SUEZ Communities Trust Landfill Communities Fund – Primary Fund

Landfill Communities Fund, an initiative which allows landfill operators to release tax credits to environmental and community groups. The scheme broadly aims to benefit local communities in the vicinity of a landfill site.

SUEZ Communities Trust is an independent, not for profit funding organisation dedicated to making lasting improvements to community life and the natural environment. The Trust is a registered and accredited Environmental Body through the Landfill Communities Fund and an Approved Body through the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund.

SUEZ Communities Trust distributes funds contributed by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK.

As of January 2023, The management of the SUEZ Communities Fund has been transferred to a new fund management organisation, GrantScape.

Objectives of Fund

The LCF Primary Fund Programme supports capital improvement works to public amenity projects for community use

Grants of between £3,000 and £50,000 are available. Projects must have an overall cost of no more than £250,000. Projects must start within six months and complete within 12 months of funds being awarded.

Contributing Third Party Payment (CTP)

Before the Trust can release funding for a project, they need to receive a payment called the Contributing Third Party Payment. This payment is necessary because, under the rules of the Landfill Communities Fund, SUEZ UK (the donor) can reclaim, as a tax credit, most (but not all) of the landfill tax contribution it makes to the Trust. The scheme regulator also requires a fee and each successful application incurs other minor costs. To make up the shortfall, SUEZ UK requires that 11.5% of the money provided is recovered from third parties.

SUEZ Communities Trust provides an online calculator to work out the CTP that will need to be paid.

Eligible third party contributors include the following:

  • Applicant’s organisation (providing it is not a registered Environmental Body).
  • Donations from the community.
  • Donation from an individual.
  • Award from County Councils, Borough Councils, Parish Councils, ‘Friends of’ or other supporters of a project.
  • Local businesses.
  • Grants and other awards (not sourced from the LCF).

The CTP cannot be received from a person or organisation that has exclusive benefit from the project being funded (such as a contractor working on a project who receives payment through the project).

Applicants that can demonstrate successful efforts to raise contributory funds in support of the project (over and above the CTP) will be considered favourably, although those that don’t will still be considered.

Who Can Apply

To be eligible, applicants must:

  • Be run on a not-for-profit basis. This could include community groups, parish councils, charities, community interest companies, sports clubs, community associations, local authorities and voluntary organisations.
  • Own or hold a lease for the project site with at least five years remaining.
  • Be based at a project site which must be owned or leased by the applying organisation.

The Trust provides a postcode checker so that potential applicants can check the eligibility of the project’s location.

For those applicants whose project area is governed by Lancashire County Council, an application should be made to the Lancashire Environmental Fund, which is a separate organisation that distributes the landfill tax credits raised by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK in the county. (NB Applicants whose eligible projects are within the unitary authorities of Blackburn and Blackpool may apply to this scheme.)

Restrictions

Grants are not available for:

  • Community Shops.
  • Membership-based sports clubs and facilities (eg bowls and golf clubs), unless membership is open to the general public without undue restriction.
  • Commercial organisations.
  • Projects that are considered statutory requirements.
  • Core cost funding.
  • Retrospective funding.
  • Projects at schools.
  • Bus services, minibus services, or vehicles.
  • Projects at hospitals, or hospices, or day care centres.
  • Any works to public highways.
  • Staff posts and costs where they are not based, or specifically undertaking works, at the actual project site
  • Projects to deliver visual enhancements, as this does not improve, maintain or provide a general public amenity.
  • Village or town centre enhancements, such as walkways, street works or signage.
  • CD’s, web-sites or remote interpretation about a site.
  • Public car parks, unless they are specific to a general public amenity.
  • Public conveniences.
  • Allotments, or fruit growing projects.
  • Charity buildings, offices of charities, and advice centres.
  • Large scale perimeter/security fencing programmes that do not directly enhance the public amenity.
  • Land purchase.

Eligible Expenditure

To be eligible, projects must meet the following criteria:

  • The project site must be in England and within a SUEZCommunities Trust funding zone.
  • All projects must have unrestricted public access for a minimum of 104 days per year; that is no less than four evenings, two days each week. Applicants will be asked to provide details of public access in their application.
  • Applicants can only apply for funds for the same site or project through one of the main SUEZCommunities Trust funding programmes in any three-year period.
  • All applications need to clearly demonstrate that all costs applied for are directly attributable to the physical delivery of a project. Funding is typically awarded for the purchase of materials/equipment and the appointment of a contractor to undertake the improvement work.

Funding is available for capital improvement works to public amenity projects for community use. Examples may include:

  • Village hall improvements
  • Nature reserves and conservation
  • Village greens
  • Community centres
  • Public playgrounds
  • Cycle paths
  • Sports fields and facilities
  • Country parks
  • Historic buildings, structures or sites

How To Apply

There a typically four deadlines per year. The next deadline is 15 May 2024 for a decision by the end of July 2024

The application process is operated through a two-stage process via an online application system. Stage one applications will include a short eligibility check and brief questions about the project.

Successful applicants will be invited to submit a stage two application.

Applications will be thoroughly assessed and applicants will be visited (normally at the project site) by a SUEZ Communities Trust project manager.

Documents & links

Contacts

For further information on how to obtain this fund, please contact the following:

  1. Enquiries
    GrantScape
    Office E
    Whitsundoles
    Broughton Road
    Salford
    Milton Keynes
    MK17 8BU
    Tel: 01908 247630
    Email: info@grantscape.org.uk