- Active Travel Innovation Fund to award grants of up to
£100,000 for successful bids
- fund will help start or scale engagement projects that will
have a positive impact on walking, wheeling and cycling
- fund comes as part of government's Plan for Change by backing
bold ideas to boost the economy
Organisations and businesses can bid for a share of £1 million in
funding to help them deliver bold and innovative initiatives that
enable more people to walk, wheel or cycle, Active Travel England
(ATE) has announced
today (6 October 2025).
The Active Travel Innovation Fund is inviting applications from
small to medium-sized businesses and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), with grants of up
to £100,000 available for each successful project.
The funding is designed to help develop new ideas or to expand on
successful initiatives that are already making a difference.
Examples could include community projects that help
under-represented groups make more active travel choices,
partnerships between councils and local communities or businesses
to promote sustainable travel, or digital tools that improve
safety and accessibility.
This funding will support the government's Plan for Change by backing
entrepreneurs and creative and ambitious projects to kickstart
economic growth.
Chris Boardman, National Active Travel Commissioner, said:
The Active Travel Innovation Fund will help turn great ideas into
real improvements for people who walk, wheel, or cycle. Enabling
more people get about under their own steam is one of the most
important interventions we can make to improve the nation's
health, so it's crucial that we support bold projects that will
help us do this.
We're excited to see the creativity and ambition of applicants
and look forward to working closely with the selected
organisations to deliver positive and lasting change to the way
people travel.
The Minister for Local Transport, , said:
Walking, wheeling, and cycling bring huge physical and mental
health benefits. We are determined to make them easy and safe
choices for people across the country.
The government is providing £1 million to back bold projects from
small businesses and community groups to encourage more people to
choose these healthier, more active, options for short journeys.
We're building a healthy, sustainable and joined-up network, a
key part of our Plan for Change to boost local businesses, grow
local economies and ease pressure on the NHS.
In addition to funding, successful applicants will receive
practical support from ATE and the Government Grant
Managed Service (GGMS). This could
include help with building partnerships, connecting with new
stakeholders, or setting up ways to measure and track the success
of their projects.
The funding period of projects will run for 12 months, followed
by an evaluation process, with each organisation asked to share a
case study and final report into how the funds have made an
impact.
Through the funding, ATE aims to create a wide network
of partners to share ideas and collaboratively develop skills,
while providing valuable feedback to ATE as they continue to champion
and accelerate active travel in England.
Today's funding comes after the government announced a £300 million funding
package in February to help local authorities build new
walking and cycling infrastructure, provide cycle training for
children, and support community initiatives.
These improvements are expected to boost public health by cutting
43,000 sick days each year, easing pressure on the NHS, reducing
congestion, and strengthening local economies.
The Active Travel Innovation Fund will help small to medium sized
businesses and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to go even further
by developing creative active travel solutions that meet the
needs of their communities.
Apply for the funding
The window for applications runs from 6 October to 14 November
2025.
For full details and eligibility criteria, visit the government
Find a Grant website.
