Community funds and how to apply

This page has been archived. Please visit the updated Community Funds page to see the latest news and information.

HS2 Community and Business Funds

In October 2014 the government announced two funding programmes to help offset the disruption of Phase One of HS2 on local communities and businesses - the Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and the Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF).

A combined total of £40 million has been made available for these two funds over a period of 11 years. The funds will be released during the construction period and for the first year of operational HS2 (Phase One) services. The funds will provide support for good quality bids and money will be available throughout this time period.

Both funds will award money from the same funding pot and so the amounts allocated from each fund will depend on the number and quality of applications.

The administration of CEF and BLEF is managed on behalf of HS2 Ltd by the national community charity Groundwork.

Click here for further information, to watch a short video on the funds and to view the interactive map showing the various projects already awarded funding.

If you would like to make an application to one of the funds please click here.

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Community and Environment Fund

There are two types of CEF funding

CEF funding is targeted at the voluntary/community sector, including residents' associations, constituted community groups, Community Interest Companies (CICs), social enterprises, community businesses and registered charities.

Business and Local Economy Fund

Applications can be for capital or revenue funding from £10,000 up to a maximum of £1 million. Through this funding, we are looking to fund interventions that will have a positive impact on local economies, including a number of small schemes that are brought together in a package of interventions.

Funding of less than £75,000 will typically be for short-term kick-starter projects and support between £75,000 and £1 million will typically be for long-term development projects.

BLEF funding is targeted at organisations which have formal objectives that support the development of local business/tourism. Other organisations may be eligible to apply for funding too, for example non-statutory bodies who have a governing document.

More information can be found here .

If you would like to make an application to one of the funds please click here .

If you have any questions or comments please contact HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk or call 08081 434 434 and refer to HS2 in Birmingham.