Societies Syndicate and Technical Committee

The Syndicate and the Committee invite applications for the following kinds of financial assistance:

(a) Launch grants

• Normally £200 or less.
• Intended to cover the start-up costs of a new society.
• Applicants should detail what the grant will be spent on (e.g., publicity, a first meeting, stall at the Freshers’ Fair).

(b) One-off grants

Capital equipment purchases

• Granted when a society wishes to purchase an item of lasting and continuing benefit to the society, and it is not feasible for them to purchase it themselves.
• Where equipment is income-generating, the society will be expected to cover operational and replacement costs itself.
• Applicants should provide details of the life expectancy of every item to be purchased and a description of how the items are to be stored and maintained.
• Ideally, more than one quote for every item to be purchased should be provided.

Travel expenses

• Awarded to provide assistance with a society’s exceptional expenditure on travel.
• These will not usually be given for one-off travel, or for travel to (for example) competitions or to musical and dramatic performances; these costs are expected to be met by members directly or from the society’s other income.
• Applicants must show that the expenditure is both integral to and an inherent part of their primary activities, but that the costs cannot be met from subscriptions or other income. 

Special activities

• Granted for events outside the normal activities of the society that are not feasibly self-financing.
• Applicants may instead wish to apply for a guarantee against loss.
• Applicants should provide full financial information for the event, including itemised income and expenditure

(c) Ongoing grants

• Awarded to support ongoing general expenses that are not feasibly self-financing.
• Applicants must provide details of the expenditure (including duration) and reasons why the costs cannot be met from subscriptions or other income.

(d) Guarantees against loss

• Given on events, such as musical or theatrical productions, or on an issue of a publication (normally the first).
• Guarantees are only given to cover losses owing to unforeseen circumstances.
• Payment will only be made when the audited accounts of the events concerned are received.
• Accounts must be received within three months of the events ending.
• Applicants must submit applications well in advance of the event.
• Applicants should budget to break even without assuming that a guarantee will be granted, and where feasible should build a contingency into the budget (without assuming that a guarantee will be granted).

NB: The Syndicate is not normally prepared to make loans, which may impose an unjustified burden of repayment on the original borrowers’ successors in office.

As a matter of general principle, a society should be self-financing and able meet its day-to-day expenditure, including social events, travel expenses and the cost of speaker meetings, etc. from subscriptions and/or other contributions from members, or from other sources of revenue. Consequently, grants are not typically awarded to cover running costs, and will never cover the cost of refreshments. They will also not normally be awarded to societies that do not charge a membership fee.

To be eligible for financial assistance, a society must be able to demonstrate that membership is open in principle and in practice to all resident members of the University, irrespective of political, religious or social considerations. When making an application for assistance, societies should state their aim (as given in their constitution). Under current legislation, the Societies Syndicate cannot support a political campaign unless the issue directly affects students as students.

Societies applying for financial assistance must be registered, or be in the process of registering a University societies, with the Junior Proctor. It is advisable for a society to check that it is registered before applying (see the list of registered University societies).

Societies must complete an application form (see below) and supply a copy of a bank statement, to facilitate speedy payment of any grant.

The application process is as follows:

1. Applications must be made using the applicable form(s):

• Application for Grant
• Application for a Guarantee Against Loss

2. The forms include a financial statement, which should be filled in with the society’s accounts, information regarding current numbers of members and subscription rates, a lucid statement of the need for assistance and a clear outline of what exactly is required.
3. Societies must also supply a copy of a society bank statement, so that funding, if granted, can be transferred quickly and efficiently. Societies applying without a bank account will be advised to set one up as soon as possible. The University is not able to transfer funds to the accounts of members of a society.
4. The form and bank statement must be forwarded to the society’s Senior Treasurer for approval. 
5. The Senior Treasurer must then email the application to societiessyndicate@admin.cam.ac.uk at least seven days before the next scheduled meeting. Applications received after the application deadline will not be reviewed until the subsequent meeting.

Applicants will sometimes be required to contact a Junior Member of the Technical Committee to discuss the application. The member will report back to the Technical Committee which will decide whether or not to make a grant. Societies will be advised in writing by the Secretary, whom they may contact to follow up their application (societiessyndicate@admin.cam.ac.uk).

The Societies Syndicate and Technical Committee meets once each term. The application deadlines and meeting dates for 2025–2026 are as follows:

Michaelmas Term 2025

Application deadline: Thursday 23 October 2025

Meeting date: Wednesday 29 October 2025

Lent Term 2026

Application deadline: Tuesday 3 February 2026

Meeting date: Thursday 12 February 2026

Easter Term 2026

Application deadline: Monday 4 May 2026

Meeting date: Wednesday 13 May 2026