Prince William has launched a £250,000 community fund for Princetown, opening applications for local organisations seeking grants of up to £40,000.
The Duke of Cornwall unveiled the scheme during a visit on September 15. It is one part of a wider commitment to put income from the Dartmoor Prison lease back into the surrounding area.
For residents, the immediate question is what they can apply for. The Duchy’s launch announcement sets out two funding routes.
Who can apply?
Eligible voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, including charities and community interest companies, can seek funding for projects benefiting Princetown.
- £500 to £5,999: smaller grants are available on a rolling basis until the end of February.
- £6,000 to £40,000: the deadline for larger applications is December 15.
Organisations should check the full criteria with Devon Communities Together, which is working with the Duchy. Support is also available to help develop proposals.
Why £250,000 and £1.5 million both appear in the story
These figures describe different things. The £250,000 is the announced community fund. The £1.5 million is the annual rent paid by the Ministry of Justice for the prison site, which the Duchy has committed to reinvest locally.
The estate’s 2026 impact report announcement places that decision within a broader £500 million investment commitment over the next decade. That estate-wide figure covers several areas and must not be mistaken for money allocated to Princetown alone.
The report identifies housing, local economies, nature recovery and renewable energy among its priorities. Dartmoor is one of five areas where the estate intends to concentrate its work.
The Times reports that the prison has been empty since 2024 following problems with radon gas. Continued rental payments and the loss of prison-related activity therefore form an important backdrop to the investment.
The launch establishes a route to funding; it does not show that the full investment has already been spent. The next measure of progress will be which projects receive grants and what they deliver for residents.