Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF)
UK Government (HS2 funding programme) · England (HS2 Phase One London–West Midlands and Phase 2a West Midlands–Crewe)
The Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) provide grant funding to support communities and local economies disrupted by HS2 construction. CEF focuses on community and environmental improvements, while BLEF supports business and economic activity.
Summary
Deadline
30 Mar 2035
Complexity
Medium
Time to apply
20-60 hours
Updated
9 Jun 2026
The Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) provide grant funding to support communities and local economies disrupted by HS2 construction. CEF focuses on community and environmental improvements, while BLEF supports business and economic activity.
Eligibility
Applicant types
Business, Charity Community
Business size
SME, Large
Industries
Community development, environment, infrastructure, tourism, local economic development
Match funding
Needs verification
Requirements
Not-for-profit organisations established for public benefit, including charities, community groups, CICs, social enterprises, and organisations supporting local business and tourism Verification Required — HS2 community funds; applicant type per HS2 CEF/BLEF published guidance. Not specified
Eligible applicants
Not-for-profit organisations established for public benefit, including charities, community groups, CICs, social enterprises, and organisations supporting local business and tourism
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
CEF Local up to £75,000; CEF Strategic £75,001–£250,000; BLEF £10,000–£250,000
Total fund available
£45,000,000 combined (CEF and BLEF)
Funding intensity
Not specified
Payment type
Reimbursement
Eligible scope
Not specified
Eligible expenses
- Not specified
- Business support services and training for disrupted businesses under BLEF
Ineligible costs
- Not explicitly specified
Application and risks
Application platform
Online via hs2funds.org.uk
Competitiveness
Competitive Selection
Decision timeline
Not specified
Assessment process
~8 weeks for grants up to £75,000; ~16 weeks for Stage 1 and additional ~16 weeks for Stage 2 for larger grants (£75,001 to £250,000)
Application sections
Not specified
Application components
- Application form, project proposal, supporting documentation (as per guidance)
Required documents
Not specified
Appendices
Not specified
Assessment criteria
- Demonstrated disruption from HS2, value for money, community or economic impact, and scale of benefits delivered
Decision risks
Longer timelines for larger or multi-stage applications
Timeline and partners
Opening date
8 Mar 2017
Project duration
Not specified
Project start
Not specified
Project end
Not specified
Co-funders
Not specified
Collaboration rules
- Not specified
Consortium requirements
- Verification Required
Additional guidance
[{"label":"Initial Research Grant","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Training Grant","value":"Included under BLEF (business support services and training for businesses)"},{"label":"Future Funding (Subject to Stage Gate)","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"In-Kind Support","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Intent to Apply Deadline","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Key Organisational Requirements","value":"Must be not-for-profit, have a governing document, minimum of three unrelated trustees/directors, and a bank account with at least two signatories"},{"label":"Governance Requirements","value":"Organisations must ensure no financial benefit to members/directors and maintain proper governance documentation"},{"label":"Monitoring Requirements","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Doctoral Studentships","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Industry Leverage Expectation","value":"Value for money assessed based on business impact and benefits delivered"},{"label":"Funding Structure","value":"CEF Local: up to £75,000; CEF Strategic: £75,001 to £250,000; BLEF: £10,000 to £250,000 (capital and revenue grants)"},{"label":"Renewal Structure","value":"Open throughout construction period and first year of HS2 operation"},{"label":"Environmental & EDI Requirements","value":"CEF supports biodiversity, environmental improvements, and community access enhancements"},{"label":"important notes","value":"Funding aims to provide additional support beyond statutory compensation; projects must demonstrate clear impact from HS2 disruption; different funding bands apply based on project scale"}]
Quick facts
- Status
- Open
- Deadline
- 30 Mar 2035
- Funding amount
- CEF Local up to £75,000; CEF Strategic £75,001–£250,000; BLEF £10,000–£250,000
- Funding band
- Mid (£500k-£5M)
- Funding type
- Grant funding (capital and revenue depending on project type)
- Payment type
- Reimbursement
- Audience
- Business, Charity Community, Mixed
- Industry
- Community development, environment, infrastructure, tourism, local economic development
- Last updated
- 9 Jun 2026
- Published
- 8 Mar 2017