Application Guidelines

ABOUT EAST SUFFOLK TRUST GRANTS

The East Suffolk Trust Grant supports organisations to deliver meaningful, lasting impact for nature and people in Suffolk and its immediate surrounding areas. It is our core funding offer, and is awarded as grants of at least £10,000 for a period of up to five years. Our aim is to add value and, where relevant, strengthen capacity and collaboration. This document provides guidance to anyone looking to apply for a grant from East Suffolk Trust. It sets out our funding outcomes, who can apply, what we fund, how to apply, and assessment and award processes. For more information on how we plan to fund, please read our draft strategy, available for download on our website.

As a brand new charity we want to learn as we fund. So our processes, and this guidance, will change over time. To make sure you find out about any changes, please sign up to our newsletter.

OUR FUNDING OUTCOMES

All funding from East Suffolk Trust must align with one or both of our funding outcomes: i) more diverse and resilient natural landscapes, and ii) empowered people and communities driving nature recovery. We expect every application to clearly demonstrate how it contributes to these outcomes, although individual projects may be weighted more heavily towards one than the other.

MORE DIVERSE AND RESILIENT NATURAL LANDSCAPES

WHAT WE MEAN

We will fund work that creates, enhances and links together space for nature, enabling habitats to thrive, species to recover, and landscapes to withstand future pressures.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

There is increased space for nature, including high-quality, priority habitats.
There are evidence-based improvements in species outcomes over appropriate timescales.
Space for nature is more connected, improving the landscape’s ability to adapt to environmental change.

For the purposes of this funding outcome, “natural landscapes” includes terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine environments within the geographic scope. See Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy for further information on priority habitats and species.

EMPOWERED PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES DRIVING NATURE RECOVERY

WHAT WE MEAN

We will fund work that gives people and communities of all ages and backgrounds the skills, confidence, and opportunities to actively protect and enhance natural environments.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

More people are participating in nature-based activities and decision-making.
People have the knowledge and capacity to maintain and improve habitats.
Underrepresented communities are able to benefit from and contribute to nature.

Applicants are expected to identify and evidence the communities they aim to reach. We do not prescribe specific groups, allowing applicants to respond to local context and need.

WHO CAN APPLY?

To be eligible for funding, you or your organisation must be able to demonstrate evidence of work delivering for nature and people, for public benefit.

NOT-FOR-PROFITS

An organisation is fully eligible if it is a not-for-profit entity with:

A bank account in the organisation’s name
A governing document (e.g., constitution, articles of association, or trust deed)
At least three trustees, directors, or equivalent decision-makers who are not related and do not live at the same address

Applicants will be asked to provide evidence of these requirements before a grant can be awarded. Not-for-profit entities that do not meet the above criteria are encouraged to contact us to discuss options.

LANDOWNERS AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS

If you are a private landowner, for-profit company, or other organisation, you may be eligible to apply where you can clearly demonstrate that your proposed work will deliver public benefit for nature and people, and that any personal, private or commercial benefit is incidental.

Applications from these organisations will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may be subject to additional conditions or safeguards to ensure public benefit and appropriate accountability.

If you are unsure if you meet our eligibility criteria you can contact us by emailing enquiries@eastsuffolktrust.org.

WHAT WE FUND

The East Suffolk Trust Grant is focused on contribution to our funding outcomes, rather than prescribing specific activities or approaches.

GRANT SIZE AND DURATION

East Suffolk Trust Grants must be at least £10,000 and may be awarded for up to five years. There is no upper grant limit, but we are restricted in how much we award by our total annual budget (currently £1.6m per year).

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

East Suffolk Trust can fund work in Suffolk or its immediate surrounding area, with a particular focus on East Suffolk. This includes coastal and marine projects adjacent to the Suffolk coastline.

If your project is based partially or wholly in East Suffolk, or if it has a clear link to habitats, species or communities in East Suffolk, then you are eligible to apply.

If your project is based elsewhere in Suffolk or its immediate surrounding area, with no clear benefit for East Suffolk, you must contact us before applying to discuss eligibility by emailing enquiries@eastsuffolktrust.org.

ELIGIBLE COSTS

Grants are flexible and may be used to support any reasonable costs that help the organisation to deliver the agreed outcomes. Eligible costs may include:

Delivery and implementation costs, such as land access or management, habitat works, equipment, materials, and specialist expertise.
People and capacity costs, including staff time, volunteer coordination, training.
Partnership and engagement costs, including collaboration, coordination, community engagement, and participation activities.
Organisational overheads and other indirect costs needed to support the project

All costs must be proportionate, must evidence value for money, and must be clearly linked to achieving the stated outcomes. Where proposals include significant capital or equipment purchases, applicants will be asked to explain why these are necessary and how they contribute to long-term impact.

Funding may only be used for costs incurred from the official start date of the grant onwards and cannot be used to cover costs incurred prior to the grant being awarded.

WHAT WE DO NOT FUND

Activity that falls outside the Trust’s funding outcomes or geographic scope
Costs incurred prior to the grant start date
Grants below £10,000
Costs for individual benefit
Statutory activities
VAT that you can recover

HOW TO APPLY

There are two stages to our application process. All applicants must first submit an expression of Interest. These are accepted on a rolling basis, with no deadlines. Full applications are by invite only, with final funding decisions aligned to our quarterly Board of Trustees meetings.

1. EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

All applications must first submit an expression of interest (EOI) via our online form. You will be asked to complete a series of short questions about you and your work, and three narrative questions about your proposal. These are:

Describe your project outcomes, why your work is needed, and the evidence base supporting the proposed work (max 3000 characters).
Describe how you plan to deliver your proposed outcomes (max 3000 characters)
Provide a high-level breakdown of the total cost of your project, and of the funds you are requesting from East Suffolk Trust. This may include any planned match or partnership funding arrangements (max 3000 characters)

All EOIs will be screened by East Suffolk Trust staff in the first instance. Due diligence checks will be carried out at this stage, and we may contact you if we require further information or clarification. Proposals that are out of scope or otherwise ineligible will be notified at the outset.

Following your EOI submission, we may contact you to arrange a discussion about your proposal. This may include:

Clarifying questions about eligibility
A discussion about your funding request
Any other questions about you or your proposal

We may also request further information via email.

Decision times depend on the nature of the proposal and the amount of money being requested. Typically this will be:
Within 4 weeks of submission for grants under £500,000, provided that any clarifying questions are addressed promptly.
Within 3 months of submission for grants over £500,000. This is because EOIs over this value will be reviewed by our board of trustees, who meet four times per year.

2. FULL PROPOSAL

If your EOI is successful, we will invite you to submit a full application. We will ask for the following information, building on your EOI:

A theory of change summarising your outcomes, the activities that will lead to them, and the assumptions linking activities to outcomes
Evidence supporting your proposed work drawing on syntheses of evidence, published studies, scientific reports, internal evaluations, or lived experience, as appropriate for the project
A delivery plan including details of your planned activities and milestones
Evaluation and monitoring plans describing how you will measure progress against your proposed outcomes and add to the evidence base
A detailed budget demonstrating value for money

If you have an existing business plan or proposal that covers these areas you are welcome to use this. We will also provide a template document that you can use.

We will also request supporting documents at this stage. These may include copies of:

Governing documents and annual reports
Management accounts and budgets
Policies and procedures
Permits and agreements

Full proposals are all decided by our board of trustees, who meet four times per year. Decisions will therefore typically be made within 3 months of submission of a full proposal. Some useful resources that may help you make your case include:

Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) and accompanying maps for work directly linked to nature recovery. We can also connect you with the LNRS team directly if you’d like further information about this.
The Conservation Evidence website, for easily searchable summaries of the evidence base for conservation interventions.

HOW YOUR PROPOSAL

WILL BE ASSESSED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

All proposals will be assessed against three key criteria:

CONTRIBUTION TO EAST SUFFOLK TRUST FUNDING OUTCOMES

How well does your proposal align to one or both of East Suffolk Trust’s funding outcomes?
How strong is the evidence that the proposed work will meet the investment outcomes? This could include research, data, prior experience, or evaluations.
How will the outcomes be sustained beyond the grant period?

ADDED VALUE

Does the proposal address a real need or gap, complementing existing funding or activity in East Suffolk?
Does the proposal represent value for money, with proportionate costs?
Where relevant, how does the proposal leverage partnerships, collaboration, or other resources to increase impact?

APPLICANT CAPACITY AND DELIVERY

Does the applicant have the skills, experience, and resources to deliver the proposed outcomes?
Is the delivery plan realistic and achievable given your staffing, timelines, and budget?
Does the applicant have a clear plan for evaluating and monitoring their work?

ASSESSMENT PROCESS

Both EOI and full application stages will go through initial screening, review and decision stages, as described below.

Initial screening

EOI

FULL APPLICATION

East Suffolk Trust staff will carry out a light touch review of full applications. We may contact you if we require any further information.

Review

EOI

All EOIs that pass initial screening will be assessed against our eligibility criteria by one or more reviewers. Reviewers may be East Suffolk Trust staff, Trustees, or independent experts where deemed necessary.

FULL APPLICATION

All full applications will be assessed against our eligibility criteria by one or more reviewers, building on the EOI reviews. Reviewers may be East Suffolk Trust staff, Trustees, or independent experts where deemed necessary.

Interview

EOI

We may carry out an interview to discuss aspects of your proposal. Details of this will be provided in advance.

FULL APPLICATION

We may carry out an interview to discuss aspects of your proposal. Details of this will be provided in advance.

Decision

EOI

East Suffolk Trust Staff will collate reviewed EOIs for decision on whether to invite full application. For EOIs under £500k this decision will be made by the East Suffolk Trust executive, with trustee oversight. For EOIs over £500k decisions on whether to progress will be made by the Board of Trustees.

FULL APPLICATION

East Suffolk Trust Staff will collate reviewed proposals for final decision by the Board of Trustees.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

CLARIFICATIONS AND DECISION

If we have any questions about your application we will contact you via email, using the details provided in your application. Please inform us at enquiries@eastsuffolktrust.org, quoting your grant reference, if your contact details change.

You will be notified of our decision by email. If your application is unsuccessful, we will provide feedback and we may invite you to resubmit at a later date. If you are not invited to resubmit, please contact us to discuss any potentially overlapping work before applying again.

FUNDING OFFER

If your application is successful, you will receive an email with your funding offer, including our Terms and Conditions and any amendments specific to your project. These must be signed by the Senior Responsible Officer named in your application before funds can be transferred. You will also be asked to provide your organisation’s bank account details and a recent bank statement.

HOW YOU WILL BE PAID

Your funding offer will contain details of your payment schedule, which may differ depending on the nature of your project. For many projects, we will operate a standard payment model of 50% at the start of the project, 30% when the initial 50% has been spent, and the final 20% on completion. However, we recognise that different projects and organisations may have different requirements for funding frequency, and you can outline any requirements you have in your proposal or by contacting us. As a condition of follow up payments you will be asked to provide a breakdown of how awarded funds have been spent, and may be asked to provide evidence of spend.

REPORTING AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Your funding offer will contain details of the reporting requirements for your project. Typically, this is aligned to payments, so in most cases we will require a project update when 50% of the grant has been spent, and a final project report in order to release the final 20% of funds. We acknowledge the significant reporting burden faced by fund raising organisations, and are happy for you to re-use information from other reports.

We do not have a specific format, but updates should usually be kept to no more than two A4 pages and should cover:

Progress to date against your outcomes
Evidence collected to demonstrate the effectiveness of your work
Any changes made to your project

We ask that you acknowledge our funding in an appropriate way. For larger grants, we may include specific acknowledgement requirements in your funding offer. We may ask to come and visit you and see your project in action. Please feel free to invite us to project events if appropriate and we will send a representative if we can.

CHANGES AND EXTENSIONS

All requests for changes to your Grant should be emailed to enquiries@eastsuffolktrust.org. Please do not include these requests in your project updates, as we may miss them.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN MY ORGANISATION HOLD MORE THAN ONE GRANT?

Yes. Grants are awarded on a project-by-project basis, and as long as each project meets our funding outcomes and requirements, there is no limit to the number of grants an organisation can hold.

CAN WE APPLY AS A PARTNERSHIP OF ORGANISATIONS?

Absolutely! For the purposes of the application form you’ll need to identify a lead organisation, but you can detail any partnership arrangements in your application questions.

DO YOU SUPPORT FULL COST RECOVERY?

Yes, provided that indirect costs are proportionate to the project, justified, and represent value for money.

I HAVE AN URGENT OR TIME-LIMITED PROJECT. DO YOU HAVE A FAST-TRACK ROUTE?

We have agreed to have a fast track route but have yet to decide the details of how we will manage applications. Please get in touch with us if you wish to discuss an urgent project.

DO I HAVE TO INCLUDE MATCH OR PARTNERSHIP FUNDING?

There is no formal requirement for match or partnership funding. However, you will be asked to demonstrate value for money, and partnership contributions are a good way to do this. You should provide both the total cost of the project and the amount you are requesting from East Suffolk Trust. The total cost can include cash, in-kind, or volunteer contributions from your organisation or others.

CAN EAST SUFFOLK TRUST GRANTS BE USED AS MATCH/PARTNERSHIP FUNDING FOR OTHER SCHEMES, AND VICE VERSA?

Yes, provided you can demonstrate that the requirements of all relevant funders are met. Applicants should ensure that the same costs are not claimed twice in ways that would breach funder rules, and keep clear records to show how funds are allocated.

CAN I INCLUDE VOLUNTEER COSTS IN MY TOTAL PROJECT COSTS/PARTNERSHIP FUNDING CALCULATIONS?

Yes. You may wish to use the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s standard amount of £20 per hour.

DO YOU FUND EARLY STAGE/FEASIBILITY STUDIES?

We are happy to support early stage projects, where there is a clear plan for delivery and follow on work, should the early stage work be successful. We recognise that not all attempts will proceed, and are willing to fund high risk work where the potential benefits justify doing so.

ARE FARMING AND FARMLAND PROJECTS IN SCOPE?

Yes, as long as the project contributes to our funding outcomes. We recognise the important role farmland plays in nature conservation and that nature recovery extends beyond designated nature reserves.

ARE COASTAL AND MARINE PROJECTS IN SCOPE?

Yes, provided that they are adjacent to the Suffolk coastline.

HOW SHOULD TAX BE TREATED IN PROJECT BUDGETS?

Any tax you are required to pay can be included in your budget as overheads, provided it is proportionate and appropriate. You cannot claim VAT that is recoverable.

REVISION HISTORY

Current version: v1.1.1 17th March 2026: minor edit to EOI question on evidence base.

Previous versions:

V1.1.0 16th March 2026: Updated with new branding and template.
V1.0.0 9th March 2026