Community Grants

Trailblazer Fund 2026/2027

Torfaen County Borough Council is inviting applications from community groups and organisations for grants of up to £20,000 via the Trailblazer Fund. This fund provides financial support to projects that support local delivery partners to test and deliver innovative approaches that engage economically inactive residents and help remove barriers to participation, wellbeing, and progression towards learning, volunteering or employment.

Projects must support adults who are: 

• Economically inactive (those aged 16 to 64 who are without a job, have not actively sought work within the last four weeks, and/or who are not available to start work in the next two weeks), and 
• Facing health, wellbeing, confidence, social or practical barriers to participation in employment. 

We are seeking to explore innovative approaches to supporting residents who are out of work due to health and wellbeing barriers including:

• Cardiovascular conditions 
• Diabetes 
• Depression and anxiety 
• Social isolation and low confidence

Who can apply?

Community groups, voluntary organisations, and local charities operating within Torfaen are encouraged to apply. Projects should demonstrate clear community benefit and meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the fund guidelines which can be found as part of the application pack.

Additional Information Sessions

Online session will be organised for the following dates:

• 1^st July 2026  10am
• 17^th July 2026 10am

To attend either of these sessions you must register your interest by emailing CommunityResilienceGrants@torfaen.gov.uk with the following information:

• Date of session requested
• Organisation name
• Attendee name 
• Email address to be invited

How to apply

Applications should be submitted using the official application form, available in the application pack below. Please ensure you read the application pack to ensure that you provide all documentation and details about your project as required by the application form.

Applications from community groups and charitable organisations will need to provide the following documentation to support progression of the application:

• A copy of your most recent accounts
• A recent bank statement (less than 3 months old)
• A copy of your constitution or memorandum
• Safeguarding Policy
• Volunteer Policy
• Insurance details

Apply for the Trailblazer Fund 2026/2027

Deadline for applications

The deadline for submission of completed applications, including all supporting documents is 8 am on Monday 3rd August 2026.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.  Applications that remain incomplete 5 working days after the published deadline will be removed from the Panel list and not be considered.  This includes applications where any of the required supporting documentation has not been submitted.  

For more information regarding the Trailblazer Grants please e-mail: CommunityResilienceGrants@torfaen.gov.uk