Got an idea to help your community? Or a project that needs a boost? You can apply to the Neighbourhood Investment Fund (NIF) to get funding to support your project! Here’s some tips and guidance on how you can apply.

What is the Neighbourhood Investment Fund?

The Neighbourhood Investment Fund (NIF) is run by Manchester City Council to help communities to make their neighbourhoods better places to live

Every ward in Manchester has a pot of £20,000 of funding to help groups carry out events and initiatives that benefit local people and the environment.

Community groups and residents can apply for up to £10,000 of the funding each year, and your Neighbourhood Officer or Climate Change Officer can help you with your application.

Who can apply?

The fund is open to established groups, voluntary groups and other community groups, as well as groups of residents working together for the first time. School Parent Teacher Associations can also apply if they have the support of local residents, parents and the project benefits the wider community as well as the school.

Your group must have a bank account to receive any approved funding or have permission from another group to receive the funding for you as a referee. Payment cannot be made to personal bank account.

What can the funding be used for?

The fund can be used for activities important to your neighbourhood, including tackling climate change through activities such as greening, rewilding, local food projects, awareness raising/ engagement activities around climate change, repair workshops/sessions, increasing composting, increasing recycling, reducing waste, green travel initiatives, improvements to air quality, and improving the physical environment.

Got an idea and want to apply? Here’s how to get started

1. Get clear on your “why”

Start with the difference your project will make. Ask:

What local need are we addressing?

Who benefits, and how? Be clear on who you are trying to reach or support.

How does it strengthen our community?

Keep your explanation clear, concise, and rooted in local relevance. The Council will want to know why your idea matters to your local area.

Want to know more about your local area? Speak to your neighbourhood team about what they’ve heard from local residents. Check out Manchester’s Local Intelligence hub for data for your ward, including demographics, fuel poverty and indices of multiple deprivation.

2. Talk to your Neighbourhood Team early

Before you apply, get in touch with your local Neighbourhood Team, ward councillor or Climate Change Officer. They can:

Advise if your idea fits the funding criteria

Tell you if similar projects have already been funded

Help you shape your idea or suggest collaboration

This contact can make your application stronger — and shows you’re plugged into local priorities. Email NIF@manchester.gov.uk to get in touch with your local neighbourhood team.

3. Match the priorities of your local area

Make sure your application clearly aligns with the priorities of your local area and the council. For any projects that are linked with climate and community action, you can check out your Ward’s Climate Plan here to see what their ward-specific objectives are, and how your project fits in. If your project idea isn’t fully formed yet, these plans can help you shape your activities.

For example, Cheetham’s Ward Climate Action plan has objectives to run one community cycling event, connect a local community garden with a school or youth group to teach food growing, and fund at least two local climate projects through the Neighbourhood Investment Fund by April 2026.

4. Be specific about costs

The NIF funding application will ask for a budget break down. It’s important to break your budget down clearly, so avoid vague terms like "materials" or "admin” and be detailed with the exact costs if you can. For example, include key costs like room hire and workshop costs, such as:

Room hire: £50/week for 10 weeks = £500

Workshop facilitator: £30/hr for 20 hours = £600

If you're getting match funding or volunteer time, mention that too as it shows value and commitment. Remember, your application doesn’t have to be for the full £10,000. It could be £500 for some compost for your gardening project, or £1000 for some tools to set up a Repair Cafe.

5. Involve local people, and share how you’ll reach them

Applications are stronger when you can show community involvement. Include how your project or activities have been shaped by feedback or insights from local residents. Quotes, short survey results, or community meeting notes can help back this up.

It’s likely your project will need local residents getting involved for it to thrive. Share in your application how you plan to promote your project and get the word out. This might be on social media, through a solid network you’re already in, or through posters and leaflets.

6. Think about sustainability

NIF is usually short-term funding — so what happens after? You don’t need to promise miracles, but it helps to say:

How the project could continue (e.g. volunteer-run, new funding, self-funding)

What lasting difference the project will make, even if it’s one-off

7. Use plain english

Avoid jargon — write like you’re explaining your project to a friend who’s never heard of it. Simple, friendly language helps your passion come across clearly. Use tools like Chat GPT to help with spell checking and grammar for your application, but we recommend you don’t copy and paste whole answers from there, as it can often have errors, and it won’t know the project or area like you!

8. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

You don’t need to do this alone. If writing the form feels daunting:

Get help from a local advice worker or voluntary sector support organisation (like Macc or your local VCSE group)

Get in touch with another group who’s done it before

Draft it, then ask someone else to read it and check it makes sense

9. Keep It Realistic

Be ambitious, but grounded. Don’t over-promise. It’s better to run a simple, meaningful project well than plan something overcomplicated that you can’t deliver.

10. Celebrate What You Bring

Small groups often underestimate their impact. Even if you’re new or informal, your lived experience, relationships, and knowledge of your area count. Funders care about people who care — and that’s you.