Democratic engagement grant: guidance

The Welsh Government is committed to reducing the democratic deficit in Wales. We want more people to participate in our democracy by voting in elections, by contacting their representatives, by responding to consultations, or by taking part in social action to pursue change. We want every person in Wales to know how to have their voice heard.

We know that for this to happen we need to work with organisations who are well placed to engage people in innovative ways to increase their knowledge, understanding and interest in politics.

This is why the Welsh Government’s Democratic Engagement Grant makes available £400,000 per year, for the next three years, to support local authorities, third sector, and not-for-profit organisations working in Wales to pursue an innovative approach to engaging those typically under-represented in our democracy. This includes but is not limited to:

• young people
• disabled people
• people from lower socio-economic backgrounds or those who are long-term unemployed
• non-UK nationals
• people from minority-ethnic groups

The grant will help funded organisations ensure as many people as possible are engaged, motivated, and empowered to take part in democracy, giving them the tools to make their voice heard and to impact positively on the Wales around them.

We are looking for the funding to benefit as many people as possible and will be looking to fund projects that ensure communities across Wales can be reached. 

We are looking to fund projects that either continue or build on work that has already demonstrated impact, or those that have an innovative approach to overcoming barriers to participation in democracy.

Barriers include those outlined in our research, but we know that unique barriers exist within communities and are interested to better understand these from expert stakeholder perspectives.

Applications can be submitted for multi-year projects; however, these applications should outline activity and evaluation considerations for each year of funding applied for.

We recognise there is not a one size fits all model of engagement, and we are looking for stakeholder organisations to use their knowledge and experience of working with communities to determine how this funding will be best be used.

We continue to be interested in funding projects that encourage collaboration with leading organisations outside of Wales where best practice exists, however all grant money is to be spent in Wales to the benefit of people in Wales.Applications that propose recruiting staff to deliver the project will be considered, however following the dissolution of the Electoral Registration Support Officer Grant in 2021, we are unable to fund local authorities to recruit a dedicated member of staff to carry out democratic engagement work.

We are mindful that 2 elections fall within the next 3 years, with Senedd elections in 2026 and Local Government elections in 2027. We welcome applications that aim to encourage more people to take part in these elections. We are particularly interested in applications that consider using 2025 to 2026 as an opportunity to develop a foundation with target groups that can be built on for May 2026 and then May 2027. However, we continue to look at democratic participation in its widest sense and are not only focused on elections. 

We will not accept applications focused on communication campaigns. Whilst communications can be an element of your proposed project, it cannot be the main focal point.

We won’t fund applications looking for funding to purchase technology to support the delivery of hybrid council meetings.

Applications proposing to create bespoke resources (both physical and digital) will be expected to evidence they are not duplicating material that exists elsewhere.

We will accept applications from local authorities in Wales, organisations registered with The Charity Commission, and not-for-profit organisations working in Wales (or proposing to work in Wales using grant funding).

We welcome applications that propose partnership and collaborative working, providing there is one lead applicant, and the role of all organisations involved is clearly set out.  The lead applicant will act as the grant holder and data controller.

We will not accept applications from any organisation with a party-political affiliation and expect all activity delivered to be politically neutral. 

There are 2 application forms which can be submitted for consideration, with differing values and assessment processes. All applications will receive a confirmation of receipt.

Applications of £1000 or less

• Bids for funding of £1000 or less can be submitted at any time and are not restricted to application windows.
• Applications will be assessed by the Democratic Engagement Grant Manager and two colleagues from within the Elections Division.
• We aim to inform applicants of the outcome of their application within 7 working days of submission.

Applications above £1000

• Applications for funding above £1000 must be submitted within the agreed application window periods.
• Applications will go through an initial sifting process to ensure the application meets the criteria.
• If your application does not pass the initial sift, you will be notified of the decision with feedback to clarify the decision. It is important to note that an unsuccessful application does not prevent you from applying again and the grant manager will be available to meet with you to discuss the feedback.
• Applications that pass the sift will be considered by a grant panel. The panel is made up of colleagues from across the Welsh Government, who sit outside of the Elections Division. The grant panel will consider value for money in their decision making and due diligence will be undertaken on all organisations applying for funding prior to a grant award letter being issued.
• Applicants will be informed of the outcome within 7 working days of the panel’s decision.

Alongside the standard conditions attributed to receiving Welsh Government grant funding, successful applicants will be required to:

• Send a representative (usually the lead contact) to the Welsh Democratic Engagement Partnership, which the Welsh Government manages.
• Submit a ‘Mid-Year’ report focusing on activity to date, future work planned and an accurate financial outlook. It will also be an opportunity for organisations to highlight any potential barriers they have encountered (This requirement is for projects of 1 year or more).
• Provide an evaluation at the end of the grant term to Welsh Government officials which will cover (but not exclusively): activity undertaken, performance against agreed outcomes and measures, barriers faced, recommendations and a conclusion. 

It is important to note that payments will be made in arrears (unless an organisation can demonstrate a need payment in advance), following submission of a claim form which will be reviewed by the grant manager.

For projects of 1 year and longer

A claim form will be issued on a quarterly basis for reimbursement of costs occurred. Successful applicants will be required to provide a project update with the form.

For projects less than 1 year

A quarterly approach to claiming funding might not be appropriate, so a bespoke payment profile will be agreed with each organisation. Successful applicants will be required to provide a project update with their claim form.

If you wish to discuss your application or the content of the guidance, please use the following:

Telephone: 0300 025 3614 (Gareth Chestney, Grant Manager)

Email: Etholiadau.Elections@gov.wales.