* This fund is currently closed. Please contact Cheshire East council directly on communitygrants2@cheshireeast.gov.uk  if you have a project which requires funding. 
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Follow the below steps to get involved. 

1. Create a project page

Head to spacehive.com/create to get started.

Spacehive will help you develop your project so you are set up for success and ready to crowdfund. If you need some feedback on your idea, tell us about it

Spacehive will help you develop your project so you are set up for success and ready to crowdfund. If you need some feedback on your idea, tell us about it via this short.

2. Share and collect pledges

Once your project is up and running, share news of your project via as many means possible, on and off line to start raising funds and boost local support before your pitch for funding is assessed by Cheshire East Council. Spacehive offers helpful tips and resources on how to do this along the way.
 

3. Access Cheshire East Council funds

Spacehive will connect you exclusively with Cheshire East Council's fund on the platform. Work with Spacehive to develop your pitch on the platform and put yourself in the best possible position to secure a contribution. Read more about the fund eligibility and desired outcomes here. 

Continue securing support from your backers in the form of lots of small pledges to demonstrate local buy-in for your project. That’s what the Council will want to see when they assess your pitch!

Your pitch will be assessed for a pledge at assessments taking place at regular intervals throughout the funding window. If you can demonstrate support from the community and write a good pitch, you could receive up to £15,000, pledged by Cheshire East Council directly into your campaign.

4. Hit your target and deliver your project

Once you hit your crowdfunding target, you’ll receive your funds within a few weeks and you can start delivering your project.

* This fund is currently closed. Please contact Cheshire East council directly oncommunitygrants2@cheshireeast.gov.uk  if you have a project which requires funding. 
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After a project is submitted, it will be reviewed and verified by Spacehive and shortly thereafter live on the Crowdfunding platform ready to start receiving pledges and backing from the community. 

Once projects are live on the platform and have begun their campaign, Cheshire East Council’s Evaluation Panel will review the pitches and can pledge a maximum of 75% towards total project costs. 

To pitch for funding through the Cheshire East Crowd, we will be looking for projects that: 

- Are based in or will benefit the residents of Cheshire East 

- That meet the intended objectives of the fund 

• Strengthening our social fabric and fostering a sense of local pride and belonging, through investment in activities that enhance physical, cultural and social ties and amenities. This includes  community infrastructure, local green space and community-led projects  

- Are put forward by a constituted group / organisation (individuals are welcome to crowdfund on Spacehive, but are not eligible for this fund) 

- Demonstrate a passion to make a difference within the local community 

Examples of projects include, but are not limited to: 

• Capital grants for provision of net zero infrastructure for rural communities and to support rural tourism activity, for example: EV charging points and community energy schemes such as scaled up biomass, heat pumps or solar panels

• Capital grants for kitchens in community hubs which, may also be capable of supporting food and drink entrepreneurs to get accreditation for food production. 

• Resilience infrastructure and nature-based solutions that protect local businesses and community areas from natural hazards including flooding 

• Provision of net zero infrastructure for rural communities and to support rural tourism

• Power Down Units to be supplied as an item to be picked up or delivered as appropriate

• Boiler servicing and replacements will be awarded via a grant process. A resident will source their preferred supplier who must demonstrate a valid certificate. Cost limits may be placed on awards to ensure reasonable market rates. The Council will pay the supplier direct for agreed funding.

• Oil heating tune-ups will be awarded via a grant process. The resident will source their preferred supplier who must demonstrate a valid certificate. Cost limits may be placed on awards to ensure reasonable market rates. The Council will pay the supplier direct for agreed funding

• Funding will be for capital investment only to be spent on lasting assets such as buildings or equipment.

• Funding for resilience infrastructure and nature-based solutions to protect the local community

• Nature based/ecofriendly nature protection solutions 

• Solar powered/ecofriendly light fixtures/fittings 

 We will be unable to pledge funds towards: 

• Projects which promote a political party or are of a religious nature 
• Any costs incurred in putting together an application for this fund 
• Work associated with land or building projects where the ownership or lease is not in place 
• Projects/initiatives that cannot demonstrate sustainability after the ideas stage 
• Items that are purchased on behalf of another organisation.
• Work which has already taken place and been paid for.
• Projects taking place abroad

Who can apply for funding?

Non for profit, voluntary and community faith sector organisations, community groups and community buildings

- Are you a non for profit, voluntary and community faith sector organisations, a community group or do you manage a community building? 

Project criteria:  

We want to see projects come forward that: 

- Bring a number of new or improved community facilities as a result of support

- Improve your engagement with the community by at least 25%

- Tackle climate change this can include: 

• Reduce carbon emissions (eg from buildings, travel, food and waste ) 
• Capture carbon through tree planting and improved green spaces for nature and the community.
• Protect people and the environment from the effects of climate change 
• Help communities to take action against climate change through sustainable energy projects and travel

* This fund is currently closed. Please contact Cheshire East council directly on communitygrants2@cheshireeast.gov.uk  if you have a project which requires funding. 
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We have included some of the most commonly asked questions below. If your question is not included here, please visit the Spacehive Help Centre at https://help.spacehive.com/ or email Spacehive on support@spacehive.com. 

If you think your project may require a permission from Cheshire East Council, please contact communitygrants2@cheshireeast.gov.uk to discuss your project idea further. 

What is crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is a way of raising money for a project or cause from a broader group of people or organisations who all contribute towards the target goal with individual financial contributions.

Anyone can pledge money to a project to help reach a fundraising target; from friends, family members and colleagues, to local businesses, large enterprises, councils and foundations.

At Spacehive we focus on fundraising for civic community projects. Our platform enables individuals or groups to crowdfund for ideas that benefit the local community.

What are Spacehive partner funds, and how can I apply?

Spacehive partners with organisations that want to support community projects with exclusive funds available to support local ideas. These funds might come from companies, councils and foundations.

Your project will be matched to funds depending on certain criteria, such as location, and project type. You can make short ‘pitches’ to these funds via the Spacehive website, which involves answering questions about your project. Once your crowdfunding campaign is live, the funds you have pitched to will monitor your progress and then decide whether to pledge alongside the crowd.  Visit our Funds page to see if our partners are offering funds in your area.

What are the advantages of crowdfunding on Spacehive?

Spacehive is the only dedicated community fundraising platform in the UK and Ireland. It’s completely free to set up your own fundraising page, so you can get started today.

Nearly 90% of projects reach their fundraising goal on Spacehive, which is more than any other crowdfunding site. So far, over £30 million has been raised to crowdfund local community projects across the UK and Ireland.

Spacehive has a partner network that includes councils, foundations and businesses that help to fund projects that local communities want, enabling them to reach their fundraising goals faster. Typically a project will reach its crowdfunding target within 60 days on Spacehive.

We have a dedicated project success team whose sole focus is to help each project reach its fundraising target. We provide tips and advice to help project creators shape and grow their campaigns, helping them to succeed as quickly as possible.

How do I start a crowdfunding project and raise funds?

It’s easy. Start by creating your project page for free on www.spacehive.com/create. From there you can get your idea verified, pitch to our funding partners, and start your crowdfunding campaign.

How do people pledge to my project?

People can pledge by visiting your project page on Spacehive.com and clicking the “Back this project” button. They will then authorise a payment to you using Stripe. If your project is not successful all pledges will be refunded to backers. For more information click here.

What are the fees for using Spacehive?

Anyone can join Spacehive and create a project free of charge, and Spacehive is transparent with its fee model. Unlike other crowdfunding platforms there are no hidden extras or automated tipping.  Fees are outlined below:

Spacehive fees are 5% (+VAT) of the project target, which are only applicable in the event of a successfully funded campaign.  When you input your project costs to your project page, our platform will calculate this fee and it will appear as a cost item in your budget so you don’t need to work it out yourself.

Transaction fees are charged by our payment partner Stripe and apply when electronic money payments are received. They are also calculated when you input your project costs (you don’t need to add them in yourself) and will vary depending on the transaction method, but are approximately 2% of the payment value.  Once again, these fees are only payable if the campaign successfully reaches its fundraising target.

As outlined above, 5% (+VAT) success fee and the transaction fees are added to your crowdfunding target at the outset. All fees are covered by your crowdfunding efforts, so after Spacehive and Stripe fees are deducted automatically, you are still left with 100% of the amount you need to deliver your project.

What happens if I don’t hit my fundraising target?

85% of projects hit their fundraising target on Spacehive. This success rate is higher than any other crowdfunding platform in the UK and Ireland.

Spacehive has a dedicated team to help your campaign succeed at every step of the way. However, if your project does not meet its fundraising target within the allocated time frame, Spacehive will refund the backers and you will not receive any funds. No admin or transaction fees will be charged for projects that fail to meet their fundraising goals.

* This fund is currently closed. Please contact Cheshire East council directly on communitygrants2@cheshireeast.gov.uk  if you have a project which requires funding. 
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Cheshire East Crowd gives residents with project ideas the ability to attract funding from their communities, the council, local businesses and foundations - all through one portal. The programme brings people across the borough together through locally-led ideas that our communities want to help make happen. Join the Cheshire East Crowd by pledging as little as £2 towards a project you want to bring to life. 

Check out projects fundraising now as part of Cheshire East Crowd here. To keep updated on new projects, upcoming events and funding opportunities, please contact info@spacehive.com or click the yellow 'Follow' star at the top right of the page.

Companies, foundations and public bodies interested in supporting projects alongside the council should also get in touch so we can help get you started.

#CheshireEastCrowd