Norfolk Offshore Wind Farms Community Fund

Norfolk Offshore Wind Farms Community Fund – empowering communities to grow greener by supporting the projects and places that build nature connection and climate resilience.

In this round, grants of up to £10,000 are available from a funding pot of £90,000. The Fund can consider projects taking place in, or for people living in, the parishes in Zone 1.

The boundary for Zone 1 encompasses the communities located closest to the infrastructure for the wind farms. They are the communities that the Norfolk Offshore Wind Farms have been consulting and engaging with since the outset of the projects, through planning and now into the construction phase.

List of Parishes in Zone 1

All applications should address one of two themes:

Nature and green spaces
Transport

Themes were initially developed in consultation with local communities, and continue to be shaped by the Norfolk Offshore Wind Farms Community Panel.

Norfolk Community Foundation has been appointed as community investment steward for the Norfolk Offshore Wind Farms Community Fund by RWE.

RWE is the leading power generator in the UK, and a leading renewables developer, generating enough power for around 12 million homes, with a diverse portfolio of wind, hydro, biomass and gas.

Once operational, RWE’s Norfolk Offshore Wind Farms is set to be among the world’s most significant generators of clean, sustainable electricity for millions of homes across the UK each year.

These projects will play a pivotal role in establishing and preserving East Anglia’s status as a leader in the UK’s renewable energy sector, placing the region at the forefront of our country’s shift towards a more sustainable, low-carbon economy. They are expected to create hundreds of jobs locally and will keep supporting local and regional skills development programmes.

What can the Fund support?

The Discovery Round (2024/25) received and supported several applications for capital projects and new initiatives centred around Community Hubs. In 2026, the Community Panel are keen to support more activity-based applications that connect people with their local environment, and particularly encourage requests to continue or develop existing projects that work. All applications should seek to address one of two themes:

Nature and green spaces

Activities that connect people with nature to improve their mental health and wellbeing
Projects that connect people with nature and the outdoors to boost their physical activity
Developing a community orchard, garden, woodland, allotment or other green space
Outdoor workshops or working groups that engage the community with improving green or blue space habitat for the benefit of wildlife and native plants
Establishing children’s nature clubs in the community
Community initiatives to tackle litter in green spaces in urban areas, the countryside or on beaches

Transport

Electrical vehicles or vehicle charging points
Connecting people through community car or transport schemes
Promoting walking, cycling and the use of public transport e.g. transport buddy schemes, installing bike racks, helping people to access or maintain their own bike

When reviewing your project, the Community Panel will take into account how it will benefit the environment as well as how it will engage and make a difference to the people living in Zone 1.

What else do I need to know?

Exclusions

In this round, some things cannot be supported, including:

Commercial organisations
Individuals
Costs associated with normal delivery of the curriculum in schools, e.g. teacher salaries or equipment for lessons
Capital improvements/projects on school premises
Any works considered a statutory responsibility, such as scheduled transport services, works to public highways and public car parks
Projects that are religious in focus or that support a party political campaign or cause or may bring the fund or the funder into disrepute
Retrospective funding, i.e. projects that have already been completed, whether or not already paid for

Who can apply

Groups eligible to apply are listed below. Applicants should check that they meet NCF’s general eligibility criteria.

How to apply

To apply, complete the online application form linked below.

When to apply

The deadline for submitting applications is 12noon on xxxx. We expect to confirm funding decisions in early February.

What about reporting?

Grant recipients will typically be contacted by NCF via an online form at 6 and 12 months during the funded period. After NCF receives your final report there will be an additional, optional opportunity to feedback to RWE directly about your completed project.

How will decisions be made?

The Norfolk Offshore Wind Farms Community Panel, made up of ten local residents, sets the Fund’s themes for each round and decides on which projects are funded. Applications to become a member of the Community Panel are currently closed.

Call for Applications

Closed

Maximum Grant

£10,000

Who can apply?

Charity, Faith organisation, Parish/Town Council, School, Social Enterprise/CIC, and Voluntary/Community Group

Eligible Area

Selected Areas Only (See Map)

Find Out More & Apply

Eligible areas