Thank you for your interest in applying for a Unity Impact Grant.

To celebrate Unity Trust Bank’s 40th anniversary, we are delighted and proud to launch our new grants programme to support exceptional customers who help create positive impact in their local communities.

Apply now for a Unity Impact Grant for up to £5,000 to boost your mission. You will find the application form below. For full details about the programme click here

www.unity.co.uk/unityimpactgrant

If you are happy to proceed, please review the criteria below to assess your eligibility. The key points are:

• You must have been a Unity Trust Bank (Unity) customer for at least 1 year prior to 1st September 2024. 

• You can be a lending customer, banking customer or deposits customer but you must have an 'active' account with Unity. 

• Customers can submit one application only. 

• Your organisational incorporation should be within the recognised VCSE (Volunteer, Community, Social Enterprise)  sector and therefore should be one of the following: 
• Charity Commission (or nationally relevant equivalent) registered.
• A Community Interest Company (CIC) (incorporation can be by shares or guarantee if the organisation is on the CIC register). 
• Register with the FCA Mutuals list as a co-operative or mutual with clear social, environmental or community purpose.
• A member branch of a Trade Union
• The £5,000 grant must be no more than 30% of your organisation’s previous year's income (e.g. your income must be greater than £15,000 in the previous period). 

• The organisation must be based in the UK and must deliver impact in the UK. For clarity, the organisation must be registered and operating in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. 

• Unity will not fund pre-dated matched funding requirements 

• The organisation should be the direct delivery agent of the social, economic, environmental or community good that the application is for. For example, the Unity Impact Grants will fund the following: 
• A charity responsible for the maintenance and / or providing access to green spaces to protect biodiversity and promote wellbeing. 
• A CIC specialising in mental health support services directly to young people. 
• A housing association delivering employment and therapeutic services to vulnerable tenants. 

• Charities providing grants to other organisations delivering services. 
• A CIC which subcontracts the service provision to a third party to deliver services to vulnerable groups. 
• Pre-dated match funding requirements.

In 2024, Unity established a total funding pot of £15,000 for our Unity Impact Grants (UIG).

The UIG will be awarded across 3 grants of £5,000 each

• Project funding / Direct funding - UIG funding can contribute to delivery costs of projects, services or products delivered by the organisation. 

• Restricted operational and overheads / Indirect funding - UIG funding can contribute to indirect / operational costs associated with but not directly contributing to services. This could include (but is not limited to) back-office functions, communications, business development, office costs and refurbishments. The use of funds must be specifically defined. 

• Restricted capital expenditure / capital funding - UIG funding can be used to contribute towards the cost of purchasing, maintaining or improving capital assets. The fund usage must be specifically defined with clear justification for how the capital expenditure supports the impact delivered by the organisation.

Unity is a 'double bottom line' bank. This means that we aim to support organisations delivering a benefit to society as well as achieving commercial success.

The UIG is 'outcome area agnostic'; therefore, Unity will be openminded and has no attachment to the outcome. However, the following criteria will be applied as a key factor the successful grant recipient: 

• Clear definition of beneficiary group / customers: The successful applicant will have a clearly defined beneficiary group with a clear articulation of the disadvantage, vulnerability or exclusion faced and how their organisation supports this group. 

• Evidence of impact need: Whether it is nature restoration in environmentally depleted areas, specialist care services to a particular user group, affordable housing or education for marginalised young people, the successful organisation will have a clear articulation of the environmental, economic or societal need for their organisation. Alignment of the need against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will support Unity to understand the need and approach the organisation takes. 

• Impact evidence: Demonstration of quality monitoring & evaluation (M&E), impact management or customer quality assurance to ensure the work the organisation delivers contributes to meaningful and sustained change. 

• Sustainable practices: Organisations that demonstrate sustainable practices, a commitment to reducing their environmental and carbon footprint and can evidence responsible environmental practices will receive additional scoring alongside the positive impact they create through their services.