- Active Travel Innovation Fund to award grants of up to £100,000 for successful bids
- Fund will help start or scale engagement projects that will have a positive impact on walking, wheeling and cycling
- Fund comes as part of government’s Plan for Change by backing bold ideas to boost the economy, improve health and make travel safer
Organisations and businesses can bid for a share of £1 million in funding to help them deliver bold and innovative initiatives that enable more people to walk, wheel or cycle, Active Travel England (ATE) has today (Monday 6th October) announced.
The Active Travel Innovation Fund is inviting applications from small to medium-sized businesses and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), with grants of up to £100,000 available for each successful applicant.
The funding is designed to help develop new ideas or to expand on successful initiatives that are already making a difference. Examples could include community projects that help under-represented groups make more active travel choices, projects that work alongside local councils to enable and promote sustainable travel, or that use digital tools to improve safety and accessibility.
This funding will support the Government’s Plan for Change by backing entrepreneurs and creative and ambitious projects to improve the nation’s health and kickstart economic growth.
“The Active Travel Innovation Fund will help turn great ideas into real improvements for people who walk, wheel, or cycle. Enabling more people to get about under their own steam is one of the most important interventions we can make to improve the nation’s health, so it’s crucial that we support bold projects that will help us do this.
“We’re excited to see the creativity and ambition of applicants and look forward to working closely with the selected organisations to deliver positive and lasting change to the way people travel.”
“Walking, wheeling, and cycling bring huge physical and mental health benefits. We are determined to make them easy and safe choices for people across the country.
“The government is providing £1 million to back bold projects from small businesses and community organisations to encourage more people to choose these healthier, more active, options for short journeys. We’re building a healthy, sustainable and joined-up network, a key part of our Plan for Change to boost local businesses, grow local economies and ease pressure on the NHS.”
In addition to funding, successful applicants will receive practical support from ATE and the Government Grant Managed Service (GGMS).
The funding period of projects will run for 12 months, followed by an evaluation process, with each organisation asked to share a case study and final report into how the funds have made an impact. This will provide valuable insights that could help replicate and upscale projects elsewhere in the country.
Through the funding, ATE aims to create a wide network of partners to share ideas and collaboratively develop skills, while providing valuable feedback to ATE as they continue to champion and accelerate active travel in England.
Today’s funding comes after the Government announced a £300 million funding package in February to help local authorities build new walking and cycling infrastructure, provide cycle training for children, and support community initiatives.
These improvements are expected to boost public health by cutting 43,000 sick days each year, easing pressure on the NHS, reducing congestion, and strengthening local economies.
The Active Travel Innovation Fund will help small to medium sized businesses and NGOs to go even further by developing creative active travel solutions that meet the needs of their communities.
The window for applications runs from 6 October to 14 November. For full details and eligibility criteria, visit the Government Find a Grant website.
For more information on Active Travel England, including details of any webinars we may run to support the Active Travel England Innovation Fund, sign up to the Active Travel England newsletter.