This fund will open for applications between 25 November 2026 and 20 January 2027.
This fund aims to support organisations helping to build community power, giving local people influence to make changes to:
- Places they live.
- Services they use.
- Decisions that affect their lives.
Funded organisations will help shift communities towards equitable sharing of power between local people, organisations, and institutions.
Grants of between £500,000 and £2.5 million are available.
Who Can Apply
The following can apply:
- Not-for-profit companies that are limited by guarantee.
- Registered charities.
- Charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs).
- Community interest companies (CICs).
- Faith-based organisations.
- Community benefit societies registered with the Financial Conduct Authority.
- Co-operative societies registered with the Financial Conduct Authority.
Groups must have at least two board or committee members who are unrelated.
Groups must already:
- Have a proven track record of building community power.
- Have experience of convening partners and collaborating across sectors.
- Work at scale across a range of issues, rather than focusing on a single issue or population group.
- Work across a wide local area, such as a town, city, district, or borough.
- Be accountable to local people.
- Work with communities that face the greatest barriers.
Restrictions
The following are not eligible for funding:
- Individuals.
- Sole traders.
- Organisations not based in the UK.
- Companies that pay profits to directors, shareholders, or members (rather than reinvesting them for charitable purposes).
- Organisations that have funding for the same work.
- One organisation applying on behalf of another.
- Colleges or universities.
- Statutory organisations.
- Unregistered voluntary or community groups.
- Retrospective costs.
- Alcohol.
- Contingency costs, loans, endowments, or interest.
- Paying someone to write the application.
- Fundraising and for-profit activities.
- Reclaimable VAT.
- Religious activities.
- Activities that help children or young people with schoolwork during school hours.
- Travel outside of the UK.
- Cash given directly to individuals.
- Large capital projects.
Eligible Expenditure
Funding can be used for core or project costs, including:
- One-off events.
- Staffing, including volunteer expenses.
- Development work, for example, staff training, governance, or leadership support and improving IT.
- Equitable access, including translation costs.
- Learning and evaluation.
- Minor capital costs for land or building work.
Some political activity and campaigning can be supported if:
- The activity is not party political (ie, it is about policy, practice, or legislation rather than opposing or supporting a political party).
- The activity is meant to help the cause of the organisation and benefit the public/society.
How To Apply
This fund will open for applications between 25 November 2026 and 20 January 2027.
Further information will be provided at webinars on the following date:
- 18 November 2026 (13:30 to 14:15).
Guidance notes and links to attend an information webinar are available from the NLCF website.