Partners ask us to

Advise on programme or grant design rooted in local realities

Deliver support on your behalf to community groups in a region or network

Project Manage capacity building work for communities and their stakeholders locally

Facilitate conversations between communities, landowners, and institutions

Develop strategic or practical routes to stewardship

Support learning, evaluation or research

Provide a trusted intermediary role where multiple parties are involved

We help you support communities in ways that are fair, grounded, and responsive to local needs.

🌱 Community Capacity Building

Steady, practical support to help communities grow their confidence, skills, and readiness.

Many funders and commissioners want to support community-led projects but recognise that groups often need time, space, and tailored guidance to build the skills required to take on land, assets, or complex local projects.

Our Community Capacity Building work creates that space. We design and deliver support that meets groups where they are - whether just beginning to explore an idea, or already managing a site and looking to strengthen or scale.

What this work can include:

• gentle entry points for new or emerging groups

• training and workshops on planning, governance, roles, and resilience

• practical support on understanding costs and funding options

• hands-on help with early project shaping

• peer-learning spaces and cohort-based support

• one-to-one advice for groups as they move forward

• ongoing communication with the funder to track progress and challenges

Why funders and commissioners choose this:

• It builds capability that lasts beyond the programme itself

• It reduces risk in later funding rounds or asset transfers

• It creates a healthier pipeline of community-led projects

• It increases social legitimacy and trust between institutions and communities

• It offers a gentle, supportive route into complex territory

📊 Special Research & Learning Projects

Clear, grounded insights into what community-led projects need — and what’s working on the ground.

Funders and commissioners often want to understand what’s happening in a place, what communities need, and how their support can have the greatest impact. Our research and learning work is practical, people-centred, and designed to help you make better-informed decisions.

We produce insight that feels useful — steady, honest, and grounded in lived experience.

This work can include:

• research into community readiness or appetite for asset stewardship

• mapping barriers and enablers for community-led projects

• interviews, workshops, and listening sessions

• learning frameworks for funded projects or programmes

• monitoring that captures both challenges and progress

• accessible reports shaped for different audiences

• reflective sessions with funders or partners to support decision-making

Why funders and commissioners choose this:

• It brings clarity to complex systems and mixed perspectives

• It supports commissioning decisions grounded in what communities actually need

• It helps identify where capacity building or investment is most useful

• It strengthens accountability and transparency

• It helps you demonstrate the value of your work

Our Fees

Capacity Building

Typical programme design and delivery begins from £25,000, depending on scale, duration, and the number of groups involved.

£25,000

We work with funders and commissioners who want to support community-led projects in ways that are realistic, grounded, and rooted in local needs. This work helps you create the conditions that allow communities to thrive - and give you the insight to support them well.

Special Research

£10,000

Research and learning projects typically begin from £10,000, depending on scope, methods, and reporting needs.