Application Process

Policy Project Funding for 2025/26 Budget year

EOC has allocated £60,000 to fund Policy Labs and £15,000 for Policy Prototypes in 2025/6.  Members can lead up to one project at a time to encourage more councils to get involved.

All funded projects must demonstrate the ‘cooperative difference’ and explicitly show this using our Statement of Values and Principles.

Policy Lab funding supports research, collaboration and implementation of cooperative initiatives that involve multiple Network members. This work is incredibly valuable for our members, allowing us to share best practices on a national footprint, collaborate with like-minded local authorities and partners, and work together to solve some of the complex problems facing local government and the communities we represent.

We recommend engaging a minimum of three other CCIN members to create a working group to support the development of your project. We welcome applications from all Members, but the application must be submitted and overseen by a Full Member Council.  Members will have up to two years to deliver a Policy Lab.  Applications will be considered for funding of up to £20,000, dependent on their scale and ambition.

Policy Prototypes are smaller projects for members who want to deliver a project in their locality on behalf of the Network.  This funding is available to councils of all sizes, Opposition Groups and Minority Administrations. Members will have up to twelve months to deliver a Policy Prototype. Applications will be considered for funding of up to £2,000.

Timetable

10th-12th February 2026 – Launch at Annual Conference.
Midnight 16th March 2026 – Closing date for submissions of all Bids.
Week beginning 23rd March 2026 – The Executive Oversight Committee and Values & Principles Board consider all Bids.  Bidders are to present their applications at this meeting.
30th March – 10th April 2026 – Bidders are asked to respond to any further questions from the Governance.
w/b 13th April 2026 – sign-off of successful bids by EOC.
w/b 20th April 2026 – Successful applicants will be notified, guidance issued, and contract letters dispatched.
w/b 15th June 2026 – Contracts awarded/work starts

Projects should be written up, and other resource materials made available to the CCIN and its members, including publication on the CCIN website.

Outcomes should include, but are not limited to:
To reiterate, all funded projects must demonstrate the ‘cooperative difference’ and explicitly show this using our Statement of Values and Principles and follow our Brand Guidelines

• Written reports should be produced to ‘publication standard’ and include Joint or separate Forewords from the Leader/Cabinet Member of the Lead Council and the Chair of CCIN.
• Videos to be accompanied by an Executive Summary (which can sit alongside other CCIN reports) spotlighting the highlighted values and principles and learning points.
• A short text about the project for the CCIN newsletter with a photo.
• Speech for a conference launch of the policy lab.
• Content for a conference workshop unpacking the outcomes of the project.

We welcome applications from all Members, but an elected body must apply.