Grants of up to £5,000 are available for grassroots, community-led organisations in England that drive change in their local communities, drawing on the lived experience of beneficiaries they support.

This year’s programme will support groups whose work addresses the following thematic areas:

• Basic Needs – projects tackling homelessness, food and other essential goods, community hubs, welfare advice agencies and other cost of living-related issues
• Early Childhood Development – supporting children up to the age of eight to grow, play and learn in safe environments with people who love and care for them
• Safety – preventing violence against women and girls, forced migration or refugees/asylum seekers.

The programme offers flexible funding which aims to suit the individual needs of the organisation. This includes:

• Funding to cover project or core organisation costs – this could be staff wages, rent, office energy bills or training, but must be delivered and spent within the grant period.
• Hiring venues to run activities, paying co-ordinators to manage volunteer-led services, paying staff to lead activities or training sessions, employing outreach support workers, improving facilities to reach new groups.

Projects must be completed by 30 September 2027.

There is a total of around £600,000, and it is anticipated that around 120 grants will be awarded.

This will be the only funding round for 2026/2027, and it anticipated that it will be highly competitive.

The deadline for applications is 30 September 2026.