Clergy Discretionary Grant
Information on the Diocese of Chester’s Discretionary Grant Fund, which provides financial assistance for approved training, study, and development opportunities beyond the scope of standard CMD grant funding. Details of eligibility, application procedures, assessment criteria, and funding deadlines are provided.
Discretionary Fund
There is a limited discretionary fund available for clergy in the Diocese of Chester. The fund is administered by the Ministry team and applications are considered by a panel that meets termly. The application deadlines and panel meeting dates for 2026 are:
Application Deadline | Panel Meeting Date |
Saturday, 31 January | Wednesday, 4 February |
Thursday, 30 April | Wednesday, 7 May |
Wednesday, 30 September | Monday, 5 October |
This fund is principally for those engaging in a course of structured training or study with fees / costs above those that could be covered by the standard CMD grant. There are three application points in the year and if there are multiple applications made they will be considered under the following criteria:
potential gain for the diocese
potential gain for the parish
potential gain for the individual
potential gain for the wider Church.
If you are interested in applying for a grant from this fund, please do so using this application form
2026 Discretionary Grant Application form