Guidance

Windrush Day Grant Scheme 2025: guidance for applicants

Published 1 October 2024

Applies to England

1. Introduction

The MV Empire Windrush arrived at the Port of Tilbury on 21 June 1948 and its passengers disembarked a day later. The ship carried several hundred Caribbean migrants, many of them veterans of the Second World War. Since then, Windrush has come to symbolise the mass migration of people from the Caribbean to the UK in the post-war era, as well as their descendants. This generation, subsequent migrants and their descendants have made a significant and lasting contribution to the UK’’s cultural, social and economic life.

The Windrush Day Grant Scheme 2025 will focus on bringing communities together – across different ages and ethnic backgrounds – to commemorate, celebrate and educate their local area about the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants across the United Kingdom.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is offering up to £500,000 in grant funding to support a new cohort of impactful and ambitious projects across England..

As of today, HM Government has dedicated £4.25 million in funding toward honouring the Windrush legacy. This includes £3.25 million across 6 years of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme, and £1 million allocated to the National Windrush Monument, which stands as a fitting tribute to the contributions of the Windrush Generation and their descendants to the UK.

2. What are we looking for?

Aims

  We are looking for projects to focus primarily on at least one of the overarching aims of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme, as follows:

To educate people about the Windrush story. Projects will build awareness of historical facts and deepen understanding about the Windrush generation and their descendants. This includes the pioneers who arrived on the MV Empire Windrush in 1948, and those who came on vessels and planes in the decades after WW2.

To foster a greater sense of national pride and recognition of the historic and ongoing contributions made by the Windrush generation and their descendants to UK society. The Windrush generation and their descendants have contributed a great deal to society over more than seven decades. The scheme invites proposals for projects that proactively support and enable people from different backgrounds to embrace this aspect of our shared history

To develop the skills and entrepreneurial ambitions of young people. To inspire the next generation of young leaders to learn new skills to encourage them to pursue their aspirations and contribute to the social capital of society in the UK

To celebrate and commemorate the continued contributions of the Windrush generation to the UK. We want projects to commemorate and recognise how much the Windrush generation and their descendants have brought to and done for the UK

In addition, all proposals should have the following aim:

To be community-led and have a positive social impact. We want projects to be developed by, or with, the Windrush generation and their descendants, and for organisations to carefully consider how the project will create a positive social impact in their local area, helping to galvanise communities to work together to embrace positive aspects of their shared identity

Local councils in England are eligible to apply. Where proposals are led by local councils, we will be looking for a clear demonstration that the proposal has been developed with the Windrush generation and their descendants, and local community organisations. See the eligibility criteria outlined in section 4 for further information on the requirements for local authority applications.

Outcomes

We will be looking for projects that achieve all the following 3 outcomes of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme:

Greater community cohesion: Projects should encourage communities to work together across generational and social divides. The Windrush generation and their descendants live and work in communities around the UK, and events and activities should engage with them, as well as with those from different age groups and ethnic backgrounds

Have a lasting impact beyond the funding period: Projects should be designed so that they continue to have an impact after the funding period has ended. This could be achieved through forming new local partnerships or producing assets that can continue to be shared in the future, such as videos and stories from elders

Increased acknowledgement of the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants: Projects should better enable education about the Windrush generation’s contributions to the society in the UK, as well as wider contributions made by their descendants to UK communities

While we have a history of funding smaller scale projects, we are also interested in hearing about larger scale, more ambitious proposals this year, such as consortium projects with a larger impact across a wider community. Advice on funding allocation for projects will be provided to MHCLG by a grants committee comprised of a panel of Windrush community stakeholders.

Activities

22 June each year marks National Windrush Day and projects must include a lead event or activity on this date. This will ensure that the projects funded by the 2025 Windrush Day Grant Scheme celebrate the anniversary of the arrival of the MV Empire Windrush on National Windrush Day.

All further events and activities must take place before 30 September 2025.

Project events and activities taking place after 22 June 2025 must do one or more of the following:

• clearly demonstrate how a proposal can help build community cohesion between people of different age groups and ethnic backgrounds
• have a lasting social impact beyond the funding period
• help develop the educational and entrepreneurial skills of young people across this period

We are keen to build on the experiences and work that organisations up and down the UK have done so far across the previous five years of the grant scheme. We are looking for unique and exciting proposals that engage with the Windrush story and Windrush communities in powerful, enterprising and thoughtful ways.

Proposals could be designed to fund activities such as the following illustrative examples (please note that this list is not exhaustive – we encourage innovation provided that the aims of the scheme are met):

• bring together local partners and communities to create a unique project
• run a scheme that supports young people to improve their academic, vocational or entrepreneurial skills – and demonstrate how the scheme has made an impact
• deliver a high-quality artistic performance or series of performances that celebrate the Windrush legacy
• run novel activities in partnership with local schools, for example, through assemblies, workshops, educational trips and project work

While previous iterations of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme have proudly supported ambitious projects, there is a need to be realistic about what is achievable within the scheme’s timeframe (outlined below in section 6, ‘Timeline’). Therefore, this year we are strongly encouraging proposals to set out manageable deliverables. Applicants will need to provide assurance in their application that their organisations have the capacity to keep to their proposed delivery timetable and that they are able to commit to providing regular updates on their progress, including (but not limited to) project monitoring, evaluation forms and participant feedback forms, as required by MHCLG to assess the impact of the scheme.

We also ask that proposals clearly demonstrate how their project will work with local community partners. These might include but are not limited to organisations such as museums, libraries and schools.

3. Funding

For the 2025 iteration of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme, MHCLG is providing a total of £500,000 to fund activities across England.

The minimum amount available for each project is £5,000 and the maximum is £50,000. This year, there are 2 tiers of funding:

• Tier 1: smaller projects, of a value between £5,000 and £24,999
• Tier 2: larger projects, of a value between £25,000 and £50,000

We have a limited budget for Tier 2 projects. Proposals seeking more than £25,000 may be invited to present on their project to the grants committee. All proposals must clearly demonstrate value for money.

Some bidders may be seeking funding below £5,000. In such cases, bidders should contact their local authority or council for voluntary service (CVS), to explore the possibility of being included as part of a larger bid. Local authorities may wish to bid for funding to enable them to offer smaller grants that support several community groups in their area.

Consortium bids will also be accepted, provided that the lead partner meets one of the eligibility criteria outlined in section 4. If applying as a consortium, organisations must have agreed a lead partner and project lead (individual) from one of the organisations to manage the programme.

Section 7 of this guidance sets out the criteria that we will be assessing proposals against. MHCLG reserves the right to request further information relating to project applications before successful applicants are selected and announced. This could include an invitation to a phone call or virtual meeting. 

MHCLG will also undertake assessment of bids in collaboration with a board of community stakeholders, whose expert knowledge of the Windrush community will help advise on the efficacy and recommended amounts of funding for each project.

These decisions must be made in accordance with HMG’s Code of Conduct for Recipients of Government General Grants.

MHCLG reserves the right to only fund projects that meet the eligibility criteria. In addition, we reserve the right to only award part of the grant, or not award any funding. 

4. Project specifications 

Please see section 10 for definitions of the terminology used in this section.

Eligibility

Organisations are eligible to apply if:

a. They are registered:

• charities
• exempt charities
• Community Interest companies/Community Interest organisations
• social enterprises
• community benefit societies

OR: 

b. They meet all the following criteria as demonstrated by submitting additional supporting documents:

• they are established for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes
• they have a governing body with at least three members
• they have a governing document which they can produce
• they can provide accounts demonstrating good financial health across both of the last 2 financial years

OR: 

c. They are a local authority as defined (see ‘Definitions’ in section 10).

Your project bid must:

• demonstrate how it contributes to the aims of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme as set out in this guidance for applicants
• include a lead event or activity on National Windrush Day, 22 June 2025, other events and activities can take place before the 30 September 2025, provided that projects can focus on one or more of the following aims:

 a. help build community cohesion between people of different age groups and ethnic backgrounds
 b. have a lasting social impact beyond the funding period
 c. help develop the educational and entrepreneurial skills of young people

• seek no less than £5000 and no more than £50,000, and provide details of other funding secured, subject to the relevant tier of funding applied for
• be based in England
• meet all relevant criteria as set out in the guidance for applicants
• not make a profit from activities. Organisations should be mindful of the staffing costs associated with their project and make efforts to limit how much of their allocated grant funding is used for this purpose
• Grant funds cannot be used for work that has already taken place. Funding can only be used for work/items that takes place after funding award and subject to due diligence checks. Windrush Day Grant Scheme funding can be spent on upcoming costs for projects that the bidding organisation has already begun to deliver, however it cannot be used to recoup costs that have already been incurred as part of these projects.

Desirable criteria

We encourage applications from outside Greater London and the South East, so that Windrush Day builds a good profile throughout all regions in England.

Local authorities

Where proposals are led by local authorities, we will be looking for a clear demonstration that the proposal has been developed with the Windrush generation and their descendants and local community organisations.

5. Further information

Financial due diligence checks will be undertaken on shortlisted organisations to determine whether they are suitable for funding through the scheme. This will include, but is not limited to, reviewing financial documents submitted to Companies House/the Charity Commission. These checks will also seek to confirm that proposed projects align with the stated aims of the scheme. Furthermore, MHCLG will undertake due diligence checks on shortlisted organisations to ensure that funding is not being provided to groups intending to use it for extremist purposes, or to engage in political activity.

‘Political activity’ is defined as using a grant to fund lobbying in order to undertake activities intended to influence or attempt to influence Parliament, government or political activity; or attempting to influence legislative or regulatory action.

‘Extremism’ is defined in the 2011 Prevent strategy as vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also regard calls for the death of members of our armed forces as extremist.

Organisations previously funded through past years of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme must have completed their project and submitted their final evaluation to be eligible for funding through the 2025 scheme.

Proposals from organisations that have previously been funded by the scheme must submit new proposals or clearly demonstrate how they are building on their past projects in a meaningful and innovative way.

Previous applicants that were unsuccessful in securing funding are eligible to reapply.

Individuals are not eligible for funding through the scheme.

Projects promoting or providing assistance with applications to the Windrush Compensation Scheme are not eligible for funding under the Windrush Day Grant Scheme. The funding is for National Windrush Day celebrations.

6. Timeline

Application window opens: 1 October 2024

Bidder workshops: Please register here to attend one of the bidder workshops on 14, 15, 16, 22 and 24 October

Application window closes: 25 November 2024

Near Neighbours processing: 26 November 2024 to 20 December 2024

Panel meetings: January 2025

Departmental checks and sign off: February 2025

Applicants notified of application outcome: March 2025

Subject to the return of signed grant agreements from successful applicants, funding distributed to projects: April 2025

National Windrush Day: 22 June 2025

Funding period ends (all projects must complete activity by this date): 30 September 2025

Reporting due date: 26 October 25

Please note: When notifying unsuccessful applicants of the outcome of their application, only a brief overview of the areas in which their applications could have been improved will be provided. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide detailed feedback due to the number of applications we receive.

7. Selection criteria

Impact – 40%

a. It is essential that projects include a clear project plan with realistic milestones and outcomes that are deliverable within the timeframe (by 30 September 2025) and how they will be achieved. Projects should be focussed and not try to achieve too broad a range of activity, which could impede the project’s deliverability or impact. For consortium bids, proposals should clearly list each partner’s role in delivering the projects.

b. Projects should outline how they will meet one of the headline aims of the scheme, as well as the outcomes of the scheme.

c. Projects should be specific about how they intend to have a lasting impact beyond the funding period.

d. We are looking for innovative, creative and exciting projects. We encourage applicants to think outside the box about their proposed activities.

e. We are looking for projects to demonstrate clearly how they will build community cohesion between people of different age groups and ethnic backgrounds. The Windrush generation and their descendants live and work in communities around the UK, and events and activities should engage with them as well as with those from different age groups and ethnic backgrounds.

Community-led and longevity – 20%

This iteration of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme places a specific emphasis on projects developed by communities that best understand the needs and interests of their members. Additionally, we are seeking projects that can demonstrate a measurable lasting impact beyond the 2025 funding period. Grant funding applications should meet all the following conditions:

a. Develop greater community cohesion: Projects support cohesion by bringing together the Windrush generation and their descendants with a diverse range of people of different ages, ethnicities and backgrounds.

b. Have a lasting impact beyond the funding period: Projects are designed so that they continue to have an impact after the funding period has ended. This could be achieved by forming new local partnerships or producing assets that can continue to be shared.

c. Be community-led and have a positive social impact: We want projects to be developed by, or with, the Windrush generation and their descendants.

Value for money – 20%

a. Projects will need to demonstrate value for money. Costs should be reasonable and proportionate. We would like to see proposals that involve the sharing of premises, people and equipment. We are looking for proposals to demonstrate how they will achieve value for money, for example by evidencing that they have researched and compared costs or quotes or providing an estimate of volunteer hours. A clear breakdown of the costs of the project must be provided in the application form. Organisations should be mindful of the staffing costs associated with their project and make efforts to limit how much of their allocated grant funding is used for this purpose.

We also encourage applicants to seek match-funding where possible.

Project lead suitability – 10%

To ensure that projects are mobilised in a timely fashion and delivered to a level of quality which suitably recognises the contributions made by the Windrush generation to the UK, grant funding applications are required to demonstrate the suitability of their project leadership. Priority will be given to applications that:

a. Demonstrate that the project lead possesses the suitable knowledge and skills to deliver the stated aims of their project to a high standard by the deadline of 30 September 2025. This could be shown through examples of previous work undertaken by core project members. This experience should also align with the required headline aims and outcomes of the scheme. If a project lead does not have experience in delivering events that meet the headline aims and outcomes, please set out how the project lead will aim to do so.

b. Demonstrate what resources (or the reasonable means of acquiring said resources) that the project lead will utilise to deliver on the stated aims of their project.

c. Where projects seek to use volunteers as a component of delivery, the project lead should display previous experience in training and mobilising individuals in this capacity.

Evaluating and measuring impact – 10%

a. Project proposals will need to include a section on how they intend to properly evaluate and record their impact. We will give preference to proposals that are able to demonstrate how they would report where positive behavioural and perception changes occur. Proposals should demonstrate evaluation methods to gather data from participants on clearly identified outcomes. These could include a change in attitudes, a sense of community engagement and an understanding of the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants. The evaluation method must be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) and where possible provide estimates of the reach of the project. A full evaluation form will be issued to be completed by all projects based on this information. The evaluation form is to be completed after all project activities have concluded. The project lead will also be required to take charge of informing the Department of progress.

b. Local authorities will be encouraged to monitor organisations and activities that they choose to fund in their area. We anticipate close collaboration with successful local authorities throughout the process. It should be noted that local authorities will not be expected to evaluate and monitor successful bids submitted directly by charities and community groups within their area that have received direct funding from the Windrush Day Grant Scheme. However, MHCLG and community organisations may wish to contact individual local authorities to assess the possibility of collaboration in specific circumstances.

8. How to apply

You can apply to the scheme via the application form on our administrator Near Neighbours website.

Applications must be submitted by 11.59pm 25 November 2024.

9. Find out more

Please direct any queries relating to the grant scheme and the application process to our external administrator Near Neighbours at windrush@nearneighbours.org.uk.

Near Neighbours will be hosting bidder workshops to provide an overview of the scheme and offer bidders a chance to ask questions. The workshops will be held virtually, with one in-person session in Vauxhall, London. Please register here to attend.

You can access MHCLG’s Privacy Notice which sets out the standards you can expect us to meet when we ask for, do something with or continue to hold, your personal information. It also covers what we ask of you, to help us keep information up to date.

10. Definitions 

Charity – a registered charity with a UK charity number or a registered CIC (community interest company). 

Community group – a group that meets all the following criteria:

• established for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes
• has a governing body with at least three members
• has a governing document which they are able to produce
• can provide accounts for the last two financial years

NB: Individuals are not eligible to apply but should work with groups as set out above.

Community interest company/Community interest Organisation – a special type of limited company which exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders.

Consortium - a group of bidders, with a designated lead partner, who must meet one of the criteria set out in the relevant section to manage the programme, and a system for dividing the work and funds appropriately and effectively. The lead partner must be a charity, a community group with a charitable purpose, or a local authority. 

Extremism - is defined in the 2011 Prevent strategy as vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also regard calls for the death of members of our armed forces as extremist.

Local authority - a county council; a district council; a parish council; a combined authority; a London borough council; or any other organisation set out in Section 33(1) of the Local Government Act 2003. We encourage schools, libraries and other local authority organisations to submit bids in conjunction with their local authority.

Windrush generation - Relating to or denoting the people who emigrated from the Caribbean to the United Kingdom from the end of WW2, including the arrival of the MV Empire Windrush on 22 June 1948 until the Immigration Act 1971, their descendants and the wider UK Caribbean community.