Contents
- Introduction
- What's on offer
- Objectives of the fund
- Support for grant recipients
- Monitoring requirements
- Application process
Introduction
Smoking tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable illness and early deaths in the UK, contributing to 6,331 smoking-related hospital admissions each year in Surrey alone. It places a major strain on health and care services and is the leading cause of health inequalities in England. Smoking rates are higher in deprived areas, contributing to shorter life expectancy and poorer health outcomes. Vulnerable groups, including those with mental health conditions, substance misuse issues, and routine or manual workers, also have higher smoking rates and worse health outcomes as a result (Action on Smoking and Health, 2019). Surrey's stop smoking data can be found in the Smoking, Vaping and Tobacco Control Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.
The Surrey Smokefree Generation Grant Award Scheme will enable voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to support more residents in accessing local stop smoking services, helping them to quit smoking and lead healthier lives.
What's on offer
The Surrey Smokefree Generation Grant Award Scheme offers funding up to £7,000 to VCSE organisations to develop initiatives that increase engagement with, and awareness of, local stop smoking services. A total of £100,000 is available through the scheme, with standard grant awards up to £7,000. However, grants of up to £10,000 may be awarded in exceptional cases, particularly where applications demonstrate strong potential impact or innovative approaches to smoking cessation and community engagement.
- Maximum grant available - up to £7,000 (grants of up to £10,000 may be considered based on the strength of the application)
- Funding durations - 12 months
- Who is eligible - Voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations working in Surrey County Council administered areas.
Objectives of the fund
The objectives of the Smokefree Generation Grant Award Scheme are to enhance Surrey's existing stop smoking services. Applications must align to at least one of the following Smokefree Generation Grant Award Scheme objectives. Please consider before applying whether your project meets these requirements. We will prioritise applications that focus on Surrey’s priority populations, who face a greater risk of smoking related harm.
Objectives:
- Support residents, wherever they are in their stop smoking journey, to understand the risks of smoking, and when they are ready, to know what free support is available to help them quit.
- Increase referrals into the local smoking cessation service.
- Increase the number of people signing up to quit smoking with local stop smoking services.
- Increase the number of quit dates set and 4 week quit outcomes.
- Increase promotion, community awareness and participation in smoking cessation services through targeted outreach campaigns, education, and accessible support programs.
- Support staff and volunteers to create a no-smoking environment in your organisation.
Examples of potential projects we may fund include:
- Providing peer support to help people to quit and stay quit
- Support people to make and attend appointments with stop smoking advisors.
We will prioritise applications that:
- Are informed by lived experience
- Led by or working with minoritized people and communities
- Support groups who are more likely to smoke or are at greatest risk of adverse events relating to their smoking. These include, but are not limited to:
- Those who work in routine and manual occupations
- People with long-term mental health conditions
- Those who are or have received treatment for alcohol or substance use
- People who are racially minoritized
- Those experiencing poverty or financial hardship, including the unemployed.
- Those in contact with the criminal justice system
- LGBTQ+ people
- Those with a learning disability
- Residents living in Surrey’s 21 key neighbourhoods.
Funding cannot be used for projects that aim to prevent people from starting to smoke and must be focused on supporting adults (aged over 18).
Support for grant recipients
Successful applicants will receive ongoing support from the Surrey Public Health team, along with the local Stop Smoking Service, to assist in developing and enhancing effective support for service users.
Grant recipients will not be expected to supply or administer nicotine replacement therapy as part of their projects; however, they may deliver information about what is available to help people, and what they can access. Grant recipients can work with One You Surrey for further information.
Visit Healthy Surrey for information about stop smoking support available in Surrey.
Monitoring requirements
Evidence will be required of:
- How many people were referred or sign posted to the local stop smoking service
- Numbers of people given very brief advice
- How Surrey’s priority populations have been reached and/or supported to reduce inequalities in health outcomes
- What has changed and how has it changed
- What has been learnt, for example barriers and solutions, what works well and what does not.
We require all successful applicants to report on their progress after 6 months of delivery and to produce a final project feedback report. Surrey County Council Public Health will provide templates for these reports. We also ask that grantees supply case studies, including any videos, photographs, and feedback from residents in their project, where appropriate. Regular engagement with Surrey County Council Public Health will be maintained throughout the project.
Application process
To be considered for funding, voluntary, faith, community and social enterprise organisations must submit a detailed project proposal outlining how the proposed activities will meet the objectives of the grant scheme. The proposal should include clear delivery pathways and a breakdown of estimated costs. Please use the application form below for this purpose. Grants will be awarded by Surrey County Council's Public Health team following the review and approval of each submission. If you need support during your application, please contact public.health@surreycc.gov.uk.
When and how to apply
- Launch date - 4 August 2025
- Deadline for submission - 15 September 2025
- Application outcome announced - 29 September 2025
Please note, funding is for 12 months from the date of payment and projects should be completed within this time. In assessing applications, we will consider the following areas: alignment with the objectives of the Smokefree Generation Grant Award Scheme, expected projects impacts and outcomes, innovation, feasibility, sustainability, capacity and experience, engagement and collaboration.
As a condition of the grant, all staff and volunteers involved in grant projects must complete our fully funded training offer on the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) approach to smoking before project delivery begins. A bespoke session for your organisation may be offered following notification of your grant award, depending on the size of your organisation.
If you would like more information
There will be an online briefing session with a short presentation on the purpose of the grant and how to apply, followed by a Q&A on Wednesday 6 August 2025, from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. You can book your place on the Smokefree Generation Grant Award Scheme for Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Organisations information session.
If you have any further questions regarding the Surrey Smokefree Generation Grant Scheme, please email public.health@surreycc.gov.uk.