Up to £90,000 to Build Community Capacity in Gloucestershire: NHS Gloucestershire ICB
The Community Health and Wellbeing Fund 2027 offers £10,000 to £30,000 a year for up to three years to voluntary and community organisations working in Gloucestershire. It is run by NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and administered through Fund Gloucestershire.
This is a core capacity fund. It backs the people, skills, partnerships and infrastructure that let community groups tackle health inequalities over the long term, rather than one-off projects or ongoing service delivery.
Total awards range from £10,000 to £90,000. The deadline is 23:59 on Monday 23 November 2026.
About the Funder
NHS Gloucestershire ICB plans and funds health services across the county. This fund builds on its Community Health and Wellbeing Fund 2025.
The ICB wants a stronger, more resilient VCSE sector that can play a bigger role in neighbourhood health, prevention and wider system change. The fund is rooted in the idea of health creation: helping communities gain a stronger sense of purpose, control and influence over their lives and local area.
What the Fund Supports
The focus is community capacity building. That means helping communities develop the skills, confidence, relationships and resources to respond to local priorities. Investment can go into:
- Organisational development and leadership
- Partnership working
- Volunteering and community organising
- Community engagement
- Workforce capacity
- Innovation
- Other activity that strengthens a community’s ability to respond to local needs
Funded organisations can still deliver health and wellbeing activities, and the continuation or expansion of services addressing community need is eligible. The primary purpose, though, is to strengthen the capacity that makes that work sustainable. The fund is not intended to replace statutory commissioning.
How Much Funding Is Available
- £10,000 to £30,000 per year for up to three years
- Total grant value between £10,000 and £90,000
- Multi-year funding is subject to annual review
- You cannot apply for more than your organisation’s annual turnover per year
Eligible costs include staffing, programme delivery, transport, insurance, and rent and utilities, alongside capacity-building activity.
The fund will not cover capital building works, planning works, VCSE infrastructure support, or consultancy that does not build lasting community or organisational capacity.
Who Is Eligible
- Voluntary and community organisations
- Registered charities
- Community Interest Companies
- Other not-for-profit groups working in Gloucestershire
You must also:
- Have been operating for at least one year
- Have a bank or building society account in your organisation’s name with two or more signatories
Partnership applications are welcome, with one eligible organisation acting as lead applicant.
Sole traders, statutory organisations, schools and academies cannot apply. Nor can organisations already receiving NHS funding from NHS Gloucestershire ICB. Organisations based outside Gloucestershire are only eligible if they can show substantial delivery, partnership and community benefit within the county.
What Makes a Strong Application
A panel of representatives from NHS Gloucestershire ICB and the wider system will assess applications against five criteria:
- Community capacity building that shows a clear change in working differently and more strategically
- Evidence of need and a contribution to reducing health inequalities
- VCSE sustainability, resilience and legacy
- Partnership working with communities, other VCSE organisations and system partners such as NHS providers and social care
- Value for money and deliverability, including match funding where appropriate
The first criterion is where most applications will stand or fall. Describing the services you already run will not be enough. Show what will change in how your organisation operates, and what capacity will still be there when the grant ends.
Existing NHS Gloucestershire ICB funding is also a hard exclusion, so check your current contracts and grants before you start.
There is an online webinar on Microsoft Teams on Monday 28 September 2026, 12:45 to 14:15. Email glicb.hciteam@nhs.net to request an invite or a recording.
Documents You Will Need
- Most recent annual accounts, preferably audited or independently examined
- Safeguarding policy (one combined PDF if you have separate adult and child policies)
- Public liability insurance certificate with at least £10 million cover
- Employer’s liability insurance certificate with at least £5 million cover
- Counter Fraud Policy
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
- Complaints Policy
- Completed Project Budget Template
A Counter Fraud Policy is not something every small charity has. If you are missing one, start drafting it now.
How to Apply
- Register and create an organisational profile on the Fund Gloucestershire platform
- Upload your due diligence documents and organisation details under Organisation settings
- Complete the online application form, upload any additional documents and submit before the deadline
Key Dates
- Applications open: 14 September 2026
- Webinar: 28 September 2026
- Deadline: 23:59 on 23 November 2026
- Decisions: 8 January 2027
- Offer acceptance deadline: 22 January 2027
- Grant agreements signed and payments made: 29 January 2027
