Large Grant Scheme

The scheme is now closed for applications.

The Large Grant Scheme fund aims to support local organisations to create new jobs, learning, training, and educational programmes through the means of arts, culture, innovation, public realm and creative placemaking in Hackney, Newham, Waltham Forest and Tower Hamlets.

The Large Grant Scheme is part of Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund, an ambitious five-year programme that aims to invest £10 million into the local communities of Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest, funded by Westfield Stratford City.

Year 2 has been designed with evaluation and feedback from Year 1 grantees to ensure that the process is accessible, transparent and allows applicants to make informed decisions, follow a simple applications process and gain additional support when needed.

The scheme will fund projects that focus on one or more of the following funding themes:

Employment opportunities

• Will your project provide employment opportunities for local people, including access to paid work experience / internships, access to apprenticeships or gaining access to jobs?

Learning opportunities

• Will your project provide ladders of opportunity through learning and training opportunities for local people, including accessing lifelong learning opportunities from early learning, schools through to late career and post retirement and/or will the project offer bespoke career and higher education path support, training and secondments?

Young people

• Will your project have a young person led approach with particular provision for local young people to access skills development opportunities, careers workshops and related learning and/or one to one coaching and mentoring?

Business and entrepreneur support

• Will your project provide local people with the opportunity to have business and/or entrepreneur support including freelance, business and entrepreneur set up, development and training?

The second round opened for applications on 30 September and closed on 3 December 2021.

In Year 2, the Large Grant Scheme pot is £390,000 and will award 5-8 grants.

In March 2021, we awarded 3 projects with a total of £148,718, for projects that work collaboratively across a range of partners and communities, led by Catalyst In Communities, Badu Community CIC and The Line Art Walk. Watch our new film about the three projects and the impact they’re already having on local communities, produced by Emily Chapps.

If you are a grantee, we have a marketing and press guidance web page, which has further information and links to logos and other resources.

The scheme is now closed for applications.

Please make sure to read our Guidance Notes before applying.

The online application portal will open on 30 September and will close on 3 December 2021.

Grants will be awarded in January 2022.

Projects will start in March to April 2022.

For help and advice, sign up to our Capacity Building Programme events, run in partnership with Lisa Stepanovic. 

Additional criteria:

• We will only accept applications for large grants from organisations who have discussed their project idea with the Foundation in advance. You will need to ensure to speak with a member of staff at the Foundation at least 7-10 days in advance of the deadline to ensure your eligibility.
• A partnership and/or consortium approach to the project must be evidenced. If you are a  Local Borough (Newham, Hackney, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets) or East Bank Partner applying, the partnership must be a strong partnership with an equitable budget split between the project partners.
• If you are a school applying you must evidence that the funding applied for will not be for core school day/ curriculum activity
• If you are applying for the maximum fund, you must evidence why the full amount is needed and where it will be used.
• If you have previously been awarded funding from the Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund or any other Foundation grant programme, you are still welcome to apply for Year 2 funds. However, you must be clear if this application is for a new project or an extension to the already funded project. Need for the new project or additional funding must be evidenced by provision of an impact report from the previous project.

Review Process: All applications will be carefully reviewed and evaluated against the four key core foundation themes; short, medium, and long-term goals; expected impact; user and beneficiary groups; and budgetary spend. Shortlisting will take place internally via our online system and by three team members. Final awarding will be decided by the Foundation Grant Assessment Panel. On occasion, we may request further information to help us determine the outcome of any application. Feedback will be given to all applicants; however, the level of feedback will vary depending on the stage of the process and the size of the grant applied for.

Contact Details and Access Support

For any initial programme queries or to arrange a call please email:

Grants@future.london

This includes access support for applying.

For any queries regarding the capacity building programme and workshops please email:

Capacitybuilding.ffl@outlook.com