About the Essex Recorders partnership

Apply for funding

Essex Field Club
registered charity
no 1113963

in partnership with..

Basildon Council

Buglife

Butterfly Conservation

Essex Amphibian & Reptile Group

Essex Bat Group

Essex Birdwatching Society

Essex Wildlife Trust

GeoEssex



Aporophyla lutulenta random taxon map

Essex Recorders partnership grants for recording in Essex

Essex Recorders partnership Datasearch System provided to commercial users generates a budgetary surplus and each year a proportion of this surplus is made available for individuals, groups and partners to apply for grants. 

Who can apply? The grant for projects which support and develop the Essex Recorders partnership and promote reliable recording, verification, digitisation, validation and data mobilisation are available to individuals, groups and partners. Book grants are available to partners and groups with a treasurer.

What can you apply for? Grants are awarded to projects that facilitate biological and geological recording in Essex. All data generated by projects must be provided for use by the partnership. Furthermore, it is expected that grants will have a significant impact on the success of the project. The level of grant awarded will be depend upon the size of the fund and the number of eligible applicants.

Examples of applications might include:

  • To support projects recording specific areas.
  • Buying equipment (to be on permanent or long-term loan if individual or group has no constitution and legal financial status).
  • Help towards costs of a member in a partner organisation attending conferences.
  • Data digitisation.
  • Support for annual group meetings.
  • Support towards Essex natural history publications.

As well as the requirements for any grant, there are the additional requirements for book grants:

  • Applications will only be accepted from partner organisations or recorder groups with a treasurer to manage finance, not individuals;
  • Applications will be limited to a maximum 50% of the cost of publishing.
  • Book applications should align with our Mission Statement (to develop and use partners' knowledge and expertise to help and encourage the people and organisations of Essex to enjoy, understand, study and record Essex natural history; to make data and historical material available, where appropriate, for the purposes of conservation, research, monitoring, education and general information; to provide a close relationship between natural history collections, recorders and volunteers in securing greater accuracy when determining bio- and geo-diversity).
  • The Essex Recorders partnership grant must be acknowledged in the publication.
  • Applications must make clear who the publisher will be and make available a draft or proof of the publication;
  • The applicant organisation is responsible for establishing the standard of the book, its sale price, stock and sale;
  • Income from sales will be managed by the applicant organisation or group and this income will be used by them to further the partnership's common stated aims and objectives;

Grants are not provided retrospectively and are unlikely to be awarded in circumstances where data collection or data input is usually undertaken in a voluntary capacity.  For grants of equipment at least two quotes should be provided for each item and for work two tenders should be submitted. There may be exceptional circumstances when there are not alternatives, particularly when employing specialists, and this should always be made clear in the application. Once grants are approved the applicant should ensure systems are in place to ensure that equipment has been purchased and is in use for its intended purpose. Sales receipts should be submitted and held by the group. Likewise when contracts are let, utmost diligence should be maintained in ensuring the contracts are fulfilled before payments are made, though pre agreed part payments are acceptable. In normal circumstances following a successful grant application for equipment payment will only be made on production of a paid invoice.

Application Process If your project meets the criteria given, then complete and submit the Grant Application Form.  If you have questions an email address is provided, but please submit these in good time. Steering Group meetings are usually held twice a year, in April and early November. The deadline for applications is one month before the next meeting of the Steering Group to allow for applications to be validated and provided in good time to the Steering Group. In the first instance applications will be considered to ensure that they meet the criteria outlined.  Additional proof of eligibility and experience may be sought prior to final consideration. Grant applications will be considered at the next meeting.

A final decision on applications will be made at the Essex Recorders partnership Steering Group meeting and successful applicants will be notified shortly thereafter.  Where the grant fund is over-subscribed priority will be given to those projects that most effectively meet the objectives of the fund.  Unsuccessful applications may be resubmitted the following year.

Individuals, groups and organisations that are awarded grants will be required to provide a written report of the project when it has been completed or if the project continues for more than a year an annual report to the Recorders partnership outlining how their project is progressing and how it is contributing to recording in Essex. Reports may be used in the Essex Naturalist journal. The Essex Recorders partnership should be acknowledged in all publicity associated with the project and in any publications emanating from the project.

Once you start an application, you can save changes at any time and return to complete this later.

Apply for grant The deadline for applications for the next meeting is 26 March 2025. If the deadline for the next meeting has passed, you may apply for consideration at the following meeting of the partnership

About the Essex Recorders partnership