About Us
Check your project's eligibility
To be eligible for a grant from the Severn Trent Community Fund, the organisation must be a registered not for profit, and the project you would like funding for must benefit Severn Trent customers.
What we can fund
You can apply for a grant if your organisation is not for profit and you have a governing document.
Applications can be made by organisations including:
- Local Authority or Parish Council
- Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) or foundation CIO
- Registered Company (limited by guarantee) or Community Interest Company
- Registered Charity
- Volunteer or community group
- Foundation school, college or academy
The proposed project must be located in the Severn Trent region and the community it is benefiting must be Severn Trent customers.
Unfortunately, if the project is located in the Hafren Dyfrdwy region, it will not be eligible for support from the Severn Trent Community Fund.
Defining a Severn Trent customer
A Severn Trent customer is somebody who receives their water supply from us, or whose waste is taken away and treated by us. This may not necessarily mean you receive your bill from us. Check services in your area.
Location of projects we can fund
To be eligible for the Fund, both the project and its beneficiaries must be located within the Severn Trent region.
Our region stretches across the heart of the UK, from the Bristol Channel to the Humber, and from the West Midlands to the East Midlands.
If you’re not sure if your project is eligible, you can check whether your project is in our region using WaterUK water supplier finder.
What we can’t fund
Unfortunately, we can’t fund:
- Individuals
- Any organisation that is legally able to make a profit (e.g. limited liability partnerships, limited companies, sole traders)
- Work that is too closely linked to our core services (e.g. new or replacement water or waste pipes, new water supplies, or new connections)
- Any Severn Trent costs
- Improvements to Severn Trent owned property/land, or property/land owned by another water/waste provider within the Severn Trent catchment region
- General organisation or current project costs – your application must be for a new project
- Projects where we are not the majority funder
- Projects with a political or religious purpose
- Projects not within the Severn Trent region
- Projects that aren’t sustainable (e.g. the project would need a further grant to continue beyond our investment)
- Short term/one off events (unless requesting a water bar)
- Retrospective costs – Project/work that has already taken place
- Any organisation that cannot demonstrate appropriate governance
- Any project that is to the detriment of Severn Trent and its interests (for example projects that are harmful to the environment or use excessive volumes of water, such as gas boilers or water irrigation systems)
- Projects that have already received funding from us
We’re unable to support political or religious causes, however we will consider religious organisations if projects are for wider community benefit and not faith based.
We can’t provide funding for permanent water fountains. However, we will be able to support a limited number of community events with temporary plastic-free water, through temporary water fountains, to a limited number of public events each year as part of our plastic-free water pledge. This can include marathons, carnivals and sporting events.
Please see our guidance document (PDF) for a full list of ineligible costs.
Apply for funding
If your organisation and project are eligible, you can apply for funding from the Community Fund.