Greggs Foundation Community Grants

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Helping charities to thrive 

We support charitable organisations to make a difference in the communities they serve.  

Greggs Foundation Community Grants

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Charities funded by Greggs Outlets

The Greggs Foundation Community Grants Programme offers grants of up to £20,000 per year to local organisations helping to tackle the challenges facing local communities.  Grants are awarded to organisations who can demonstrate a clear understanding of the issues facing their local area and delivering programmes that make a positive impact.

We understand different locations face a range of challenges and give priority to organisations supporting people to access a range of effective community services to widen networks, reduce isolation and build knowledge, confidence and opportunities.

Grant value 

Eligible organisations can receive a Greggs Foundation Community Grant of £20,000 per year, for up to two years. 

Core funding

As a grant-giving organisation, we understand the difficulties many charitable organisations face in accessing grant funding to meet fixed costs. Greggs Foundation Community Grants are a core funding grant to help organisations manage the financial requirements to keep their services running.   

Eligibility criteria 

To receive a Greggs Foundation Community Grant you must be a not-for-profit organisation.  Priority is given to organisations located near to a Greggs Outlet, delivering activities outlined in our Theory of Change and operating in the locations listed in the current round of funding.   

Organisations successful in receiving funding are focused in the following areas: 

  • Addressing direct needs in the local community

  • Providing food and support for individuals

  • Reducing social isolation and widening networks

  • Building knowledge, confidence and opportunities

Two women feed long horned sheep in the rolling hills of the countryside.
Friends action North East participants on the river Tyne.

Who do we support?

The Greggs Foundation Community Grant is to support not-for-profit community organisations.  Although funding is available for organisations all over the UK, we prioritise those close to Greggs Outlets and in areas of social deprivation. 

A portion of the Greggs Foundation Community Grant funding is allocated to supporting organisations situated in the North East of England (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and Teesside). This aims to rectify the historical lack of funding opportunities for organisations in the region where Greggs was founded and continues to proudly retain its headquarters.  You can learn more in our FAQ's 

The Greggs Foundation Community Grant opens for applications 4 times a year.  The current round of funding opened on the 15th of April and will close at 12 noon on the 24th of May. We are inviting applications from organisations based in and delivering services in one of the following local authority areas: 

  • Hartlepool, Co Durham 

  • Gateshead, Tyne and Wear 

  • Hednesford, Staffordshire 

Where does the funding come from?

The Greggs Foundation Community Grants programme is part-funded by the annual donation we receive from Greggs and through a portion of the profits from Greggs Outlets.   

There are over 35 Greggs Outlets, with the plan to reach 50 by 2025 as part of the Greggs Pledge to build stronger, healthier communities. By selling unsold food products at a reduced price, families on a tight budget can spend less while still having access to great quality food.  

A portion of the profits from Greggs Outlets is donated to The Greggs Foundation to fund charitable organisations in the close vicinity of an Outlet.  This helps to ensure profits generated in Outlet locations are channelled back into addressing the issues affecting those communities.   

the exterior of a Greggs Outet shop with red branding and adverts in the window

Criteria for Greggs Foundation Community Grants 

To be eligible to apply for a grant from us, you need to meet all of the criteria below:

  • A not-for-profit organisation.

  • An annual income of between £25,000 and £1,000,000 in your last set of accounts.

  • At least one set of annual accounts, having been delivering services for over a year.

  • Free reserves of less than six months' running costs in your last set of accounts which includes reserves you have decided to allocate but are free to reallocate and does not include fixed assets such as land and buildings. 

  • A board of at least three unrelated trustees or directors. 

  • A safeguarding policy in place. 

  • An independent organisation.

Exclusions:

We are unable to consider applications from any of the following:

  • Animal charities

  • Friends of associations

  • Branches or federations of national charities

  • Larger organisations with a greater capacity to fundraise

  • Uniformed groups such as scouts, guides and sea cadets

  • Sports clubs and associations

We are also unable to provide funding for any of the following:

  • Overseas travel

  • Curricular activities that take place during the school day

  • Religious promotion

  • Research grants

  • Repayment of loans

  • Purchase of vehicles

  • Equipment for hospitals

  • Major capital projects

What are your chances of success?

The programme is highly competitive.  Grants are awarded across four funding rounds per year and typically we have considerably more requests for funding than we can support.

How do we apply?

It is important to read the guidance notes and FAQ’s fully.    

When a funding round is open for applications, please only apply if you meet the eligibility criteria and are based in the locations as outlined in each funding round. 

After successful submission, you will receive a message that your application has been received. You can usually expect a decision within 8 weeks of the closing date.   

As part of the application process, you will need to submit a copy of your latest audited accounts, an income and expenditure forecast (budget) for the current financial year and a full breakdown of the costs you have applied for.  

To learn more about how organisations are using Greggs Foundation Community Grant funding, please visit our news hub