Every month we share an email update listing funding opportunities and offers of free support. In March’s update we feature 16 funding opportunities open to London’s charitable sector
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Hear about the latest open funding opportunities and offers of free support for London’s charitable and social enterprise sector.
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The aim of the programme is to provide school children (up to Year 11) with improved access to summer holiday activity and food schemes.
The programme, delivered by The London Community Foundation, will support organisations who already provide food and holiday activities to increase access and reach. It will also support organisations that currently do not provide such activities but feel well-placed to deliver a summer food and activity scheme.
Grants of up to £10,000 are available to organisations with a total annual income of up to £500,000 in your previous financial year. This is a pan-London programme, prioritising organisations looking to:
Application deadline: 12 noon on Wednesday, 22 April 2026.
Online information sessions will take place on Tuesday 24 March and Thursday 26 March.
Learn more: Summer Holiday Activity and Food Programme
Unrestricted funding from The Fore opens later this month, offering grants of up to £45,000 (over one to three years).
This funding is designed to have a transformational impact on your whole organisation, supporting growth, structure, sustainability or efficiency.
This opportunity is available to registered charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs) limited by guarantee, charitable Community Benefit Societies (CBSs) and non-charitable CBSs with an asset lock. Your revenue must be under £500k.
Registration for this funding only takes a few minutes. If there are too many applicants, The Fore will run a random selection process before letting applicants know who has been invited to apply.
Their next funding window opens at midday on Wednesday, 25 March, and closes on Wednesday, 1 April 2026.
Learn more: The Fore
The Goldsmiths’ Foundation supports organisations that focus on vocational skills and training, working at the intersection of creativity and social change.
This funding aims to:
For this funding round, applications are invited from organisations whose primary work is craft. By this they mean an activity involving skill in making things by hand.
Grants can be between £30,000 and £50,000. Two types of grants are available:
Applications are open until 10am on Monday, 11 May 2026.
Learn more: Goldsmiths’ Foundation
Lead the Change is a new £3.4 million, three-year initiative that will support young people to play a leading role in strengthening relationships, fostering understanding and building belonging in their communities.
The funding is being by launched by BBC Children in Need with other partners, and coordinated by UK Community Foundations. Funding will be delivered across 27 target localities by community foundations.
Lead the Change will invest directly in youth leadership, community connection and opportunity. Grants of £123,353 per organisation will be available, over three years.
The programme aims to:
Expressions of interest open on Wednesday, 1 April 2026 with a three-week submission window.
Learn more: Lead the Change
Grants from £15,000 to £500,000 will be available from the Nuffield Foundation to support research on racial diversity within the UK.
Grants are typically for six months to three years. Funded research will be expected to:
The priority theme for the Racial Diversity UK Fund autumn 2026 application round will be announced in early summer. Partnership applications which bring together researchers and racially minoritised communities to explore challenges and develop solutions are encouraged.
Outline application deadline: October 2026
Learn more: Racial Diversity UK Fund
Grants of up to £500,000, over six months to three years, to support research projects that address one or more of the Foundation’s five interconnected priorities and aim to improve lives in the UK.
The Foundation’s priorities are:
There are two application deadlines a year for this fund: one in spring and one in autumn.
Next outline application deadline: 11:59pm on Monday, 13 April 2026.
Learn more: Research, Development and Analysis Fund
The Hedley Foundation can offer grants of up to £5,000. Occasional larger sums are given to charities where high impact can be achieved.
Small charities can also benefit from smaller grants of £250 upwards.
The Foundation seeks to help and improve the quality of life of people in the UK, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is achieved by making grants to charities for the benefit of young people, disabled people, elderly people, the terminally ill, the homeless, ex-offenders, and otherwise disadvantaged people and their carers.
Applicants should be from a charity with an annual income below £1m. Community Interest Companies cannot apply. Grants cannot cover core salaries, building construction, general running costs, or transport.
The Foundation’s trustees meet regularly to discuss applications and to make decisions on grants.
Learn more: The Hedley Foundation
The BRIT Trust welcomes applications for grant funding consistent with its mission of ‘improving lives through the power of music and the creative arts’.
Applicants need to be registered charities, with music-focused activities aimed at people aged 16 and over. Grant size isn’t given.
Next application deadline: Thursday, 30 April 2026.
Learn more: BRIT Trust Grants
Applications are open to Trading for Good: Community Business — a programme of learning and funding to help you generate more income for your community business.
Over twelve months, gain invaluable skills in generating traded income whilst increasing resilience, and business sustainability. Benefit from a £4,000 Match Trading™ grant, expert-led learning, and a powerful peer support network.
The programme runs from October 2026 – October 2027 and applications close on Wednesday, 29 April 2026.
Learn more: Trading for Good: Community Business
As part of the Quaker tradition, the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is committed to the creation of a world that guarantees equal treatment for all people.
The Trust is interested in supporting long-term work to achieve this aim, both incremental reform to effect policy and legislative change, and more transformational approaches to change the public debate.
Their policy is outlined in the following three strands, which they recognise can overlap.
For their current funding round, alongside these existing stated priority areas, they are also keen to support charitable work that advances trans+ justice, recognising the limited funding currently available for this vital area.
Next application deadline: Wednesday, 2 September 2026.
Learn more: Rights and Justice
Large grants for up to three years from The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.
Applicants must be voluntary, community, and faith sector (VCFS) organisations, with a maximum annual income of £5m that have been delivering support for at least three years to individuals at risk of, or currently experiencing, homelessness and rough sleeping. Partnership applications are welcome.
The ministry is seeking proposals to:
Eligible organisations can apply for up to three years of revenue funding and one year of capital funding. Organisations can apply for between £50,000 and £200,000 per annum in revenue funding for any or all of the programme years.
Organisations can also apply for between £50,000 and £200,000 in capital funding, which can be requested for either Year One or Year Two.
You can apply for both revenue and capital funding in your application.
Deadline for applications: Midday Tuesday 31 March 2026
Learn more: Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund
Funding from the Co-op and the Co-op Foundation to support organisations across the UK that are changing perceptions of green skills and careers among young people aged 14–20.
Applicants can apply for between £50,000 and £100,000 for their project, which can last up to three years. Partnership applications are welcome.
Funded work could include:
Eligible organisations include charities, CICs, co-operatives, and community benefit societies.
Stage one applications close on Friday, 17 April 2026.
Learn more: Green Opportunities Fund
Impetus are open for expressions of interest from organisations working to improve attainment outcomes for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds through teacher CPD (continuing professional development) and/or school leadership development.
They are looking to fund a single organisation that will receive a unique package of support, including:
Applicants should be UK-registered non-profits that work in mainstream education in England, have a minimum turnover of £500k and at least 10 full-time staff. They should be able to reach at least 200 teachers or 50 school leaders annually, with a focus on improving attainment for young people eligible for Free School Meals or Pupil Premium.
Expressions of Interest should be submitted by midnight on Sunday, 29 March 2026.
Learn more: School attainment grant
Groundwork is working with Rowntree’s for a third year to deliver the Free the Fund Community Grant Programme. This exciting initiative supports adult wellbeing by mobilising community action to create better places, improve prospects and bring about positive change.
This year, four community projects in the UK and Ireland will receive funding of up to £10,000 to host fun, summer activities in the local community for people aged between 21 – 65 years old. This can include transforming an outdoor space or community garden, running a summer art festival or purchasing sports, arts, theatre or music equipment.
Application deadline: 5pm on Tuesday, 31 March 2026
To find out more and apply, visit us here: Free the Fund Community Grants
Grants up to £10,000 over two years and a one-off £500 for safeguarding workers.
The 7 stars Foundation awards grants to charities working to address key societal issues affecting young people, aged 18 years old or younger. Only one grant per year is offered in respect of the Foundation’s focus areas. The current focus is on LGBTQ+ Inclusion & Support.
Funding is intended to support both direct solutions and approaches that address the wider societal challenges linked to each focus area. Your application may focus on either aspect or incorporate both.
Application deadline: Sunday, 12 April 2026
Learn more: 7 stars Foundation
The Fat Beehive Foundation awards small grants of up to £2,500 to help charities improve their digital presence.
Funding can be used for a wide range of digital projects. Examples include building a new website, developing online resources, or improving digital accessibility. Applicant charities must have an annual turnover of under £1m.
The Foundation’s trustees are particularly keen to support traditionally hard-to-fund organisations, such as those supporting prisoners, refugees, or disadvantaged youth.
Next application deadline: Tuesday, 31 March 2006
Learn more: Fat Beehive Foundation
Learn to recognise, prevent, and respond to hate crime, supporting Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and promoting victim-centred practice.
Voice4Change England, in partnership with Protection Approaches, is delivering a London-wide Hate Crime Awareness and Prevention Campaign to strengthen the capacity and confidence of BME community organisations.
This pilot project, funded by Protection Approaches with support from the City Bridge Foundation, aims to help communities recognise, prevent, and respond to hate crime while promoting victim-centred practice.
Join this free online session on Wednesday, 22 April 2026 to:
Through collaborative learning and awareness-raising, this session equips participants to act as confident first responders, advocate for inclusive policies, and support communities affected by hate, helping to create safer, more resilient, and better-supported communities across London.
Learn more: Hate Crime Awareness and Prevention Webinar
This free webinar from the School for Social Entrepreneurs will explore practical ways for community businesses to grow income from trading: choose a trading model, learn from real examples and plan a low-risk pilot.
The session will examine community business trading models and a range of traded income streams – from products and services to memberships, events, space hire and partnerships. You’ll learn from real examples and what they have in common, like building on existing skills, facilities and local connections.
Time: 10–10.30am on Wednesday, 8 April 2026
Register for free here: Developing community business income streams
Do you want to attract more passionate, skilled volunteers to support your charity?
Led by Media Trust’s volunteering team, this free, interactive and online workshop will share insights on how to design and develop compelling and targeted volunteer opportunities that stand out and attract the right people.
Perfect for charity teams looking for expert volunteer support on communications, campaigns and digital projects!
Date: 2–3pm on Monday 20 April 2026.
Learn more: How to write volunteer opportunities that inspire action
Cook for Change is a free, seven-month programme aiming to support social entrepreneurs to create and develop sustainable social enterprises.
The programme is aimed at founders or directors of community food organisations, who are supporting people with the cost of living crisis and are looking to develop trading-based income streams to diversify their funding.
There are 20 places available for this year’s programme, which starts in June and runs until December.
Application deadline: Monday, 30 March 2026.
Learn more: Cook for Change
Running across three live, interactive Zoom sessions, with coursework in between, this free, hands-on programme from Cast helps charities and social impact organisations explore and develop new digital ideas.
Sessions take place at 10:30am-12:00pm on Wednesdays (22 and 29 April, and 10 June 2026).
No digital experience is required: the course takes you through essential steps to think differently about the challenges that your service users, volunteers or colleagues might be facing, and to start small but impactful digital projects.
Bring along a real-life challenge, and Cast will guide you through the skills and processes you’ll need to come up with a simple solution.
Application deadline: not given. Spaces are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with a third held for organisations supporting marginalised communities
Learn more: Design Hops
The Rhizome Fellowship by Culture Hack Labs is a fully-funded nine-month journey for narrative practitioners, storytellers, journalists, and activists working to shift cultural narratives and help seed regenerative futures.
This fellowship is for:
Fellows must apply as a collective or organisation with at least two participants. The fellowship should support and be integrated into your existing work or activism.
Free intro sessions: Thursday 26 March and Thursday 2 April 2026
Application deadline: Thursday, 16 April 2026
Learn more: Rhizome: Pathways for Regenerative Futures
Superhighways have pulled together a set of charity-friendly tools to help organisations make sense of the new Indices of Deprivation 2025 data.
The collection includes four key resources that make it easier to understand local need, compare neighbourhoods and map your own postcode data against the latest dataset.
Access the tools here: Resources for Indices of Deprivation data 2025
For a deeper look at what’s changed in the 2025 release and how to get started with the tools they featured, read their round up blog and watch the event recording: Exploring the 2025 Indices of Deprivation data for London round-up
Pathways Academy is an award-winning training programme created in 2020 to give disabled people in London the confidence, skills and support needed to kick start a career in inclusive design and access.
Disabled people face a number of complex barriers to employment. The Pathways Academy is a nine-month, part-time course to help trainees overcome those barriers by giving the technical knowledge they need to develop a career in inclusive design. Trainees receive 22 days of training over nine months.
Trainees also develop the all-important communications skills to help them use their new technical knowledge, through topics like presentation and training skills and how to write reports.
The programme is delivered by CAE — Centre for Accessible Environment and supported by City Bridge Foundation. Since the programme’s start over 70% of trainees are working in inclusion and access related roles.
Next application deadline: Sunday, 28 June 2026.
Learn more: Pathways Academy 2026
