Latest Funding Opportunities

Community Radio Fund 2025-26 
This fund supports the sustainability and growth of Ofcom-licensed community radio stations, including:

• Management of station
• Fundraising to support the station (eg, grants, commercial funding)
• Administration
• Financial management and reporting
• Community outreach, Volunteer organisation and support.

Grants can only be made to Ofcom-licensed community radio stations in the UK, broadcasting on AM, FM, or via a Community Digital Sound Programme licence on a digital radio multiplex.
Deadline 5pm, 5 October. Details here.

Deadline 12pm, 6 October. Details here.

The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust

Focuses on providing funding to larger initiatives, which would have a significant impact on the rural community. The Trustees are particularly interested in initiatives in the areas of education of young people in rural areas and relief of poverty within rural areas.’

Deadline 10 October. Details here.

Langford and Biggleswade Windfarm Community Fund

A fund of £24,000 per annum, to be distributed as small grants to groups for delivering projects in the parishes of Langford and Biggleswade for the benefit of the residents in those parishes.  

Projects must contribute to one or more of the following criteria:

• The use of Renewable Energy
• Energy conservation
• Environmental education
• Initiatives to promote greening of communities within the 'parishes'
• The application of energy efficiency measures
• Community engagement and development
• Initiatives to encourage sustainable communities

Next deadline 21 October. Details here.

Million Hours Fund

Funding (£30,000 to £100,000) for organisations to give extra support to young people in areas with higher rates of anti-social behaviour. 'We’ll fund extra hours of youth work to give these young people more places to go and positive things to do.' The work you want us to fund must take place in, or benefit young people living in, one of the eligible ward areas – please check before applying:

• Bedford Borough - Cauldwell, Greyfriars, Harpur, Kingsbrook.
• Central Bedfordshire - Cranfield & Marston Moretaine, Houghton Regis West, Leighton-Linslade South, Sandy.
• Luton - Beech Hill, Central, Farley, High Town, South.

Deadline is midday, Wednesday  - If more organisations apply than we expect we may have to stop accepting applications before our deadline. So you should apply as soon as you are ready, instead of waiting until the deadline.

Closes 22 October. Details here.

Linnean Society - Our Local Nature Grant

This grant is designed to provide young people with an opportunity to take the lead on projects that involve their local nature and natural spaces, to aid young people in realising their influence to affect positive change, to have their voices heard, and see their ideas come to life. The maximum award is £1,000 per proposal. We welcome and encourage applications for significantly lower amounts - in the last two years we have funded a wide spread of projects ranging from £150 to £1,000. This grant is purposefully broad and welcomes novel ideas. Some examples of possible proposals could be: running a school festival about nature; painting community murals showcasing biodiversity in the area; building a community garden; creating a nature walk; hiring a speaker to come and talk about local foraging.

Deadline 25 October. Details here.

The Luton Citizens’ Fund 

This fund will provide grants of up to £3,500 to not-for-profit groups who deliver projects or services in Luton. The fund is administered by the Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation on behalf of Luton Council. The main objectives for this fund are:

• A town built on fairness and social justice
• Community safety and cohesion
• Improving health inequalities
• Employment and skills
• Increasing physical activity and active lifestyle

The Luton Citizens’ Fund follows the principles of Participatory Budgeting – a model which asks residents to decide which community organisations should receive funding for the benefit of their community. Therefore applicants will need to commit to attending a local decision day on Saturday 21 February 2026.

Deadline 12pm, 27 October. Details here.

The Tree Council - Branching Out

Small grants fund to support a new season of community tree planting. Grants of between £250 and £2,500 are available per application. Branching Out is designed for community groups, schools, not-for-profits, residents associations, Tree Warden Networks, charities and many more.

Deadline Midnight, 14 November. Details here

Common Ground Award

The UK government’s Common Ground Award aims to recognise good practice across England, in promoting social cohesion, by directly investing in organisations making a positive impact. Organisations will be assessed based on how their objectives and activities seek to build bridging social capital – this describes work that builds social connection across and between different communities.
The Award ‘will invest capital funding into VCSE sector organisations that are bringing people together from different backgrounds, supporting the cost of constructing or renovating facilities, or the purchasing of equipment to deliver services. The grant is open to applications from VCSE organisations with a base and operating in England, with charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes.'
Funding available: Up to £1.7 million capital funding within the 2025/2026 financial year, distributed in payments of up to £10,000 per successful applicant. Applicants will be able to set out how capital investment could be scaled up beyond £10,000, which may be considered in exceptional cases - where there is a clearly demonstrated need, supported by a strong application.

Applications open 13 October. Deadline 21 November. Details here.

The Police and Crime Commissioner Grassroots Innovation Fund

The PCC is inviting community groups and small charities to submit proposals up to £5,000 on local community projects. The initiative is part of the PCC’s wider funding, grants and commissioning strategy, and for the first time, we are providing opportunities for community groups and charities to come forward with your ideas.
Details here.