Funding

Tower Hamlets Council COVID Community Fund

Grants of up to £5,000 for VCS organisations based in Tower Hamlets
Deadline: Ongoing for a limited period

For a limited period, VCS organisations in Tower Hamlets will be able to apply for funding and organisational support. Two grants are being offered:

• Covid Organisational Support Fund– Up to £5,000 available for VCS organisations that need to restructure
• Covid Re-Purposing Fund– Up to £5,000 available for VCS organisations, either to deliver services differently to residents and beneficiaries, such as adapting services to remote delivery, or where Covid-19 has meant that there is good reason for the organisation to deliver different kinds of services
• Wider Support – Alongside the award of funding, council officers and Tower Hamlets Council for Voluntary Service (THCVS), will engage with organisations on the issues they face arising from or impacted by Covid-19

Tower Hamlets Council Small Grants Fund 

Theme 8: Covid-19 Test and Trace Outreach and Engagement 

Grants of up to £1,000 for unincorporated groups and up to £3,000 for constituted not-for-profit organisations.
Deadline: Ongoing

Support for projects that take a culturally sensitive and responsive approach to enable communities to proactively engage with NHS Test and Trace.

London Community Response Fund

Grants of up to £10,000 for Crisis Response; grants over £10,000 for Renewal grants
Deadline: Crisis Response grants – 5pm, 21st January 2021; Renewal grants – 5pm, 15th February 2021

London’s funders have once again come together to provide new funding for civil society organisations. The London Community Response is launching two new waves of funding next week on Thursday January 14th.

There will be a crisis response programme of grants of up to £10k – with a quick turnaround to ensure that urgent needs are met. And there will also be a programme of larger, longer-term ‘Renewal’ grants which will focus on supporting the needs of civil society in the year ahead.

Webinar for potential applicants – 13th January

To help you find out more about this funding, including what the priorities are for this programme and how the application process works, we’re hosting a webinar for London’s civil society groups. If you can join then please click here to register for the webinar. It will also be made available on their YouTube channel before funding opens.

Sport England – The Return to Play: Community Asset Fund new

Grants of between £10,001 to £50,000.
Deadline: ongoing

Sports clubs, local authorities, schools and community organisations can apply for grants to help clubs and community groups through the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic to return to play. The Return to Play: Community Asset Fund provides capital funding, to help local sports clubs and organisations to adapt and open important places and spaces so people within their community can return to play and physical activity, safely. The focus is on responding to the immediate challenges of sports and physical activity returning to play. Priority will be given to projects located in areas of high deprivation and to organisations working with Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, people on lower incomes, disabled people, people with long-term health conditions and people experiencing a greater burden of care because of coronavirus.

Power to Change Trust – Community Business Renewal Fund new

Grants of between £10,000 to £20,000.
Deadline: The fund will open for applications from 10am on the 12th January 2021 until 4pm on the 19th January 2021.

For grants to adapt and evolve to the changing circumstances, and to remain financially viable. There are no restrictions on the grants; and they can be used to cover core staffing costs, contribute to meeting capital costs of adapting community businesses and ensuring that they can continue to provide the vital support to local people. Funding is being made available through the new Power to Change Community Business Renewal Fund and priority will be given to applications from areas of England facing high levels of deprivation, organisations supporting and led by disabled people and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME)-led or BAME-supporting businesses.

Woodward Charitable Trust new

Grants of up to £1,000
Deadline: 28^th January 2021.

Grants for projects that help families and young people and that are aiming to improve the life chances of the beneficiaries. Projects which aim to acheive a positive impact on three areas; children and young people who are isolated, at risk or involved in anti-social behaviour; disadvantaged families; prisoners and ex-offenders.

Golsoncott Foundation new

Grants of up to £3,000
Deadline: ongoing

The Golsoncott Foundation aims to promote, maintain, improve and advance the education of the public in the arts generally and in particular the fine arts and music. This includes providing access to the arts for young people and developing new audiences.

Standard Life Foundation  new

Grants of between £10,000 and £200,000
Deadline: 4th February 2021 and 3rd June 2021

Standard Life Foundation fund research, campaigning and policy work to improve living standards and personal finances for people on low to middle incomes in the UK. They are an engaged funder who does more than just make grants; they provide support, advice and add value to the projects they fund. Funding programmes focus on income, spending and assets.

Women Make Music Grants Programme new

Grants of up to £5,000
Deadline: 12th February 2021

Grants available to support the development of outstanding women, trans and non-binary songwriters and composers of all genres and backgrounds at different stages of their career. The funding is available to support touring, recording, promotion and marketing, community projects involving high-quality music creators, music creator residencies and live performances featuring new UK music.

Wooden Spoon Charity new

Deadline: ongoing

If your project is in the UK or Ireland and shares the aim of making a positive impact on the lives of children and young people, it may be eligible for a Wooden Spoon grant. Check guidance on types of projects funded.

Community-Led Recovery Programme new

Grants available: Community-Led Action Grants – up to £9,000; London Community Story Grants – up to £1,500
Deadline: 12th February 2021

The Mayor of London has launched the Community-Led Recovery programme to support communities most deeply affected by COVID-19 to get involved in London’s recovery by sharing their lived experience and collaborate with decision makers to reimagine our city as fairer, greener and more resilient than it was before.  

The programme offers two grant streams: 

• Community-Led Action Grant: offers grants of up to £9,000 to initiate social action projects which gather new insights. 
• London Community Story Grant: following the success of the pilot programme, this strand will offer grants of up to £1,500 to organisations with existing projects which capture Londoner’s experience of COVID-19, supporting them to be presented and shared to a wider audience. 

Emergency National Lottery Covid-19 response grants 

Grants of between £300 to £10,000 to cover six months of expenditure.

Support for organisations to continue delivering services to people and communities affected by COVID-19

Civil Society Roots Incubator

Grants of between £5,000 to £15,000.
Deadline: 26th January 2021

To support organisations that meet one of the below objectives of the Building Stronger Communities Mission, which are:

• Raising unheard Londoners voices to ensure they can participate more fully in all aspects of community life, lead London’s renewal and bring about change
• Increasing feelings of belonging and/or address social isolation and loneliness
• Increasing access to support, services and mutual aid.

National Lottery Local Connections Fund

Grants of between £300 and £2,500.
Deadline: 26th January 2021

The Local Connections Fund is a new £4 million fund to help charities and community groups in England that are working to reduce loneliness by helping them build connections across their communities. This will be used to fund hundreds of ‘microgrants’, so small, local organisations (with an annual income of £50,000 or less) can bring people and communities together. The Local Connections Fund will be split into two equal rounds of funding.

DISRUPT 2021

Grants of between £1000 and £5,000.
Deadline: 30th January 2021

Grants available to communities, community organisations, researchers, creatives, artists, charities and arts organisations in the UK to premiere or showcase their work at DISRUPT 2021. DISRUPT 2021 is a digital festival that aims to explore how the performing arts have supported communities during the pandemic and how a year of uncertainty and change has encouraged new and radical ways of working. This could be new and experimental performance-based projects created with, by and for communities during the pandemic; tools and tactics to build skills on new or different ways of working in the performing arts, including practical steps on how communities, artists and organisations can collaborate; and / or projects that explore alternative and more democratic futures for the performing arts. Applications must be co-written by a community partner and a creative partner.

Windrush Community Fund

Grants of between £2000 and £25,000.
Deadline: 30th January 2021

This fund is open to community and grassroots groups and organisations to bid for financial assistance from a £500,000 fund to help ensure that community groups can give support to those of the Windrush generation who may have faced difficulties in demonstrating their status or who may have suffered losses because of this. Charitable, community and grassroot organisations across the UK that work with affected communities can bid for an award from £2,500 up to £25,000, to ensure all people affected by Windrush are aware of the support available and are not missing out on the schemes or latest information.

Volant Trust – Covid-19 Response Fund

Deadline: 31st July 2021

The Trust is accepting applications from registered charities, community interest companies, community organisations or social enterprises in the UK and internationally that demonstrate a strong focus on alleviating social deprivation and helping vulnerable groups who have been particularly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Funding is available to support running and core costs as well as for medical equipment and the production or distribution of PPE will also be considered. There are no funding levels indicated at the award of grants will be at the discretion of the Trustees.

The A B Charitable Trust – Funding for Projects that Combat Abuse and Violation of Human Rights

Grants of up to £20,000
Deadline: 31st January 2021

UK-registered charities that work towards combating abuse and violations of human rights can apply for grants of up to £20,000. Applications are particularly welcomed from charities working to support migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

National Lottery Community Fund – Awards for All

Grants of between £300 £10,000.
Deadline: apply any time

For charities, voluntary groups, schools and local authorities in England to carry out projects that will improve their local community. The aim of the grants programme is to support communities to thrive by funding projects that:

• Build strong relationships in and across communities.
• Improve the places and spaces that matter to communities.
• Help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage.

National Lottery Community Fund – Reaching Communities

Grants of over £10,000.
Deadline: apply any time

For projects that make positive changes in their communities. The aim of the programme is to support communities to thrive by funding projects that:

• Build strong relationships in and across communities.
• Improve the places and spaces that matter to communities.
• Help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage.

National Lottery Community Fund – Partnerships

Grants of up to £10,000.
Deadline: apply any time

For voluntary and community organisations in England which work together with a shared set of goals and values to help their community thrive. The aim of the programme is to encourage organisations to work in partnership to help their communities thrive by focusing on the bigger picture, rather than just what their organisation can do on its own. The funding can support different types of partnership, including:

• Cross-sector partnerships.
• Local place-based collaboration.
• Local and national organisations working together around a particular theme.

National Lottery Grants for Heritage

Grants of between £3,000 and £100,000.
Deadline: apply any time

For organisations working with heritage to adapt and respond to the changing environment they are now operating in due to the coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis. The funding is intended to help the UK’s heritage sector respond to the impacts of coronavirus/COVID-19 and to adapt and thrive again. This funding is designed to focus on organisational resilience or on projects that deliver inclusion in heritage.

London Growth Hub – Grants and  Access to Specialist Support

Grants of between £1000 to £5,000 available for elegible small and medium enterprises.

Support and help to access business and professional services such as legal and financial advice, or help to adopt new technology and purchase equipment that will help them get back on track, following the impact of COVID-19.

Comic Relief Capacity Building Grant

Grants of up to £1,000.
Deadline: apply any time

To support small community organisations to become stronger and more robust and improve their ability to deliver, both during and after the Covid-19 crisis.

Sports England – Return to Play Fund

Grants of between £300 and £10,000 – small grant, £10,001 to £50,000 – large grant
Deadline: apply any time

Sport England has launched a new fund that will support groups, clubs and organisations that have been impacted by restrictions brought in to tackle Covid-19.Small grants will help sport and activity groups, clubs and organisations respond to the immediate challenges of returning to play in a Covid-19-safe environment; large grants will help local sports clubs and organisations to adapt and open important places and spaces that can help them welcome back their local community safely.

Marsh Christian Trust

Grants of between £300 and £2,000 – small grant, £10,001 to £50,000 – large grant
Deadline: apply any time

The Trust focuses on providing funding which could help small organisations pay for various running costs, such as volunteer expenses, training days, equipment maintenance and other core outgoings. Areas include; arts and heritage, education and training, environmental causes and animal welfare, healthcare and social welfare.

Peter Cruddas Foundation

Grants of between £2,000 and £20,000
Deadline: apply any time

The Foundation gives priority to programmes designed to help disadvantaged and disengaged young people in the 14-30 age range to pursue pathways to education, training and employment, with the ultimate aim of helping them to become financially independent.

Arts Council Culture Recovery Fund

Grants of between £25,000 and £3million
Deadline: 26th January 2021

The UK Government has announced an additional £400 million will be awarded to arts, culture and heritage organisations across England in the form of grants and loans from the Culture Recovery Fund. Funding, which was held back in previous rounds, will be available for Cultural organisations that were financially stable before Covid-19, but are now at imminent risk of collapse. £300 million in grants and £100 million in loans will be offered to support organisations’ transition back to their usual means of operating from April 2021.

Arts Council Project Grants

Grants of under £15,000 – small grant; over £15,000 – large grant
Deadline: apply any time

The Arts Council is offering grants to respond to the needs of smaller independent organisations and individual practitioners during COVID-19.

Funding for Projects that Address Severe Learning Disabilities (UK)

Grants of up to £10,000 – small grant; grant of over £10,000 – general grants programme
Deadline: 1st March 2021

Schools, voluntary organisations and charities can apply for grants to help both children and adults suffering severe learning difficulties. The funding is being made available through the Baily Thomas General grants programme and can be used to purchase equipment, support capital works as well as covering project and core costs such as staff costs, general running and office costs. Previous grants have been used to support capital works for residential, nursing and respite care, and schools; employment schemes including woodwork, crafts, printing and horticulture; play schemes and play therapy schemes; day and social activities centres including building costs and running costs; support for families, including respite schemes; independent living schemes; support in the community schemes; and Snoezelen rooms.

Funding for Projects that Support Disadvantaged Young People (UK)

Grants of over £10,000
Deadline: 4th May 2021

Schools, voluntary organisations and charities can apply for grants to help both children and adults suffering severe learnin

Grants available to not for profit organisations and special schools that work with young people who are experiencing disadvantage through illness, distress, abuse or neglect; any kind of disability; behavioural or psychological difficulties; and / or living in poverty or situations of deprivation. Special schools can also apply for funding, but the project must be additional to their statutory duties. The funding is being made available through the BBC Children in Need Main Grants programme. Prior to applying organisations and schools will need to register with BBC Children in Need. 

Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Comic Relief – Tech for Good Digital Development Fund

Grants of up to £70,000
Deadline: 12th February 2021

Grants to use technology to explore different approaches to delivering better services during the Covid-19 crisis. Over £1 million will be available to individual not for profit organisations or those working in partnership to define, test and develop user-centred digital solutions to create more impact for the people they work with. Applications that aim to adapt or re-purpose existing technology are also eligible for funding. The programme aims to fund a portfolio of digital projects at different stages of development and will support a range of digital interventions. The funding is being made available through the Tech for Good digital development fund ‘Build’ programme which is being supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Comic Relief.

Masonic Charitable Foundation – Funding to Support Vulnerable Older People

Grants of between £500 and £15,000
Deadline: ongoing

Local and national charities in England and Wales can apply for grants of between £500 – £15,000 for projects lasting up to three years that support vulnerable and disadvantaged people over 50. To be eligible the charity needs to have an annual income of below £500,000 per year.

Grants for Tree Planting (UK)

Grants of between £300 and £1,500
Deadline: There is no deadline for applications, but applicants must ensure that they can plan and execute their project, and claim the funding upon completion, by the end of March 2021

Schools and Community groups within the UK can apply for grants to get communities and young people involved in tree and hedge planting and care this winter. The funding is being made available through the Tree Council’s Branching Out Fund. Applications will be considered as they are received, and applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application within four weeks.

Grimple’s Green Grants Green Giving

Deadline: Ongoing

They are looking for green projects across the United Kingdom that they can fund and help support environmentally friendly projects like yours. They are offering grants of up to £1,000 for small projects and organisations. They want you to overwhelm them with your applications, so get inspired and let them know about your green project idea!

The Wakeham Trust

Deadline: ongoing

The Wakeham Trust provides grants to help people rebuild their communities. They are particularly interested in neighbourhood projects, community arts projects, projects involving community service by young people, or projects set up by those who are socially excluded. They favour small projects – often, but not always, start-ups and they try to break the vicious circle whereby you have to be established to get funding from major charities, but you have to get funding to get established. Apply at TheWakehamTrust@icloud.com

Funding to Encourage Young People to Study Science Subjects (UK)

Grants of up to £10,000
Deadline: 1st April 2021

To support initiatives that encourage young people to study science subjects at school and go on to pursue STEM-related further education or vocational training, particularly in the area of Materials Science. The funding is being made available through the Ironmongers’ Foundation with priority given to projects engaging young people between the ages of 12 and 18 from disadvantaged backgrounds with a preference for urban areas outside London and particularly areas in the north and midlands with a manufacturing presence. Grants are made to registered or exempt charities only. Applications will not be accepted from schools. Projects involving corporate partners must have charitable purposes and be for public benefit, not private gain.

The Foyle Foundation – Small Grants Scheme

Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000

Support for core costs or essential equipment, to enable ongoing service provision, homeworking, or delivery of online digital services. The grants are aimed at smaller, grassroots and local charities, with a turnover of less than £150,000 per annum, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Organisations which are currently delivering services to the young, vulnerable, elderly, disadvantaged or the general community, either directly or through online support.

Charles S French Charitable Trust 

Grants between £1,000 and £5,000

Grants are available for local charitable organisations carrying out projects and activities that benefit the residents of North East London and Essex.

The Span Trust

Grants of between £5,000 and £20,000.
Deadline: 29th January 2021

Grants are available to London-based charities for projects that alleviate poverty, disability, age or ill health, and that advance urban regeneration through the improvement of the built environment.

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation

Applications are now open for projects that improve the natural world, secure a fairer future, and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK. Esmee’s new strategy will focus on the following three interdependent aims: Improving our natural world; Tackling injustice to deliver a fairer future; Nurturing creative, confident communities. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 

January

Social Investment Business – Resilience and Recovery Loan Fund

Deadline: 31st  January 2021

The Resilience & Recovery Loan Fund (RRLF) is a £25 million fund for social enterprises and charities who are experiencing disruption to their normal business model as a result of COVID-19. It has been established to make an existing government scheme (Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme) more easily accessible to charities and social enterprises. This fund is only for social sector organisations: charities and social enterprises.

National Lottery Local Connections Fund 

Grant size: between £300 and £2,500
Opening 5^th January 2021, Deadline for round one 26^th January 2021

The Local Connections Fund is a new £4 million fund to help charities and community groups in England that are working to reduce loneliness by helping them build connections across their communities.

This will be used to fund hundreds of ‘microgrants’ between £300 and £2,500, so small, local organisations (with an annual income of £50,000 or less) can bring people and communities together.

The Span Trust 

Grant size: between £5,000 and £20,000
Deadline: 29th January 2021

Grants are available to London-based charities for projects that alleviate poverty, disability, age or ill health, and that advance urban regeneration through the improvement of the built environment. Grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 are available. The closing date for applications is 29^th January 2021.

February

March

Grants for Tree Planting (UK)

Grants of between £300 and £1,500
Deadline: There is no deadline for applications, but applicants must ensure that they can plan and execute their project, and claim the funding upon completion, by the end of March 2021

Schools and Community groups within the UK can apply for grants to get communities and young people involved in tree and hedge planting and care this winter. The funding is being made available through the Tree Council’s Branching Out Fund. Applications will be considered as they are received, and applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application within four weeks.

Funding for Projects that Address Severe Learning Disabilities (UK)

Grants of up to £10,000 – small grant; grant of over £10,000 – general grants programme
Deadline: 1st March 2021

Schools, voluntary organisations and charities can apply for grants to help both children and adults suffering severe learning difficulties. The funding is being made available through the Baily Thomas General grants programme and can be used to purchase equipment, support capital works as well as covering project and core costs such as staff costs, general running and office costs. Previous grants have been used to support capital works for residential, nursing and respite care, and schools; employment schemes including woodwork, crafts, printing and horticulture; play schemes and play therapy schemes; day and social activities centres including building costs and running costs; support for families, including respite schemes; independent living schemes; support in the community schemes; and Snoezelen rooms.

Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

Grant size: avarage grant is £50,000
Deadline: 22nd March 2021

JRCT is keen to support work that responds to the dual harms of the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racism. Specifically, they wish to encourage work that scrutinises the responses and policies of powerful institutions and actors, and which envisions and builds support for transformative social change based on justice, peace and sustainability.

April

Funding to Encourage Young People to Study Science Subjects (UK)

Grants of up to £10,000
Deadline: 1st April 2021

To support initiatives that encourage young people to study science subjects at school and go on to pursue STEM-related further education or vocational training, particularly in the area of Materials Science. The funding is being made available through the Ironmongers’ Foundation with priority given to projects engaging young people between the ages of 12 and 18 from disadvantaged backgrounds with a preference for urban areas outside London and particularly areas in the north and midlands with a manufacturing presence. Grants are made to registered or exempt charities only. Applications will not be accepted from schools. Projects involving corporate partners must have charitable purposes and be for public benefit, not private gain.

May

Funding for Projects that Support Disadvantaged Young People (UK)

Grants of over £10,000
Deadline: 4th May 2021

Schools, voluntary organisations and charities can apply for grants to help both children and adults suffering severe learnin

Grants available to not for profit organisations and special schools that work with young people who are experiencing disadvantage through illness, distress, abuse or neglect; any kind of disability; behavioural or psychological difficulties; and / or living in poverty or situations of deprivation. Special schools can also apply for funding, but the project must be additional to their statutory duties. The funding is being made available through the BBC Children in Need Main Grants programme. Prior to applying organisations and schools will need to register with BBC Children in Need. 

June

July

Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Comic Relief – Tech for Good Digital Development Fund

Grants of up to £70,000
Deadline: 31st July 2021

Grants to use technology to explore different approaches to delivering better services during the Covid-19 crisis. Over £1 million will be available to individual not for profit organisations or those working in partnership to define, test and develop user-centred digital solutions to create more impact for the people they work with. Applications that aim to adapt or re-purpose existing technology are also eligible for funding. The programme aims to fund a portfolio of digital projects at different stages of development and will support a range of digital interventions. The funding is being made available through the Tech for Good digital development fund ‘Build’ programme which is being supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Comic Relief.

Volant Trust – Covid-19 Response Fund

Deadline: 31st July 2021

The Trust is accepting applications from registered charities, community interest companies, community organisations or social enterprises in the UK and internationally that demonstrate a strong focus on alleviating social deprivation and helping vulnerable groups who have been particularly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Funding is available to support running and core costs as well as for medical equipment and the production or distribution of PPE will also be considered. There are no funding levels indicated at the award of grants will be at the discretion of the Trustees.

Spacehive 

Coming soon