Download the Tier 1 grant application form
Read the guidance below before you start to fill out your form.
On this page...
- Who is making this application?
- About your project
- Costs
- Building-related projects
- Bank account details
- Completing your application
Once you're done here, it's time to complete your application.
Next step: Submit your application
Who is making this application?
We need to know the community which is making this application. This can be a parish, benefice, deanery or a community (such as a chaplaincy) within the Diocese of Oxford.
If this is for a project linked to a school, the application should come from the parish (or maybe a deanery in the case of a secondary school). You will also need to confirm that the school’s head teacher is supportive of your project.
Next, give the contact details for the main person who is (or will be) responsible for the day-to-day running of the project you wish to fund.
We use the word ‘project’ to describe the initiative or piece of work you would like to do, which will be enabled by, or benefit from, a Development Fund grant. In many cases a grant will be sought for a piece of equipment or resource. However, we also want to know about the wider ‘project’: what the equipment or resource is needed for and how it is going to be used to benefit your organisation.
Throughout this section, keep in mind the priorities for the Development Fund, which are to encourage discernment, missional creativity, learning and sustainability (see the ‘Before you start’ section at the top of this document).
We ask you to tell us about your project by answering six questions:
- Summary. A single sentence which sums up what the grant will help you to do, and what outcome you hope this will have. Although this is the first question, you may find it easier to write this after you have answered all the other questions. Ideally, phrase this sentence in the form below, with you filling in the blanks:
A Development Fund grant will help us to ________ and we expect this will lead to ______ - A brief description in no more than 400 words. Make sure you describe:
- The main features of the work you plan to undertake, especially where it addresses the Development Fund priorities
- who will contribute to this project and who will benefit from it
- Say what is distinctive about this project (this might be the work you plan to do or the context into which it will be deployed)
- How will this project help you become a more Christ-like church for the sake of God’s world? Now tell us the main way(s) you expect this project will help you become a more Christ-like church. Grand aspirations are not essential: becoming more Christ-like is often to be found in the everyday and the seemingly unremarkable. For help completing this question, the guidance document Signs of a more Christ-like church, available to download on the website, contains lots of ideas.
- How does this project tie in with the wider strategy or plans of your parish and benefice?
We are looking for evidence that the project is part of a thought-through plan, with signs of discernment where God is at work. In other words: what makes this a God idea, rather than a good idea? A parish planning tool may help here. You should also seek the advice and support at an early stage from your Parish Development Adviser, who can help you develop your vision and strengthen your project by sharing their experience from other projects and referring you to other relevant resources. Stronger applications typically demonstrate how their project has been strengthened by consultation with relevant organisations. Applications serving more than one church and/or community are particularly welcomed. - When will the project run and for how long?
Tell us the approximate timescales for the project (so we know when you will need the funding and when to expect your end of project review). - What are the expected (or hoped-for) outcomes of your project?
There are two parts to this:
- A description of the impact or outcomes you might reasonably expect (how will things be different after your project, compared to now) and
- an indication of how (and when) you think these changes might come about.
Because this is anticipating the future, you cannot be entirely specific. Some things will turn out differently to what you expect. However, we ask this question to check that your expectations are reasonable, considering the amount of time and effort going into the project.
Costs
In this section, we are seeking assurance that your project is financially viable so that it can be completed in the way you describe. Please tell us:
- How much money you are asking for from the Development Fund (up to £2,500 for Tier 1 Grant applications)
- What is the total cost of the project? (This is likely to be more than the amount you have just stated due to other income and funding sources.)
- What would the grant be spent on? If you have a particular item or service in mind, please support this with a price or quotation which shows the cost. Development grants are awarded on a ‘restricted funds’ basis, so any grant awarded must be spent on the item(s) you indicate here. Also, if your grant is not fully used, you must return the unspent amount to the Diocese.
- What contribution your parish/benefice/deanery/chaplaincy is making to the project. Please include any financial contributions, also any other contributions in kind such as voluntary effort, buildings, equipment, etc.
- Any contributions from other sources you have for this project (for example grants you have obtained or hope to obtain from other sources).
- Recent history of Parish Share payments. Please tell us if you are up to date with your Parish Share payments, and if not, the circumstances of the shortfall and plans you have to address it. If Parish Share payments have not been made in full, consideration will need to be given to the sustainability of any project within the broader finances of the parish. Applications from parishes that have withheld Parish Share are unlikely to be considered until payments in full are made.
If there are questions about the financial viability of your project, based on the information in your application, the Development Fund Administrator may contact you or your Area Bishop or Archdeacon for more information.
Building-related projects
‘Building’ and ‘building-related’ refer to any works affecting your church buildings, churchyard or curtilage.
You should complete section 4 if your project includes any building work (even if the grant would not cover the full cost of the work); this includes requests for support with early-stage project documentation, e.g. feasibility studies. This guidance and section 4 of the form will help applicants think through the process of relating a building project to their mission and vision and how to approach the various stages of the project development and application process.
We are looking for evidence of how your building project fits into your wider vision and will help you develop as a Christ-like church for the sake of God’s world (as outlined in section 2 of the application form). We strongly recommend that you discuss these aspects with your Parish Development Adviser at an early stage of your project development and before you start the application process.
You can use the information you provided in your draft Statement of Need (or similar) as the starting point to develop your answers in section 2 of the application form. You can find a guidance document to help you develop your Statement of Need on the Church Buildings Team web page.
For grants involving building work (including early-stage project documentation), all applicants should consult with the Church Buildings Team (DAC@oxford.anglican.org) at Church House Oxford, at an early stage before the application is submitted to the Development Fund. The Church Buildings Team can discuss the project's feasibility with you, discuss appropriate resources (including accredited professionals where required), and help you through the building approval process.
The involvement of the Church Buildings Team is not needed for buildings not under faculty jurisdiction, but please confirm that all necessary consent(s) (e.g. planning permission) is in place.
General questions
- Has a member of the Church Buildings Team visited your site (for faculty applications), or have you received List B permission/other necessary consent(s)?
- We are seeking assurance that the project is realistic and viable and that you will be able to proceed with it in the way you describe. The Church Buildings Team can discuss the project's feasibility with you, discuss appropriate resources (including accredited professionals where required), and help you through the building approval process.
- Are you applying for support with ‘early-stage project documentation’?
- Grants for early-stage project documentation (e.g. feasibility study) are limited to a maximum of £2,500, so please apply using the Tier 1 application form. You must already have a vision for your church and at minimum a draft Statement of Need in place before you apply for support with early-stage project documentation.
- Please also include a copy of the quote from your chosen professional with your application.
- Please describe the specific work for which you have received approval. (If you are applying for a building project as opposed to early-stage project documentation)
- We are seeking assurance that this project has approval to proceed so that it can be completed in the way you describe.
- If you are applying for building works, you must have received a supportive Notification of Advice or List B permission (as required) before you apply to the Development Fund. For buildings not under faculty jurisdiction, the equivalent local authority consent(s) must have been granted. Please tell us the specific pieces of work for which you have obtained permission.
- If you are not yet at this stage, please contact your Parish Development Adviser for guidance on developing your vision and the Church Buildings Team for guidance on planning the building project.
- Please attach your draft or final Statement of Need for your building project (if it requires faculty permission rather than List B permission).
- Overall building management: If you have any outstanding emergency or routine repairs to make to your building(s), please provide details.
- We would like to understand how this project fits into the priority, care and management of the rest of your building(s) to assess your ability to complete the proposed project within the timescale indicated.
- Please let us know if you have any urgent large-scale repairs you need to make in addition to this project.
- A grant for a buildings-related project would not normally exceed £50k.
- Funding is normally awarded on the basis that your project is able to start within 12 months of any award by the Development Fund Panel.
Essential infrastructure for mission
Bishop’s Council has made available £200K per annum for three years to assist the provision of essential infrastructure required for churches to enable their mission today, where these do not already exist in a usable state.
You do not need to apply separately for this funding - if your project meets these criteria, as the Development Fund Panel will automatically take this into consideration whilst reviewing your application.
Essential infrastructure covers the following types, where these do not already exist in a usable state for your mission activity in the building:
Mains water Heating Hot water
Foul water drainage Lighting Hearing loop
Electricity Toilet Level access in and around the building
Gas Sink WiFi/Internet Connectivity*
*There is a separate Internet Connectivity Fund available to support installation of internet connections where these do not already exist in churches.
Bank account details
Development Fund grants will normally be paid into a PCC, benefice or deanery account and not a personal account or account belonging to another organisation. Please give details of the account (name, account number and sort code) and the treasurer’s name and contact details.
Completing your application
Congratulations, you're nearly there! Head to our What's Next page for your final steps.