What is the Bristol Local Food Fund?
Bristol Local Food Fund (BLFF) is a voluntary project that raises and distributes funding for community food projects that are tackling food insecurity and supporting food justice in our city.
BLFF’s vision is to make Bristol a city of food justice, where everyone has access to nutritious, affordable, culturally appropriate food, regardless of their background or situation.
A Citizens Panel, made up of a group of people with experience of food insecurity will be deciding which applications receive the funding, using participatory grantmaking.
There is £70,000 in grant funding available for this round. We expect the average grant size to be between £5,000 – £10,000.
Please note: The funds available for this programme are limited, so we can’t support every application. Based on previous demand we expect around 15% of applications to be successful.
Depending on the number and type of applications received, and how each application meets the funding priorities, the Citizens Panel may decide to offer a different amount than you have applied for.
What you can apply for
These grants can support charitable and community activities, projects and services that improve or maintain food justice in the City of Bristol.
Food Justice is when everyone has access to nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food, which is grown, produced, sold and consumed in ways that care for people and the environment.
The work must support one or more of the five priorities outlined in Bristol’s Food Equality Strategy and Action Plan. The five priorities are:
- Fair, equitable access: We need to ensure that residents can access food that is appropriate for their dietary needs, is culturally appropriate, and affordable..
- Choice and security: We want to live in a city where everyone can make decisions about their relationship with food and are free from the anxiety and stress of food insecurity.
- Skills and resources: We want to enable residents to foster a healthy food culture, have confidence in their ability to access and use food to meet their needs, as well as the facilities and fuel to cook with.
- Sustainable local food system: We want the local food system to prioritise resilience and sustainability in food production, food waste management, distribution, economy, and environmental resilience.
- Food at the heart of decision-making: We must ensure that food needs and equality are considered in all decision-making – whether developing social support models, new businesses or planning new housing
Grants are otherwise flexible. The grant can fund any cost related to the activity, project or service.
Funding priorities
We will prioritise applications for work that supports people and areas that are most affected by food insecurity, and will take intersectionality into account. These priorities include (but are not limited to):
People most affected: Single parents, disabled people, people from black and minoritised ethnic groups, carers, people identifying as LGBTQIA+, and younger people (aged 16-24)
Areas most affected: Hartcliffe & Withywood, Filwood, Lawrence Hill, Stockwood, Southmead, Southville, Central, Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston, Lockleaze, Henbury & Brentry, Hillfields, Easton, Ashley, Eastville, St George Troopers Hill, Frome Vale, Knowle, and Hengrove and Whitchurch Park.
Who can apply
These grants are for community food projects, by which we mean not-for-profit organisations and community groups with charitable aims that are working to alleviate food insecurity and support food justice in the City of Bristol. Applicants must be based and working in the City of Bristol (i.e. have a Bristol postcode and work within the Bristol City Council area).
If your group is a Community Interest Company, please read the additional guidance in the ‘Help and Guidance‘ section on our website.
You can see our ‘Top Tips for Grant Applicants’ video on YouTube. Please see here.
How to apply
Apply online using the link below. You can return to your online application form as many times as you like. However, please save the form as you go along. We encourage you to read the guide for applicants before applying. Also, see our Frequently asked questions page here.
Decision turnaround
We will aim to email you the panel’s decision within 8 weeks of the submission deadline.
