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Imagine Fund 2024

The Imagine Fund is a participatory grant-making scheme supporting local people and Unincorporated Associations in the City of London to create projects that will bring people together, kickstart a new idea or have a go at something they’ve always wanted to try.

Since 2021, the programme has funded 42 projects and initiatives, with funding allocated by panels of local community members who worked together to design the process and make decisions around the projects that would most benefit their local community.

We’ve funded a wide range of projects from local family friendly events, a local gardening project, craft workshops, to educational projects such as a Chinese reading group and creative workshops for diaspora from the Global South around climate awareness raising.

The spring 2024 round of the Imagine Fund is now closed. 

If you would like to know more about our work in participatory grant-making, get in touch with us at [email protected]

Welcome to the Imagine Fund

Check out this video to find out more about the Imagine Fund.

Funds

Seed Funds

These are £500 grants to test an idea in your community. Always wanted to start a book group? Or have a go at a gardening club? This is the fund for you! There are no set outcomes here, this is all about trying something. 

To learn more about how to apply for a Seed Fund:

Download the full application guidelines here (you will be able to format this in the way that works best for you). Or listen to a recorded version here.

Project Grants

These are bigger grants of £2,000, available to deliver a community or cultural project in the local area which needs more time and support to make happen. 

To learn more about how to apply for a Project Grant:

Download the full application guidelines here (you will be able to format this in the way that works best for you). Or listen to a recorded version here.

Who can apply?

FAQs

If you need additional support to make an application, from covering childcare costs to borrowing a laptop, or simply want to drop us a question, please get in touch at  [email protected]  and we’ll do our best to help.
 

The fund is primarily to support the development of new ideas, so will prioritise projects which will benefit the most from the funds.

The Imagine Panel is made up of a group of local stakeholders who are invested in the area and cover a broad range of communities and areas of interest.

By local people, we mean those who live, work, study, volunteer, or have a strong community connection to the City of London.

Grants will be paid to successful applicants once we’ve confirmed that their application has been successful.

Where possible we will support you to deliver your project in a COVID-secure way, and we remain flexible about outcomes.

As much time as is needed to develop your idea and stay in communication with us. For the Seed Fund, please remember that this is a micro grant, so do not put unnecessary pressure on yourself. If you think your project could benefit from more budget, you can apply for the Project Grant which is a larger amount and will need more time from your side.

If your applications is successful, we will contact you to arrange a catch up with our team and send you the grant agreement. Once you have had a look at this and signed, you will be advised on how to access your fund. We’ll talk through the various options with successful applicants to see what works best for them.

Unincorporated Assosication is an organisation that arises when two or more people come together for a particular purpose, but decide not to use a formal structure like a company or charity. You do not need to register an unincorporated association, and it does not cost anything to set one up.