A428 Community Fund

About this fund

• The total value of the A428 Community Fund is £250,000.
• It will provide small-scale investments, up to £15,000, to support community initiatives.
• The fund will be administered by Cambridgeshire Community Foundation and will award grants exclusively to local non-profit organisations across Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire near the A428 scheme.
• The fund will be available to apply throughout construction, with 5 different submission rounds starting in November 2023.

Fund criteria

The A428 Community Fund seeks to support projects that align with its priority areas:

• Local economy, skills and employment – investing in opportunities to inspire future careers in STEM, National Highways and its supply chain. For example, projects which support people in gaining employment on the development.
• Supporting and connecting communities – supporting community safety and health and wellbeing issues. For example:
  • Projects to reduce vehicle use and promote cycling, walking and other non-motorised users.
  • Arts, culture and heritage projects that reflect changes to the landscape and/or communities brought about by the A428 project.
  • Community involvement projects that build relationships in communities because of the new links that the A428 allows.
• Enhancing the environment – supporting the community to improve and enhance the natural environment, particularly around the A428 scheme.

• Applications must be for capital expenditure only. The funds cannot be used to fund revenue costs.
• Projects will be prioritised that can demonstrate a lasting legacy for the A428 community fund i.e. beyond a short-lived, one-off event’

About the funder

National Highways will be upgrading the route between the Black Cat roundabout in Bedfordshire and Caxton Gibbet roundabout in Cambridgeshire with a new 10-mile dual carriageway and a number of junction improvements. It will improve journeys between Milton Keynes, Bedford, St Neots and Cambridge, bringing communities together, supporting long-term growth in the region and stopping rat running in the villages.

One of the main objectives of the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvement scheme is to leave a positive legacy. They have teamed up with us to provide a community fund that adds value and supports local initiatives along the route in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.