FAQs: NATURE HUBS GRANT
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We’ve pulled together some commonly asked questions regarding Nature Hubs grant funding.
What to do if your answer isn’t here:
Find out more about Nature Hubs funding via Hubbub’s Community Nature Network, including:
• Application guidance (including eligibility criteria) for new grants
• Application guidance (including eligibility criteria) for top-up grants
• Terms and conditions
What’s the aim of the fund?
The Nature Hubs Fund will help bring communities together around nature and increase access to green space. This year we’re providing grants open to new Nature Hubs projects as well as top-up grants to help existing Hubs deepen their impact.
Recent Hubbub polling shows more than a third of people (36%) in the UK spend less than an hour a week in green or natural space, and more than half (56%) face a barrier to accessing nature. However, we know many excellent groups are already striving to bring more green spaces to their communities. To support and enhance this work, we’re funding green space initiatives with up to £6,000 of funding for new grants and supporting last year’s fund winners with top-up grants of up to £3,000.
How is the fund funded?
The Nature Hubs Fund is funded by public donations via the Starbucks 5p Cup Charge
What is the 5p cup charge?
Hubbub is working with Starbucks to build stronger, greener communities. When Starbucks customers bring in a reusable cup, they receive a 25p discount, or if they’ve forgotten their cup, they are charged 5p for a single-use cup. These 5ps are donated to Hubbub, and we’re using them to run campaigns that are good for the planet and for people, including The Nature Hubs Fund.
Who is funding for new Nature Hubs grants of up to £6,000 for?
This funding is for organisations that have never before received a grant from The Nature Hubs Fund or for groups that have received previous funding but are applying in a new
location, near to a different Starbucks store. This funding is open to groups who received other Hubbub funding such as from the Community Nature Fund, Food Hubs, and the Community Fridge Network.
The eligibility and criteria of the fund can be found here, and as a reminder:
To apply for this funding your organisation must:
• Be a constituted community group or a registered charity, CIC, or company.
And your project location must:
• Have not received a Nature Hubs grant last year, paid in March 2024
• Be located in England, Scotland, or Wales.
• Be within 5 km of a Starbucks store.*
• Your green space should be open to the public and free to access. The space does not need to be open 24/7, but should have regular times at which it is publicly accessible. Green spaces that can only be accessed by service users of the site, e.g. patients in a hospital, residents in a care home, pupils in a school are not eligible to apply. We will ask projects to demonstrate how the site can be accessed in the application. If your project is based within an otherwise closed space that is not open to the wider public, please clarify in your application how members of the public will still be able to access your project.
Sorry, we cannot fund:
• Community groups that are not constituted and do not have a constitution/articles of association and bank account in the organisation’s name. You can find more information on group types here
• Schools
• Party political organisations.
• Local authorities/councils.
• Sole traders or individuals.
• Projects in Northern Ireland.
• Project locations that are not within 5km of a Starbucks store.
See our full application guidance here.
Who is funding for top-up grants of up to £3,000 for?
This funding is open to all existing Nature Hubs who meet the criteria here and is for additional work at the same project location that previously received funding. These are Nature Hubs projects that applied last November 2023 and received their grant in March 2024. The aim of this fund is to deepen impact at existing Nature Hubs, by providing funding to help groups plan for the longevity of their project.
If anything has changed with the status of your organisation (e.g. your organisation is no longer a constituted community group, registered charity, CIC, or company) since receiving Nature Hubs funding in March 2024, please let us know directly via naturehubs@hubbub.org.uk.
If I received funding from The Nature Hubs Fund last year (paid March 2024), can I apply for a top-up grant for my existing Nature Hub AND a new grant for a project in a different place?
If you are an organisation that works across a range of locations and you would like to apply for a top-up grant at an existing Nature Hub and a new grant at a new site near to a different Starbucks store, that is fine. However in areas where we tend to get a high volume of applications (e.g. London, Manchester), an organisation that has never before received Nature Hubs funding may be prioritised for a new grant to spread funding as fairly as possible.
Can I apply for a project outside of the United Kingdom?
This funding is for UK-based projects only, and specifically for projects based in England, Wales or Scotland. Unfortunately, we are not currently able to fund projects in Northern Ireland.
Why does my project need to be within 5km of a Starbucks store?
Starbucks and Hubbub are working together to increase access to nature in the communities Starbucks serves. As part of this, Starbucks stores will be made aware of their local Nature Hub, and encouraged to connect with their local project, and may be able to donate spent coffee grounds for the project’s compost. Ensuring projects are within 5km of stores makes it easier for projects and stores to connect
Does my project need to provide volunteering opportunities for Starbucks employees?
Because Nature Hubs are all within 5km of their nearest Starbucks store, the expectation for projects that receive Nature Hubs grants is that they’ll be open to connecting with their local store. Volunteering opportunities are a great way to invite local Starbucks staff to visit the project and help out, but we understand this may not be possible at all Nature Hubs sites. In the past, where volunteering isn’t possible, projects have received spent coffee grounds from their nearest store to add to their compost or have invited local Starbucks staff to join in at a wider community event hosted in the green space.
How should I measure the distance from my project site to a Starbucks store?
The distance from a Starbucks store is as the crow flies. You can find a map of all Starbucks stores here: please check the application guidance for more information on how to measure distance in km from a Starbucks store.
If you know your project is near to a Starbucks store (within 5k) but are struggling to measure it exactly, don’t worry we’ll check you’re within 5km based on the project location postcode provided. Feel free to email us (naturehubs@hubbub.org.uk) to check if you’re not sure or need help.
Can schools apply?
The Nature Hubs Fund is not currently open to schools.
Can a national organisation submit applications in multiple locations?
Yes, if you have an idea for multiple projects that are within 5km of different Starbucks stores, you are welcome to submit applications for multiple projects.
Can a voluntary organisation or PTA group apply?
We are currently unable to fund voluntary organisations or PTA groups unless they are a registered community group with their own constitution/articles of association and a bank account in the organisation’s name.
The Nature Hubs Fund is open to constituted community groups and registered charities, CICs and companies. For more information on eligibility and criteria see the application guidance for new grants and top up grants.
Can we apply for funding for an existing green space, or does funding have to be used to create a new one?
Nature Hubs Funding can go towards enhancing an existing green space, but this must be a space with a specific post code, e.g. an existing community garden.
Does the site have to be publicly accessible 24/7?
Your green space should be open to the public and free to access. The space does not need to be open 24/7, but should have regular times at which it is publicly accessible. Green spaces that can only be accessed by service users of the site, e.g. patients in a hospital, residents in a care home, pupils in a school are not eligible to apply. We will ask projects to demonstrate how the site can be accessed in the application. If your project is based within an otherwise closed space that is not open to the wider public, please clarify in your application how members of the public will still be able to access your project.
For a new grant, can I apply for less than £3,000 or more than £6,000?
We are only able to fund projects between £3,000-£6,000 (in the application form, you’ll be asked to round your budget to the nearest £500, e.g. £4,500). If you have an idea for a smaller project, we suggest considering how your project could have bigger/ wider impact or how you might partner with other local groups to scale up the work.
For a top-up grant, can I apply for less than £3,000?
Yes, top-up grants can be for anything up to £3,000 rounded to the nearest £500. In the application form, you’ll be asked to round your budget to the nearest £500 e.g. £2,500.
What can the funding be spent on?
As a summary, groups can spend the funding on:
• Materials relating to the nature hub activity (e.g., plants, gardening equipment, tools, paint)
• Utilities relating to the delivery of the project activity (e.g., power or water)
• Display materials, signage, and information
• Services from external suppliers such as building labour costs, garden design, etc.
• Staffing costs to cover the time spent planning and delivering any activity (including time spent on Nature Hubs reporting)
• Volunteer expenses such as public transportation costs, materials & refreshments for volunteering days
• Training for the activity delivery team such as safeguarding.
Can I include time for completing Nature Hubs reporting (short online forms at 3, 6, and 12 months) in my proposed budget under staff costs?
Yes, you can use Nature Hubs grant funding to cover project management activities such as completing the required reporting forms at 3, 6, and 12 months. Nature Hubs grant funding can also cover staff time distributing the optional user survey which helps to collect information from people engaging in a Nature Hubs space.
What is the timeline for applications and payments?
Date
Monday 14th October
Action
Applications open at 9am Friday 29th November
January – February 2025
Applications close at 5:00pm
Groups might be asked for more information Before end of February 2025
March 2025
Groups receive notification as to whether successful or unsuccessful
Payments made to successful applications (subject to receiving all documentation)
Can I apply for Nature Hubs funding if I have received funding from Hubbub for a Greener Communities project?
You will not be eligible for Nature Hubs funding if you were one of the 8 projects that received funding through the Hubbub and NHSCT Greener Communities Fund in May 2024.
Please note that the Greener Communities Fund is opened solely to NHS charities, while the Nature Hubs fund is open to a wider range of organisations. If you previously submitted an application for the Greener Communities fund, were unsuccessful and are now applying for Nature Hubs funding, please note that all Nature Hubs projects must be publicly accessible and open to the wider community. Please review the application guidance before beginning your application to ensure your proposed project meets all the Nature Hubs requirements.
Will you provide feedback if my application is unsuccessful?
Hubbub will inform all applicants of the outcome of their application before the end of February 2025. Unfortunately, due to the number of applications, and having a small team, we will be unable to provide individual feedback.
Can the funding cover marketing and promotion costs?
Yes, but these will need to be directly attributed to the promotion and marketing of the activity for which you receive the funding.
Should our budget include VAT?
VAT is generally excluded from grant funds, so please exclude VAT in your budget as for your salary costs relating to your Nature Hubs initiative, etc.
The exception however is for any external costs you incur which you will need to pay VAT on (e.g. payment for third party goods and services), so in this instance please do include the full gross cost (including VAT).
Can
I speak to Hubbub about the fund?
Our ambition is to maintain a fair and transparent process. For this reason, we can provide answers to commonly asked questions relating to the grant and application process, but we cannot provide any advice which might advantage individual applications.
In the first instance, please have a look at the application guidance and the fund terms and conditions.
I’m not eligible for Nature Hubs funding. Where else could I get funding?
We’d recommend signing up for Hubbub’s Community Nature Network where we’ll be posting information about new nature funding. It’s also worth having a look into Heritage
Fund’s funding for landscapes, parks, nature and green spaces here. We wish you the best of luck finding funding for your nature initiative!
How can I get in touch if I still have questions?
If you have any further questions regarding these FAQs or The Nature Hubs Fund, please email us at naturehubs@hubbub.org.uk.
Please note: the Hubbub office will be closed from December 20th, 2024 through January 2nd, 2025. We will not be monitoring the inbox over the festive period, but we will be able to reply to queries about the fund when the Hubbub office reopens.
Good luck with your application!