Environmental Improvement Programme (EIP) - 2022

Call for project ideas open from 21 September until the midnight, 27 October 2022.

Ideas

We need your ideas for Environmental Improvement Programme (EIP) projects. You can share with us your ideas for capital projects, which can then be posted. And you can select your favourite ideas from those put forward that you'd like to see implemented. Ideas we generally receive for this funding are things such as wildflower planting, new benches, tree planting, community noticeboards, improvements around war memorials, improved gating and fencing.

Note: Highway improvement schemes and play area improvements are not generally funded through EIP. Highway improvement can be funded through the County Council's Local Highway initiative and play improvements through s106 respectively, see links S106 funding, other grants and funding or for more information on the Environmental Improvement Programme.

If you are having difficulty filling in the application on the platform please either use the application template form or call 01223 457354 to give details so a hardcopy can be sent.

Have your say

The phase to submit your comments has now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated.

The comments and ideas can be viewed at the bottom of the page when you select phase 2 below.

How the results of the bidding round will be taken forward 

The results for the project proposals will be taken to appropriate area committees (South Area, East Area, West/Central Area and North Area) for consideration within the funding allocations for the Committee Areas. These and the Strategic Projects will be considered by the Executive Councillor for Open Spaces, Food Justice and Community Development.

The selected ideas for the 2022 bidding round will be published here in January 2023 and project delivery will then commence through the Environmental Services - Project Delivery Team. 

Background to EIP

We have two types of funding available 1) Local area based and 2) Strategic priority based, both types of funding are limited.

1) Local Area based EIP funding: provides our four area committees (South Area, East Area, West/Central Area and North Area), a capital budget in proportion to the size of its population. Committees will consider which projects in their area they recommend for funding, up to a project value of £5,000 (or £10,000 if strongly supported). Additionally, committees may be strongly influenced by the numbers of residents that support projects in their areas on the Citizenlab consultation platform.

2) Strategic based EIP funding: This element of the programme is dedicated to priorities the Council has identified as being important across all areas of Cambridge, and include making better use of roadside verges, enhancing tree canopy, improving biodiversity, benches (that promote community/ social interaction) and providing free public drinking water points.

Further background

The amount of local area, and strategic priority, funding available is limited – it's usually not possible to fund all proposed projects in any given year. We have run an Environmental Improvement Programme annually since 2004; and review it regularly to ensure it is providing value to Cambridge and our communities.

To view current and recent Environmental Improvement Programme projects.

The Council also operates other funding programmes for different types of projects. You could investigate S106 funding or other grants and funding.