Neat Streets Grant Fund FAQs
What is the Neat Streets Grant Fund?
The Neat Streets grant fund will support five new projects to run campaigns, that aim to support litter reduction, and may also boost recycling. The projects will receive £10,000 each of grant funding for projects provided by McDonald’s, and they will provide £5,000 grant funding themselves.
The intended applicants for the grant fund are local authorities, or those who manage public realm space (e.g high streets, transport hubs, beaches, parks and forests).
The projects will be based on the replicable campaigns that are hosted on the Neat Streets website.
The grant fund recipients will lead the campaign, with support from Hubbub with project management, design and measurement and evaluation guidance.
To support your application, we’d encourage you take the time to read previous case studies and information in the guide to familiarise yourself with what to consider when planning a campaign, and to include in the application.
What can the funding be spent on?
We suggest that approximately 70 percent of the funding must be spent on purchasing or upgrading infrastructure, with the other funding going towards communication materials, event budgets and litter picking equipment, and overheads.
Can I apply for a project outside of Great Britain?
This fund is for projects in England, Scotland and Wales.
For reasons of due diligence, and financial accountability, we can only give the grant money to UK registered organisations. Those are the criteria of the grant fund as set out in the terms and conditions.
What support will Hubbub provide?
Hubbub will provide two days of project management support and two days of design time to applicants to assist with project development and help to tailor design assets to help promote the campaign.
What types of organisations could apply for funding?
Local authorities
Business Improvement Districts
Major property owners or those who manage public space
Transport hubs e.g. airports, train stations
Applications can be submitted in partnership, with one lead partner.
We expect some applications will be from companies limited by shares or guarantee, charities, and social enterprises. You will need to be registered with the appropriate body in the UK and to include your registration number. We cannot accept applications from organisations who intend to register but have not yet done so.
We recognise councils/ local authorities do not have registration numbers. If you are from a local authority you can skip this step.
How does the application process work?
Applicants are required to fill in an online application, with the option to provide a supporting presentation.
We may contact you to clarify and request further information.
We will select a shortlist from the pool of applicants.
The Panel will choose the final Grantees based on how well they meet the criteria.
Funds will be paid out in October 2024.
The 2nd round of grant funding will launch in September 2024, after the first round has closed.
Can we enter multiple applications?
No, only one application is accepted per applicant in each round.
Can we have a call to understand more about the fund?
We aim to maintain a fair and transparent process and not to give advantage to any individual organisations via individual phone calls. In the first instance, please could you set out any questions you have by email and we can then clarify any queries you may have.
Please do have a look at the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions on the website.
Can you provide feedback if my application is unsuccessful?
We will inform all applicants of the outcome of their application within a month of the closing date. We can provide feedback upon request.
What happens if we are successful?
If your project is successful, first thing first, well done! Successful applicants will be required to sign a grant fund agreement with Hubbub, which will include details about project monitoring and reporting. Once this agreement is signed, we’ll send you the first 80% of the funding so you get can started with your campaign planning.
Then it’s time to get planning. It is expected that projects launch in July. We’ll set up monthly calls to help you with your planning to help you meet this timeline.
Can the fund cover marketing and promotion costs?
Yes, this is encouraged, for things like events, printed materials and online promotion, although it is expected that the majority of the funding will go infrastructure. Unless you have additional funding available, we would not expect this funding to be used on large-scale art installations.
Can we support the application with additional funding?
Yes, in addition to the funding available, if you have additional budget to increase the scale of the campaign then we would welcome this. Please detail this in your application.
Should I budget including VAT?
This is a grant fund, so VAT is generally excluded, such as for your salary costs etc, so please exclude VAT in your budget. The exception however is for any external costs you incur which you will need to pay VAT on (e.g. paying for 3rd party goods and services), so in this instance please do include the full gross cost (including VAT).
Who will the panel be comprised of?
The panel will be made up of representatives from Hubbub and McDonalds’s. We are committed to judging each project against the stated criteria.
What are the reporting requirements?
Successful applications will be required share information with is on progress at project milestones, through check-in calls and a short reporting template. They key metrics will be looking to report on include:
With regards to waste and recycling: the estimated number of items collected, improvements in collection rates, change in contamination levels and reduction in litter.
With regards to the communication and engagement part of the campaign: a summary of activities conducted, people engaged, feedback from stakeholders
We will provide a template to support in collecting this information and guidance based on previous trials.