The Greater Manchester Eco Grants for Schools programme is all about empowering schools to develop climate action projects that benefit both the school environment and the wider community. We’re looking for projects that inspire small acts of positive climate action and sustainable behaviour change focused on:

• Waste Reduction and Circular Economy – Fashion, Textiles and Plastics
• Education on Sustainable Lifestyles through Key Life Skills
• Sustainable Food and Tackling Food Waste

What we will not fund:

• Nature and biodiversity projects will NOT be funded in round 2. Schools interested in these should apply to the next round of the Green Spaces Fund.
• Recycling projects will NOT be funded in round 2. Schools interested in this should apply to the next round of the Renew Community Fund.

Extra Benefits

We also want your project to provide wider social benefits like:

• Tackling inequalities including health and wellbeing
• Building confidence and increasing skills
• Improving neighbourhoods and fostering community cohesion

Funding Available

Grants of up to £2,000 are available for any Local Education Authority School or Academy Trust in Greater Manchester (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan). We expect to support projects that will be completed within 12 months of receiving funding with resources and learnings maintained beyond the project timeframe. Interventions must take place over multiple sessions in the school year (one-off events will not be funded), deliver long-lasting change, and generate wider social benefits for the community.

Before you apply please read through our guidance notes and FAQs. They contain all the essential information on eligibility and what successful applicants need to do.

What We Can Fund

• Materials and resources
• Equipment hire or purchase fees
• Training suppliers/specialist facilitators delivering activities
• Publication or engagement materials
• Transport costs if activities are delivered off-site

What We Can’t Fund

• Capital costs or core staff costs that are not project-specific
• Activities or applications that promote political or religious beliefs
• Projects that have already started or are a continuation of an existing project
• Projects which financially benefit an individual
• Business as usual activities
• Projects that are requesting replacement equipment
• Projects which duplicate services that are already the responsibility of a Local Authority

To be eligible for support, your school needs to agree to the following criteria:

• Talk to us at regular intervals and provide two formal updates about your project activity
• Share project news and images with us for reporting purposes
• Work with us to share your story and inspire others to take climate action

How to Apply

Before you get started, please take a moment to read through our guidance notes and FAQs. They contain all the essential information on eligibility and what successful applicants need to do.

To apply, just fill out the application form with your school’s details, who you are, and what your project aims to achieve. The application form is available on Microsoft Forms. We suggest preparing your answers in a Word document first, then copying them into the online form. Please note that you won’t be able to make any changes to your application once it’s submitted.

If you need any extra support with your application, want to discuss your ideas beforehand or prefer to apply in a different way, we’re here to help! Please email us at greencityschools@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk

What Happens Next

Once the application deadline has passed, we will review all the submitted projects and evaluate each project based on the eligibility criteria outlined in the guidance notes. The projects with the highest scores will receive funding.

GOOD LUCK