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Essex Association of Local Councils

Supporting local town and parish councils within Essex

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Food Support Fund - This fund is now closed

Essex County Council are committed to supporting communities most in need and that have been adversely impacted by the increase of the cost of living. We are pleased to launch the Food Support Fund so that foodbanks, food pantries, community organisations, voluntary groups and schools can provide support to those most in need. This funding is for the provision of food for families with children and for individuals from across the Essex County Council local authority areas who are most in need. Applicants should have processes in place to ensure that this funding is used to support those who are struggling with the cost-of-living increases.
Applications will be accepted for up to £3000. Following feedback from previous application rounds, we do understand that there may be some exceptional circumstances where you may need to ask for more than £3000, however we do expect this to be the exception. There will be the opportunity for you to share any exceptional circumstances below and this will be assessed on an individual basis. We reserve the right to increase the amount awarded, which would normally be up to £5000. Please note that we are aware that there is an increase in demand for food support, and this is why we have allocated the original funding, an increase in demand on your services, does not meet the exceptional circumstances criteria.

Please ensure that the amount you request in your application reflects the local need and the number of families and individuals that you plan to support between November – March 2026. This funding is not for food vouchers.
You will need to tell us how many families and individuals you expect to be able to provide support with this funding and over what period. This funding will run from Monday 17th November 2025 and will close as soon as all of the funding is allocated. All grants awarded must be spent by 31st March 2026. We understand that you may need to provide support to a family / individual on more than one occasion during this period but please make this clear in your application.

Apply Now

Please complete the application below and return, alongside proof of Bank account details (eg: bank statement or paying in slip) to the Funding administrator at Funding@ealc.gov.uk

 


Please note that we will be in touch at the end of the funding period for monitoring around the number of families and individuals you have been able to support with this funding. You will need to monitor how many individual payments are made to each family as well as the number of families helped with children, without children, with Pensioners or with disabilities.

If you have any feedback or case studies of how this funding has supported local people then please do share this with us.

We are keen that everyone who needs it, has access to support during this period and so we will be sharing details of organisations who receive funding through this grant, so that families and individuals are aware of where they can go for support. Please make sure you include contact details that can be shared publicly below.

If you have any specific enquiries on the grant funding we offer, please contact Michelle, our Funding Adminstrator at-

funding@ealc.gov.uk.