What We Do

Crowdfund North of Tyne (CFNOT) was set up by North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) to give local people the opportunity to create and fund projects which celebrate and improve our local area.  Crowdfunding works by encouraging projects to raise a proportion of their funding via direct donations from local people, groups and businesses.  

It is an initiative which provides grants of between £1k and £30k to community groups, businesses, charities and individuals, to top up their crowdfunded projects. It will run until June 2025.   

The fund has already supported 62 projects across the North of Tyne, from turning wasteland into allotments, community beekeeping, fun days out for children, making beaches accessible for wheelchair users, helping people with food poverty and even saving a choir.  

Mayor Driscoll explains: 

“When we first launched the fund, we were pledging around 50% of each project. People told us it was really tough to ask their community for support during a cost-of-living crisis.  

“If you have an idea, and can show your community will back it, we will give you up to 90% to make it happen.  

“I want to make sure we reach people who might not usually consider applying for help. All you need is one bright idea to get started and my team will help you with the rest.”  

NTCA partnered with Spacehive, a crowdfunding specialist, secured by an open procurement exercise at the start of the project, in summer 2020, to manage our fund.     

Spacehive work directly with the project creators from the outset, explaining the pitching process, helping them prepare and verify their pitches and then helping them to promote their pages once live.  

Crowdfunding on Spacehive is a simple process that allows local people to engage with their community. It starts with a group or an individual with an idea. NTCA and colleagues at Spacehive guide projects through the process, and if the project gets the support from local people and organisations, NTCA will put money in to back it.   

NTCA are particularly interested in hearing from rural communities, initiatives which support LGBT+ communities as well as:  

• Bring people together in new ways  
• Support wellbeing and mental health  
• Reduce poverty  
• Reduce the impact on the environment   
• Help people into jobs and;  
• Promote lifelong learning.  

The Specific project criteria can be found on the Spacehive website.  There you will can find more details about the range of projects that have pitched a campaign.

Crowdfund North of Tyne is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.