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OpenUpdated 9 Jun 2026Mixed

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

Source links

Secondary sources

Source 1