The Crane Valley Grant Programme
If you'd like to improve the water environment in the Crane Valley catchment, this grant supports grassroots and community groups to achieve this objective and benefit the local communities.
We have now re-launched the Crane Valley Grant Programme for 25/26 – please find more information below.
The Crane Valley Grant Programme is part of Thames Water’s Smarter Water Catchments initiative. The programme recognises that grassroots, community, environment and conservation groups, often focusing on a particular area, are uniquely placed to carry out works and projects which will bring a wide range of benefits, including those contained within the River Crane Smarter Water Catchment Plan and it’s Update.
The fund aims to ensure that benefits of the programme are enjoyed by all communities in the Crane Valley area, and that, alongside physical works, elements such as education, awareness raising, research and development, organisational costs and feasibility of the projects are also supported. For more information on the River Crane Smarter Water Catchment please see the Thames Water and Crane Valley Partnership websites.
The programme includes two funds:
- The Crane Valley Community Fund
- The Crane Valley Project Fund
What kind of Funding are you looking for?
There are two different funding streams on The Crane Valley Grant Programme:
Small, community-based grants of up to £3,000 for small catchment-based initiatives.
Larger, project grants of between £3,000 and £100,000 for higher impact projects that deliver against six Crane Valley Grant Programme aims.
Community Fund
The Crane Valley Community Fund is offering small grants up to £3,000 to deliver a range of environmental and associated community benefits throughout the Crane Valley catchment area. This can cover organisational costs such as field equipment, PPE, operational services and training, promotional materials, site infrastructure, events.
The fund has been devised specifically in response to local community groups requesting a source of small scale funding to support their activities. It provides support to the existing work of groups as well as smaller projects.
The following groups are eligible:
- Educational Establishment
- Religious Organisation
- Local Authority
- Registered Charity
- Company Limited by Guarantee
- Not for Profit Community Interest Company (CIC)
- Social Enterprise
- Constituted Community Organisation
- Friends of Group
- Tenants and Residents Association
- Informal or un-constituted group*
*If you are applying as an informal or non-constituted group, you will need to apply via a sponsor organisation.
We may also be able to fund other organisations where the key objectives are related to the public interest.
You can submit an application from the 16th June 2025 until 15th September 2025. There are two application assessment deadlines, on 21st July and 15th September 2025.
Please Note:
- All grant monies awarded through the Community Fund must be spent by 16th February 2026.
- You will be required to provide evidence of expenditure with your final monitoring form. Where this is not received, in part or in full, we may seek to reclaim any awarded monies. Please ensure that you keep invoices/receipts/payslips relating to project expenditure until after your project has finished, and final monitoring process have been completed.
Timeline
| Milestone | Date |
| Applications Open for Community Fund | Monday, 16th June 2025 |
| First deadline for assessment | Monday, 21st July 2025 |
| Final deadline for assessment, applications close | Monday, 15th September 2025 |
| Deadline for project completion and reporting | Monday, 16th February 2026 |
How to apply to the Community Fund:
- First, please review all programme documentation found on this page.
- To access the Community Fund application form, please follow the ‘Apply for the Community Fund’ link below to complete the eligibility checker. If you are eligible, you will be able to proceed to the application form.
- Please either register on our application portal if you have not applied for a grant with us before, or please use your existing log in details if you have.
- Complete the application on the portal. You will receive an automated confirmation email once you have successfully submitted your application.
Project Fund
The Crane Valley Project Fund is offering grants of between £3,000 to £100,000. Funding is available to organisations that will deliver projects aligned with the aims of the River Crane Smarter Water Catchment Plan and Update.
The Smarter Water Catchment Plan aims to implement a systems-based view of the environment, collectively addressing multiple challenges and co-delivering solutions to protect and enhance the environment of the River Crane Catchment area.
For the Project Fund, applicants will need to choose at least one of the following Crane Valley programme aims for their project to meet.
- Disconnect or attenuate surface water from the sewerage system
- Support to achieve Good Ecological Status: address urban diffuse source pollution
- Support to achieve Good Ecological Status: address physical modifications to the river
- Support to achieve Good Ecological Status: address point source pollution, including misconnections
- Reduce water consumption
- Protect & enhance biodiversity
The activities and projects that could be supported through this fund are wide-ranging. There are no limits on categories of cost (capital, resource etc.). We are looking for projects that fit into one of the following categories:
- Feasibility – an assessment of the practicality of carrying a project, looking at the strengths and weaknesses or different approaches.
- Implementation and Delivery – carrying out activities based on a project plan, to achieve specific outcomes.
- Education and Engagement – raising knowledge and awareness of environmental needs in the area, and encouraging behaviour change in the wider community.
- Research and Development – carrying out work which will allow for innovative or new approach to challenges in the Crane Valley.
This year, there will be one application round of the Project Fund. You can submit an application between 23rd June to 4th August 2025.
Please Note:
- All grant monies awarded through the Project Fund must be spent by 14th December 2026.
- You will be required to provide evidence of expenditure with your final monitoring form. Where this is not received, in part or in full, we may seek to reclaim any awarded monies. Please ensure that you keep invoices/receipts/payslips relating to project expenditure until after your project and final monitoring process have been completed.
Timeline:
| Timeline | |
| Application Open for Project Fund | Monday, 23rd June 2025 |
| Applications close for Project Fund | Monday, 4th August 2025 |
| Deadline for project completion and reporting | Monday, 14th December 2026 |
How to apply to the Project Fund:
- Firstly, review all programme documentation found on this page first.
- To access the Project Fund application form, please follow the ‘Apply for the Project Fund’ link below to complete the eligibility checker. If you are eligible, you will be presented with the link to the application.
- Please note that you can only complete the checker once, so if you have lost the link please let us know and we can help you with this.
- Please either register on our application portal if you have not applied for a grant with us before, or please use your existing log in details if you have.
- Complete the application on the portal. Please ensure you regularly save your application. You will receive a confirmation when you have successfully submitted your application.
Programme Documentation
Please find the grant programme guide and application guidance for each funding strand below. Please read both before applying to the grant programme.
Application Workshops
We will be holding application workshops for both funds. Please see dates and times below.
Community Fund Application workshop – Wednesday, 2nd of July, 11am-12pm. Please register using this link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WKDy0MLBQRWyRmbG5KofAA
Project Fund Application workshop – Wednesday, 9th July, 11am-12pm. Please register using this link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/8h8Jau40TCqb_PCJQ1kjvQ
Questions?
Groundwork London is administering the Crane Valley Grants Programme on behalf of Thames Water and the Crane Valley Partnership.
If you have any questions please email cranevalleygrants@groundwork.org.uk or call the Groundwork London office on 020 7239 1390.
Please read all of the guidance documents, as there a number of ways in which we can support your application.
You may also sign up for the newsletter to stay up to date with all the fund-related developments. By subscribing, you’ll receive timely updates, announcements, and insights directly to your inbox.
