Grants and community support
The Lichfield Food & Drink Festivals are delivered as community events, designed to support local businesses, encourage new enterprises and showcase community-led activity across the city. To support this, we are offering two funding opportunities for the 2026 festivals.
1. Free stalls for new businesses
We recognise that start-up costs can be a barrier for new businesses. To help support local entrepreneurs, a limited number of free standard stalls are available to eligible traders.
Applications for free trader pitches are now open.
To apply, please email events@lichfielddc.gov.uk with details of your business and the products you wish to trade.
Eligibility Criteria
To be considered, businesses must:
- Be registered and based within Lichfield District
- Have started trading within the last 12 months
- Hold public liability insurance with a minimum cover of £5 million
- Have a food hygiene rating of 4 stars or above (where applicable)
Successful applicants will be contacted in early March 2026.
What’s included?
- One free standard pitch at either the Spring or Summer Food & Drink Festival.
- Access to the same footfall, promotion and event infrastructure as paid traders.
Free stalls are limited and will be awarded at the discretion of the events team to ensure a balanced and high-quality festival offer.
2. Fringe activity and community grants - up to £1,000
Local businesses, community organisations and groups are invited to apply for grant funding of up to £1,000 to deliver fringe activity that supports and enhances the Food & Drink Festivals that:
- Takes place during or alongside the Food & Drink Festivals.
- Is open to the public.
- Ads value to the overall festival programme.
Who can apply?
- Local businesses
- Community organisations, charities and voluntary groups
- Cultural, creative or food-related organisations
What can the funding be used for?
- Live music, performance or entertainment
- Workshops, demonstrations or talks
- Community-led activities linked to food, drink or culture
- Fringe events hosted in venues across the city during the festival dates
Assessment process
Applications will be assessed by the events team based on:
- Alignment with the Food & Drink Festivals.
- Community benefit and audience reach.
- Value for money.
- Deliverability within the festival timeframe.
Funding is limited and not all applications will be successful.
How to apply
Applications for fringe activity grants are now open. Further details, eligibility criteria and application form can be found here.
Contact us
If you would like to discuss eligibility or have an idea you would like to explore before applying, please contact the Events Team: events@lichfielddc.gov.uk
