Community grants

Our community grants help support local groups and organisations in the coastal regions where we construct and operate our offshore wind farms.

We are committed to making a positive impact in the communities where we construct and operate our offshore wind farms and other projects. Our four Community Benefit Funds — Burbo Bank Extension Community Fund, East Coast Community Fund, Walney Extension Community Fund and Hornsea 3 Community Fund — have so far awarded over £13 million to over 900 local social and environmental projects along the East and West coasts.

Our funds are administered by independent grant-making charity GrantScape, with decision-making supported by local Advisory Groups made up of community specialists who benefit from a strong and deep understanding of the local community and environment.

Discover more about our funds in our latest newsletter and read the stories where community grants are making a real difference:

Read our Community Benefit Funds newsletter

Burbo Bank Extension Community Fund

Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm is located in Liverpool Bay on the UK's west coast. The fund is worth approximately £225,000 each year for the lifetime of the project and has so far awarded over 200 grants across Merseyside and North Wales.

East Coast Community Fund

The East Coast Community Fund is linked to the Hornsea projects and Racebank offshore wind farms and has £465,000 available each year. Over 300 projects have been supported so far. More than £4 million has been awarded to community and environmental projects in the coastal areas of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and north Norfolk since the Fund launched in 2016.

Walney Extension Community Fund

The Walney Extension Community Fund is linked to the offshore wind farm around 19km off the Walney Island coast in Cumbria and has £600,000 of funding available annually. A total of £100,000 of this is ring fenced for a Skills Fund. To date, over 300 local groups and projects have received support.

Hornsea 3 Community Fund

The Hornsea 3 Community Fund has been launched to support local groups and organisations in the North Norfolk and East Anglia region. With £700,000 available each year, total of £7 million will be awarded over a minimum ten-year period. The annual fund will be divided into the Main Community Fund of £500,000, a Skills Fund of £100,000, and a Legacy Fund of £100,000 which will go to one capital green project per year. To date, over 70 projects have been supported.

Image of vessel in foreground with offshore wind turbines in background

Hornsea 3 Fisheries Fund

The Hornsea 3 Fisheries Fund aims to support the offshore wind and fishing industries successful coexistence along the Norfolk coastline.

The fund is worth £20,000 annually and will be divided into two application rounds of £10,000 each.

What is the community grant application process?

Images showing the process of how to apply for an Ørsted Community Benefit Fund

Community Benefits of Offshore Wind

Transforming coastal communities

Offshore wind is helping to transform UK coastal communities through investment in local facilities, the creation of high-skilled jobs and the development of competitive, export-orientated local supply chains.

Discover the benefits of offshore wind