Made Smarter Adoption North East

Made Smarter Adoption North East can help your manufacturing business become more efficient, more productive and more competitive by investing in digital tools.

The support available includes:

• Hands on help to develop a digital roadmap for your business – wherever you’re at on your digital journey.

• Innovation Vouchers worth up to £500 are available to help you access expert advice from an industrial digital technology specialist.
• Grants to help you purchase and implement new software and/ or equipment.

Made Smarter Adoption North East is backed by world-renowned businesses and the UK government. It aims to drive growth amongst the region’s manufacturing businesses and advance the UK economy by improving the development and adoption of emerging technologies. The North East Growth Hub and Tees Valley Business are working with Made Smarter to deliver Made Smarter Adoption in the North East LEP and Tees Valley Combined Authority areas. 

This support is only available for small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses.

For more information and to sign-up, please visit the Tees Valley Combined Authority webpage here. 

Key information

Available? Now

Can I apply if my business is not trading yet? No

Eligible location: Tees Valley

Award available: up to £23,500

Funding match: 50/50 – total funding towards your project must not be greater than £23,500 or 50% of the total project costs.

Change Lives Today, Tees Valley Fund

The Change Lives Today, Tees Valley Fund provides grants to groups meeting immediate community needs and to rebuild the communities in Tees Valley.

What type of projects can this fund support?

The Fund can support a broad range of existing or new projects and activities, including projects which:

• Help bring different communities together
• Reduce isolation and provide positive experiences for young people
• Tackle the direct effects of poverty to help strengthen communities
• Create more resilient communities
• Increase a sense of belonging
• Increase civic participation at a local level

What type of funding can you apply for? 

Here are some examples of the type of funding you can apply for, but this list doesn’t include everything.

• Room hire/ premises costs
• Items for distribution
• Staff time allocated to the project
• Capital items and equipment (except vehicles or minibuses)
• Transport costs

The Change Lives Today, Tees Valley Fund is being administered by Point North. For more information and to apply, click here.

Key Information

Available: Now

Eligibility:

Based within the Tees Valley.

Be one of the following organisational structures: registered charities and CIOs, community/voluntary groups that have a constitution, social enterprises (CICs, companies limited by guarantee) that are registered with the appropriate body.

The company is registered for a minimum of 12 months.

A reasonable percentage of your income is earned through trading.

Award: up to £3,000

Dogger Bank Operator Fund

Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be the largest offshore wind farm in the world once constructed, capable of powering up to 6 million homes once fully operational. As part of this project, Dogger Bank Wind Farm has made available a small operators fund to provide grants of up to £1,000 to community projects near their construction and operation bases.

What type of projects can this fund support:

Community-focused or charitable activities which:

• enhance quality of life for local residents;
• contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities; and/or
• promote community spirit and encourage community activity

For more information and to apply, click here.

Key Information

Available: Now

Eligibility:

Deliver activities in Redcar and Cleveland.*

Have a constitution.

Have an annual turnover below £100,000.

*Priority will be given to activities close to the wind farm sites: Redcar and Cleveland – TS10 4FX.

Award: up to £1,000

Enovert Community Trust

Enovert Community Trust (formerly Cory Environmental Trust in Britain) is an environmental body which supports community and environmental projects within 10 miles of Enovert’s site on Teesworks (TS6 6UG). The Trust is committed to supporting community and environmental projects across the UK. 

Example of what type of projects can this fund support?

• Improving community halls
• the creation of new play areas and skate parks
• restoring green spaces.

Five project criteria

In line with the Landfill Tax Regulations, Enovert Community Trust is able to support projects under the following categories, so please make sure that your project complies with one of the following objects:

• Opening up access for the public to an area of land that has been closed or partially closed up to now.
• Cleaning up land that has been polluted because of now ceased activity.
• Helping to improve, protect, provide and/or maintain land or a building as a public amenity.
• Protecting the environment, and conserving or promoting biological diversity.
• Helping to preserve, maintain, restore and/or repair a religious building or one of historical or architectural interest.

For more information about the Enovert Community Trust and it’s grants, please visit their website here.

Key Information

Available: Now

Eligibility:

Based within 10 miles of Enovert’s site on Teesworks (TS6 6UG)

Non-profit distributing: You don’t need to be a charity, but any surplus you make must be used to further your organisation’s objects. Surplus must not be used to pay dividends or other rewards. If you are a sporting organisation you must be CASC registered or a limited company or registered charity. If you are a sporting organisation you must be CASC registered or a limited company or registered charity.

Available to the general public: Your facility must be available to the general public as much as possible, and no less than four evenings or two days a week, or for more than 104 days in any one year.

Award: up to £50k*
*the Trust requires 10%
independent 3rd party funding

Community Grants

The Woodsmith Foundation is keen to support a wide range of organisations across the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland, the Borough of Scarborough and the North York Moors National Park to deliver projects that will do good things in their communities.

Example of what type of projects can these grants support:

• Increase opportunities for better life chances.
  
• Encourage positive changes by improving lives and places, or tackling issues that negatively impact on local people.
  
• Bring people together and enrich lives by ensuring there are local spaces, resources and activities that provide pleasure, learning, or community action.

Upper limits of funding available

The Community Grants are popular so they have separated the funding available into 3 upper limits, with clear and specific categories based upon what they know is needed from past grant rounds. Priority will be given to projects that support people most at disadvantage due to unfavourable circumstances or facing barriers that lead to inequality.

For more information about the Woodsmith Foundation Community Grants and to apply, please visit their website by clicking here.

Key Information

Available: Now

Eligibility:

• Local, voluntary groups that are constituted.
• Charities or Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) registered with the Charity Commission.
• Community Interest Companies (CICs) limited by guarantee and with at least two unrelated bank signatories and three unrelated Directors.
• Parish and Town Councils or Parish Meetings
• Faith organisations
• Schools or school parent led fundraising groups that are constituted voluntary groups.
• Companies limited by guarantee with charitable objectives MAY be considered. 

Award: up to £10k revenue or capital costs.

Dormanstown Seed Fund

The Woodsmith Foundation is keen to help people grow ideas that bring people together and build upon the strong sense of community spirit and pride in Dormanstown. They have therefore set up a new Seed Fund Grant offer for this community. They will support a wide range of organisations and individuals to deliver projects that:

• Increase activities for residents
  
• Tackle local issues
  
• Help people come together to develop new ideas for Dormanstown.

This grant process is different to our other grant rounds as it begins at the inception of an idea and is worked through with an Community Connector. However, from the submission of an application form, they aim to inform you of a decision within one month.

For more information about the Woodsmith Foundation Dormanstown Seed Fund and to apply, please visit their website by clicking here.

Key Information

Available: Now

Eligibility:

• Organisations or individuals with a strong connection to Dormanstown.

Expression of Interest

In 2025 the Woodsmith Foundation are accepting expressions of interest from community organisations across the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland, the Borough of Scarborough and the North York Moors National Park that will increase opportunity and tackle disadvantage. If you are seeking funding under £10,000 please first check Community Grants as this may be a more appropriate route for you to apply for a grant.

They are seeking to support projects that will:

• Increase opportunities for local people to have better life chances.
  
• Encourage positive changes
  
• Build better community connections
  
• Bring people together

For information on the Woodsmith Foundation’s guiding principles when evaluating expressions of interest, please read their guidance document.

Expressions of Interest will be accepted from February 2025 to the end of October 2025, but will close to EOIs once the budget for the year has been allocated. It is strongly recommended you do not wait until the end of October to send us your Expressions of Interest.

For more information about the Woodsmith Foundation Expression of Interest and to submit an EOI, please visit their website by clicking here.

Key Information

Available: Now

Eligibility: 

• Applicant needs to be uniquely placed to deliver the work proposed.
• Leaders of the organisation’s they fund need to be competent (or able and open to develop their skills)

Award:

They have total Expressions of Interest funding pot of £400,000*. They do not know whether the Expressions of Interest they receive will mean they fund one great idea or a range of projects.

please note: although not essential there is an expectation that a request for a significant amount of funding from a local organisation will include a financial match from other sources. For large national charities a financial match is a requirement.

Young and Talented

Woodsmith Foundation are open for applications for Young and Talented grants from February 2025 to the end of October 2025.

The funding will focus on supporting individual children and young people across our area of benefit, who can demonstrate exceptional skill in their chosen subject. They would like to hear from those who intend to continue to use this skill in their future and who will struggle to do this because of financial restrictions.

They are seeking to support projects that will:

• Increase opportunities for local people to have better life chances.
  
• Encourage positive changes
  
• Build better community connections
  
• Bring people together

The children and young people they will support:

They will accept applications to support children and young people up to the age of 18 who have already demonstrated exceptional talent in their chosen subject. Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, would be eligible up to the age of 25. You can also apply for funding for care leavers up to the age of 25.

Young and Talented grants are aimed at essential funding needed for a young person to progress in any chosen subject. They do not have a prescriptive list of subjects we will support (as long as the activity is safe and legal). Examples could include: an academic subject, chess, dance, art, writing, music, drama and sports of all kinds – from skateboarding and surfing to horse riding and athletics. 

Applications to the fund can be made by either: parents/guardians of the young person themselves or trusted adults*.

*Trusted adults may include: sports coaches, trainers, youth workers, music leaders, mentors, teachers/tutors or any other professional experienced at working with children and young people.

For more information about the Woodsmith Foundation Young and Talented grants and to apply, please visit their website by clicking here.

Key Information

Available: Now

Eligibility: 

Geographical area of benefit – The activity funded must only be for young people normally living in the Foundation’s area of benefit. This is the Borough of Scarborough, the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland, and the North York Moors National Park.

Trusted adults and referees – Trusted adults must work for an organisation that is already experienced in, and working with, children and young people in some capacity. 

Keeping children and young people safe – It is the responsibility of parents/guardians or organisations submitting applications to ensure that providers of activities have an appropriate safeguarding policy in place and undertake the right level of risk assessment for the proposed activities.

Types of applicants:

• Parents/guardians of individual young people.
• 18 year olds may apply themselves.
• Local authority staff.
• Schools.
• Local, voluntary groups that are constituted. 
• Charities or Charitable Incorporated Organisations registered with the Charity Commission.
• Social enterprises, such as Community Interest Companies limited by guarantee. 
• Parish and Town Councils.
• Sole traders and private businesses where they are acting as the trusted adult and are the specialist support for the young person e.g. coach or tutor.

Award: Grants of up to £1,500 are available.

Redcar Fund Seekers

Redcar Fund Seekers is a grant portal funded and provided in partnership by Tees Valley Rural Action and Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency.

Powered by IDOX GrantFinder, this grant portal gives you access to the widest possible range of national, regional, and local funds from national and local government to private trusts and charitable foundations and corporate sponsors.

By signing up for a free account you’ll be able to create easy, customised funding reports that makes sure that you receive opportunities that are tailored to your needs.

This grant portal is only available to Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations, and will only display funding opportunities available to them.

Access to the Redcar Fund Seekers grant portal is available here.