Postcode Local Trust is funded entirely by players of draws operated by its external lottery manager (ELM), People’s Postcode Lottery.
In 2021 the Postcode Local Trust moved from a grants programme that was previously available across Great Britain to one focused only on the west of England.
The funding is intended to support organisations whose core purpose and everyday work align closely with one of the Trust’s current themes:
- Enabling participation in the arts.
- Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty.
- Supporting marginalized groups and/or tackling inequality.
- Improving mental health with a focus on organisations that are actively supporting specific mental health issues, rather than general mental wellbeing activities.
Grants of up to £50,000 in total over a three-year period are available, depending on the organisation’s income.
The grant request must be no more than 75% of the applicant’s annual income listed on their most recent set of signed accounts.
Grant recipients will be asked how they want to split the award over the three years, with no more than 50% being taken in any one year.
Who Can Apply
Organisation types supported through this fund are:
- Registered charities
- Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
- Community Interest Companies (CICs) with an asset lock (Schedule 1 and 2 only)
- Community Benefit Societies
To be eligible, applicants must be based and working in the west of England and have:
- An income between £10,000 and £1 million in the most recent financial year. Priority may be given to organisations with an income of less than £250,000.
- Been operating for a minimum of 12 months and have a set of signed accounts at the time of application.
- A governing document in the name of their organisation
- A bank account in the name of their organisation with two unrelated signatories.
- No more than 50% of their Trustees/Directors/Committee members who are related.
- All relevant policies in place at time of application.
As funding rounds are consistently oversubscribed, priority may be given to organisations that meet one or more of the following:
- Have an income of £250,000 and below
- Work in communities located in the top 15% of the English Index of Multiple Deprivation
- Organisations whose main activities are focused on supporting marginalised groups. This could include, but is not limited to, disabled people, communities experiencing racial inequity, and LGBT+ people.
- Are in areas that have not recently received funding.
How To Apply
There will be three funding rounds in 2026:
- Round 1 opens 23 February and closes 2 March 2026.
- Round 2 opens 26 May and closes 2 June 2026.
- Round 3 opens 25 August and closes 1 September 2026
Applications open at 9am and close at 12 noon.
An example application form will be available in early January 2026.
The Trust has published an updated funding guide for Round 3 and a new example application form, both of which can be found on the Trust’s website.