of me saying 'why dont you check on my favourite site before you go out /buy that' :j

Any way. would it be possible to receive a grant in England for a property I am considering buying, it needs double glazing and heating.
the only concern is we live in Wales at the moment and have just had a heating grant from EEGA ? would a different County and property make us eligible as I am a single-parent receiving WFTC

catz747

There's a website to look for trusts who can help people in education on low incomes & such, application isn't neccesarily online but here it is if you think it is suitable:

http://www.egas-online.org.uk/fwa/trustsearch.htm

joansheng

It may help anyone living on income support who needs to replace their motability car to know that Motability can give grants to help with initial payments and adaptations. The procedure is simple and the application can be made over the phone. The Motability website has the details.:T

Mark7799

Martin,

Another site that offers information on possible business grants is www.j4b.co.uk. Registration is required but this is free.

If this turns into an article, can I ask that you include some guidance about business grants.

I work as an advisor and there are a lot of myths going around - in reality there are not that many grants available.

Where businesses may qualify for grants they need to consider the following:-

• usually, any grant is no more than 50% of the total cost of the proposed expenditure, in some cases as low as 33%, you will need to demonstrate that you have funding elsewhere for the balance of the expenditure
• not all expenditure qualifies for grants - items such as stock (for resale) or vehicles are excluded from some schemes
• eligibility for grants can depend upon the type of business you are undertaking and where in the Country you are based
• grants will usually require the completion of a business plan -expect this to be a minimum of 10 hours' work
• grants are not usually paid for items already purchased and delays of upto a few weeks in some cases can be seen before a decision - if you need money quickly, applying for a bank loan may be a better option

blinko

thanks guys what im trying to do is write a maths book and give it away for free, schools do pay etc for them for there students but i hope i can make a difference as i had to teach myselfA level maths and found it hard to get free resources on the net

scottishlass

blinko wrote: »

thanks guys what im trying to do is write a maths book and give it away for free, schools do pay etc for them for there students but i hope i can make a difference as i had to teach myselfA level maths and found it hard to get free resources on the net

That sounds such a brilliant idea - let me know if you need any help with proofing etc - I taught myself Alevel maths and further maths so now how hard it can be to find the resources.

wonko

Buying a new boiler

Martin you are spot on as always but in this increasingly complicated world in which we live, the bottom line price isn't always the cheapest!??

The Energy Saving Trust’s Magic Boiler Scheme (01332 255622) is excellent and offers £20 cash back. Thus for the boiler I am selfishly interested in (Worcester Greenstar 42Cdi combi) they steal the show at £1,216.03 inclusive of VAT (excl cash back)

However, Energy-Smart (0845 230 3320) will do the same for £1,206.56 including VAT and a basic flue kit worth £30.

Beating the magic boiler scheme by £19.47:j

PTS who both schemes make you purchase from, told me on the phone that they would only sell to a registered CORGI installer under the Energy-Smart scheme, but Energy-Smart deny this to be the case.

I have a ‘tame’ plumber who is in turn a Worcester partner/supplier and he was disappointed to learn that I can obtain said unit cheaper than his ‘guaranteed lowest price’ arrangement with Worcester!

Magic Boiler and Energy-Smart both advise that they are revising their price-lists at the end of August to reflect changes in suppliers model lines. I can’t see the price falling at all. Act now!

PS: I am hearing roomers (nothing more) that the Magic Boiler scheme is not going to be supported for much longer!:mad:

jlangleymills

With reference to the information on Grants available. I looked into foundations for grants available for the disabled. I was given details on a company in Leicestershire called Care & Repair, they state they offer various types of help for the disabled, however on telephoning them I was most dismayed that they had failed to put on their website that in most cases, ie. in the North West of Leicestershire YOU HAVE TO BE OVER 60.
This was their response:-

----Original Message----It depends where you live. In North West we only deal with over 60s but in Hinckley & Bosworth we deal with all ages.
Surely this should be stated on their website.