Local Water Environment Grant
Environment Agency
Award
Up to £100k
Total fund Up to £6m
Deadline
Closes 25 September 2026
Where
England
Summary
Local Water Environment Grant (LWEG) provides capital and revenue grants to local authorities and third sector organisations to improve their local water environment.
Who can apply
To be eligible to receive the Local Water Environment Grant (LWEG) you must ensure: There is evidence that the project has the support of the Catchment or Coastal Partnership* (project proposals should be developed in collaboration with catchment partnership and be driven by the partnership catchment management plan) *if in place The project is designed to deliver an action where there is no responsible direct owner or where direct public intervention, coordination and investment is needed to attract other investors and voluntary groups to work together for public good. The project must deliver one or more of these relevant outcomes: Address a reason for not achieving good status (RNAG) or reason for deterioration (RFD) or heavily modified waterbody mitigation measure, as evidenced in the Catchment Data Explorer or Improve or restore protected area status; and/or Create or restore priority wetland habitat or conservation and enhancement of water department species of principle importance. The application must provide estimated delivery costs and an indication of match funding. Match funding can be partner in kind, partner funding, external and/or private funding. An eligible organisation must: Have engaged with the Environment Agency and have been assigned an EA lead officer. Have your project on the Environment Agency Medium Term Plan (MTP) Have been issued with an LWEG number – this can be obtained from your EA lead officer.
Full details
Local Water Environment Grant (LWEG) enables the Environment Agency to provide capital and revenue grants to local authorities and third sector organisations. It is not a funding programme in itself, but a payment mechanism for partnership projects within the Environment Agency. LWEG is funded through the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF). The WEIF is an annually funded programme. The Environment Agency plan and secures longer term funding for WEIF through the Medium Term Plan (MTP). The MTP is an important document. It provides a 6-year rolling list of proposed projects and investment needs, with their costs and outcomes, to deliver the catchment priorities and ambitions. It provides both a ready list of projects, for the year ahead and a source of information to bid for more funding (via a Spending Review bid) by showcasing our shared ambition for the environment.