Request for Applications: Hertfordshire Crisis and Resilience Fund (UK)

Deadline: 31-Dec-2026

The Hertfordshire Crisis and Resilience Fund provides grants to local organisations working to tackle food insecurity, financial hardship, and cost-of-living pressures in Hertfordshire. The fund supports both immediate crisis assistance, such as food and household essentials, and longer-term initiatives designed to improve financial resilience and reduce future reliance on emergency support. Grants of £5,000 and above are available. Eligible applicants include not-for-profit, charity, community, and voluntary organisations that meet the fund’s governance and banking requirements, with additional eligibility for certain faith groups, Community Interest Companies, Housing Associations, and Family Centres subject to specific conditions. The Crisis and Resilience Fund was established to provide a local safety net for individuals and families experiencing financial shocks and hardship in Hertfordshire. The programme combines two complementary objectives: Providing immediate support to people experiencing crisis. Building long-term financial resilience within local communities. Reducing food insecurity. Improving access to affordable food. Increasing access to cost-of-living advice. Helping households develop budgeting and financial management skills. Reducing the need for crisis support in the future. The fund is intended for organisations delivering relevant services or projects that benefit people in Hertfordshire.

Eligible applicants can include:

Not-for-profit organisations. Registered charities. Community groups. Voluntary organisations. Faith groups, subject to applicable conditions. Community Interest Companies (CICs), subject to applicable conditions. Housing Associations, subject to applicable conditions. Family Centres, subject to applicable conditions.

Organisations should generally have:

A written constitution. A voluntary trustee or management committee. A bank account held in the organisation’s name. The organisation must be based in Hertfordshire or clearly demonstrate how its proposed project will benefit people living in Hertfordshire. The Crisis and Resilience Fund supports projects addressing both immediate food insecurity and longer-term household financial resilience.

Supported activities can include:

Purchasing food for distribution to people experiencing crisis. Purchasing essential household items. Running food banks. Covering essential food-bank running costs, including utilities. Developing community pantries. Supporting community kitchens. Providing household budgeting advice. Delivering cooking lessons. Providing dedicated cost-of-living advice. Locating advice services alongside food hubs where appropriate. Supporting minority and marginalised communities facing barriers to mainstream support. A key part of the fund is supporting organisations that provide immediate assistance to people experiencing food insecurity. Funding can be used to help food organisations: Purchase food. Purchase household essentials. Distribute supplies to people in crisis. Maintain food-bank operations. Pay essential running costs. Maintain facilities and services required to deliver emergency food support. The programme therefore addresses immediate household needs while also encouraging projects that can reduce longer-term dependence on crisis services. The fund can support initiatives that improve access to affordable food within local communities. Community-based food projects may include: Community pantries. Community kitchens. Affordable food initiatives. Cooking and food skills sessions. Projects connecting food access with financial advice. These approaches can combine practical food assistance with skills and resources that help households manage food costs over the longer term. The fund is not limited to providing food. It also supports activities designed to help households become more financially resilient.

Examples include:

Household budgeting advice. Cost-of-living information and guidance. Practical financial management support. Cooking lessons that can help households manage food expenditure. Advice services connected to food hubs. Other initiatives designed to reduce future reliance on crisis assistance. The programme therefore supports a combination of immediate assistance and preventative support. The fund encourages applications from organisations working with minority and marginalised communities. This is particularly relevant where people face barriers to accessing mainstream food support, financial advice, or cost-of-living services.

Projects can explain:

Which community they serve. What barriers people face. How the proposed service addresses those barriers. Why an existing mainstream service may not adequately meet the community’s needs. How the project will improve access to food or financial support. Food insecurity and financial hardship can affect households in different ways, from difficulty affording food to an inability to manage unexpected financial costs. The Crisis and Resilience Fund takes a broader approach by supporting both crisis response and financial resilience.

The fund can help communities by:

Providing food and household essentials during periods of crisis. Keeping food banks operational. Expanding access to affordable food. Connecting people with cost-of-living advice. Developing household budgeting skills. Supporting practical cooking and food-management skills. Reaching communities that experience barriers to mainstream services. Grants of £5,000 and above are available through the funding programme. Applicants should ensure that the amount requested is appropriate for the proposed project and supported by a clear explanation of how the funding will be used. A project budget should distinguish between costs associated with: Food purchases. Household essentials. Food-bank operations. Utilities and other running costs. Community pantry or kitchen activities. Advice services. Educational activities such as cooking or budge