North Durham Community Led Local Development (CLLD)
If your organisation is in Chester-Le-Street, Dipton or Stanley, you may be eligible for funding through North Durham CLLD.
Our Local Action Group is looking for a project applicant that will prioritise activity delivery in the Dipton area (although not exclusively). Applications must be submitted by midnight on Monday 28 February 2022:
.We have a call open for European Social Funding (ESF) projects with public match funding with extended project delivery time to December 2022:
We have an open call for European Regional Development fund (ERDF) non-capital projects with extended delivery time to December 2022:
Accessing open projects
The following projects have been awarded funding to offer help to existing and new businesses, and individuals who are thinking about setting up a new business in our area:
From their training kitchen in Chester-le-Street Handcrafted supports individuals to gain confidence and re-imagine what they can achieve through cookery skills courses.
Working towards qualifications in Food Hygiene which will allow them to look towards employment, and are supported by the Handcrafted staff team with referrals to employment opportunities, along with advice and help with CVs and job applications.
Foundations for Life offers pre-entry, functional skills training in literacy and numeracy, along with budgeting, job-seeking, and early stage digital skills to help people within the North Durham CLLD area to move into education and employment.
Tutors and digital coaches offer learner-led, informal, milestone training to allow people to achieve accredited and non-accredited qualifications in their own time.
Stanley Events' programme supports local people to gain confidence, qualifications and work experience which could lead into paid employment in the leisure, culture and hospitality industry.
The programme includes support in developing a participant's work ready portfolio including CV writing, job application writing, interview skills and general support in overcoming individual barriers to become employment ready.
Businesses from the North Durham CLLD area can apply for grants between £1,000 - £2,000 at a fixed rate of 35% of eligible expenditure to enable businesses to make investments in sustainability and/or growth and job creation.
Grants could be towards activities which include purchase of tools, machinery or computer equipment, premises improvement or expansion, consultancy for business growth planning, financial planning, website design or development.
Working in specific areas of North Durham, including Chester-le-Street and Stanley, with those aged 25 and over, we offer one to one mentoring support with a qualified and experienced mentoring officer, providing you with information, advice and guidance (IAG).
This includes:
- Talking with you about your motivation and goals
- Getting to know you, your situation and what you will need to move forward
- Help to access course and training to improve your skills
- Learning about volunteering, work placements and other opportunities
- Exploring the benefits of self-employment
- Linking in with other services such as housing, health or money matters
- Practical steps to start or improve your job search and be more successful
- Help to settle into whatever you move onto when you leave us
For full details visit North Durham Assist or call 03000 262 009.
A full map of the area covered is available in useful documents. If you are looking for funding to deliver in this area against the CLLD priorities we want to hear from you.
If you are looking to access some of the support available through the projects funded through the programme get in touch and we can sign post you to the relevant project.
Funding available for new projects
Could your organisation offer new projects providing financial or non-financial support to businesses in our area. Helping them grow and develop and adapt to a changing economy, or perhaps help people to start up in business.
Priorities
North Durham CLLD has 4 priorities to address:
- Enhancing economic inclusion
- Stimulating entrepreneurism
- Enterprising spaces
- Developing growth and enterprise
What can the funding pay for?
The list below does not include everything that funding contributes towards - please contact us to find out if funding is available for your project or work.
See below examples of spending that you may be able to apply for funding for:
- Improving and developing people, places or services within the community that will make life better for people in the community
- Activity to promote entrepreneurship and self-employment
- Business support activity, mentoring, coaching, information, advice and guidance
- Support for new local business ventures, including social enterprises
Check if you are in an area that is eligible for funding
To check if you're in an area that's eligible for funding you can:
- View our
- Check to see if your postcode is included in (also available in PDF format - )
- Contact us with your postcode and we will check
How to apply
Visit our How to apply for CLLD funding or contact us for advice - you should be able to give us more detail about your project.
CLLD newsletter
To view our latest newsletter edition, see contact us expressing your interest.
. Alternatively, if you would like to receive our newsletter direct to your email inbox pleaseGet involved
Local Action Groups - If you are interested in finding out more about the North Durham CLLD Local Action Group and would like to find out how you can be more involved in promoting CLLD contact us.
North Durham Facebook - For the latest news, please follow North Durham Community Led Local Development funding on Facebook.

In partnership with
- European Union - European Structural and Investment Funds
- North Durham CLLD
- NorthDurhamCLLD@durham.gov.uk