All programmes

We’re marking The National Lottery’s 25th birthday by bringing people together. We’re offering people and communities with great ideas the chance to receive a grant between £100 and £1,000.

The #iwill Fund will enable more young people to take part in social action through high quality opportunities which create lifelong habits.

2014 Communities offers grants of between £300 and £2,000 to encourage more people to take part in physical activity.

We want network or support organisations to improve access to the help they provide to small, underrepresented community groups in Northern Ireland.

Encouraging creative approaches to increase physical activity and sports participation

Active Futures will fund anything that gets young people active

Funding to provide activities that are stimulating, challenging and enjoyable

Improving the quality of life of older people by providing access to befriending or advocacy services

Funding to provide legal advice and support to those most in need

Government funding for free advice services for people in England

Helping the not-for-profit advice sector

The UK Portfolio explores new and innovative approaches, and develops and tests new ways of building a stronger civil society.

Digital skills for people and communities most in need

Funding support for voluntary and community organisations to help them become more effective

£8 million investment in Scotland to support people affected by domestic abuse and survivors of domestic abuse

Supporting organisations to redesign the way they work

Developing new rehabilitation projects for people affected by drug misuse

Supporting new projects that test new ways of tackling emerging and existing social problems

Helping people make their communities better places to live in, now and in the future

Channelling investments from dormant accounts

This programme is now closed. It offered smaller grants available to people in Blaenau Gwent with a good idea, for people who have not had a grant from us before and who want to do something for their community in Blaenau Gwent.

Building the emotional resilience of young parents and young disabled people so that they can manage key transitions in their lives

This funding is for projects that build stronger connections across communities. We're looking for ideas that strengthen these connections by exploring and developing the conditions needed to build better and longer-lasting ways of bringing people together.

The Building Better Opportunities Programme is now closed. The Programme was funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, with matched funding from the European Social Fund for projects across England that tackled poverty and promoted social inclusion.

A £10 million investment helping to develop and shape Northern Ireland’s community and voluntary sector

A new £15m Trust working with disadvantaged communities in Wales

Following the Prime Minister's wider endorsement of the Jo Cox Commission recommendations on Loneliness in January 2018, the £11.5 million Building Connections Fund has been set up to support projects that are able to prevent or reduce loneliness.

Paving the way for the creation of new childcare places by investing in much needed buildings

Funding to develop quality facilities for pre-school day care

Funding for projects that assist and support people living with cancer

Funding for projects that assist and support people living with cancer

Funding for projects that assist and support people living with cancer

Funding to help hospitals improve their cancer treatment facilities

Celebrating 2014 Commonwealth Games through arts, sports and community celebrations

Changing Futures is helping the public sector and local communities work together in new ways, to change people’s lives for the better.

£200 million of investment in environmental projects across England to improve communities and lives

BIG’s Children’s Play Initiative

If you're unsuccessful with our funding, or the Climate Action Fund is not right for you, you may want to consider other funders.

Contact individual organisations for what opportunities they currently have, their eligibility criteria and whether or not they accept unsolicited applications.

This funding aims to help communities across the UK to address climate change. We’re looking for projects that focus on community-driven energy projects that can deliver benefits to climate, environment and society. Strengthening the health and wellbeing of people and communities across the UK.

This funding aims to help communities across the UK to address climate change. We’re looking for projects that focus on the link between nature and climate. We want to fund projects that use nature to encourage more community-led climate action.

With this funding we want to involve more people in climate action. And we want to inspire bold and exciting change.

The Climate Action Fund is a ten-year £100 million fund supporting communities across the UK to take action on climate change.

The Climate Action Fund is supporting communities across the UK to take action on climate change.

The National Lottery Community Fund working with the Cabinet Office to support the development of more innovative approaches to improving social outcomes

Supporting projects that help families and communities give children the best start in life

Supporting communities in England to live and work in a more sustainable way

Enabling communities to have more control and influence over their future development

Grants from £10,000 to £1 million to create strong and resilient communities through assets.

Funding to support community-led activity and wellbeing.

Community Spaces Scotland supports communities to become more involved in and to take responsibility for communal spaces and places

Community Voice

Let communities explore and celebrate their local wildlife

Grants from £20,001 to £75,000 to help support individuals, families and communities currently experiencing hardship as a result of the cost-of-living increases.

Awarding emergency funding to charities in Northern Ireland

To help us distribute funding quickly and efficiently, some of our COVID-19 response funding is being awarded through a carefully selected range of specialist partners.

Supporting organisations working in partnership to continue delivering services to people and communities affected by COVID-19

Supporting organisations working in partnership to continue delivering services to people and communities affected by COVID-19

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

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

Create Your Space enables communities to improve their local natural environment. We want communities to decide how to conserve and / or improve their local natural environment in a way that makes a real difference for them and meets the needs of future generations.

A small grants programme bringing people together to enjoy a range of arts and culture activities

We’re matching funds from the European Social Fund, one of the European Structural Fund's programmes, for services across Scotland to tackle poverty and promote social inclusion.

The first round of Digital Fund funding has now closed. Under Strands 1 and 2, we awarded £12.1m to 29 organisations and £500,000 for a support contract to work with them. There is £2.4m remaining of the £15m allocated to the Digital Fund, as announced in 2018. We are currently doing some discovery work to determine the needs of micro organisations across the UK, and whether these needs are primarily digital. We will use this work to inform how we support these groups in 2020. Alongside this, we are scoping how the remaining funds can have the most impact and we hope to launch a small number of small, strategic funds in 2020. For regular updates on the Digital Fund, please follow the team’s Medium blog.

Providing funding to make learning materials available, free of charge, on the Internet

Dormant Accounts Fund NI supports the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in Northern Ireland to be more resilient and prepared for the future by funding activity that increases capacity and sustainability.

The Early Action Neighbourhood Fund (EANF) was a pilot joint funding initiative between Comic Relief, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund, The Legal Education Foundation, and Barrow Cadbury Trust.

Helping to make the shift towards effective early action in Scotland

International funding

A larger amount of funding (between £20,001 and £500,000) for projects that work with young people (between the ages of 8 and 25) to face and overcome challenges.

Improving energy efficiency in community venues across Northern Ireland

Reducing the inequalities in provision of and access to cancer services in England

Parts of the UK missed out on Lottery funding. Fair Share has been helping to change that

Helping parents understand how their children learn and encouraging families to learn together

Promoting the consumption of fruit and vegetables in England

Supporting capital projects for schools and the community

Supporting the psychological wellbeing and successful and sustainable transition of veterans and their families into civilian life.

Encouraging young people aged 16–18 years into work placements to enhance their employability

The National Lottery Community Fund has teamed up with the North Wales Chronicle and the North Wales Pioneer to award up to £25,000 worth of grants to community groups

Great Ideas is designed to support great ideas that don’t necessarily involve people at every stage but if implemented would contribute to putting people in the lead.

Our Growing Great Ideas programme has a focus on supporting transformational and long-term change.

Promoting healthy active lifestyles among children and families.

Promoting healthy active lifestyles among children under 12.

Promoting good health

Boosting mental health in Northern Ireland

Help Through Crisis is a £33 million programme supporting 69 partnerships across England which help people who are experiencing or at risk of hardship crisis to overcome the difficulties they are facing to plan for their futures.

Grants of up to £1.5 million to redesign and improve services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in rural Wales.

Helping Working Families funds projects that improve the lives of working families who are in poverty.

Providing Lottery funding to help World War II veterans take part in commemorative visits

Investing £10 million in Northern Ireland to address the harm caused by alcohol misuse

Helping people become more confident in and more aware of how to take control of their finances

Every child deserves the best start in life

Grants from £20,001 to £200,000 to help people facing challenging circumstances

The National Lottery Community Fund is to invest £4.74 million in a programme that aims to improve the life chances of looked after children in Wales.

Helping disadvantaged communities around the world

Helping disadvantaged communities around the world

Supporting communities to take more control and influence over their own future through ownership of assets

Supporting people at key times of change, helping them make their lives better for the future

Funding projects that build stronger families and stronger communities

£500 to £10,000 for organisations to think about, develop and test new ideas or make improvements that will benefit those most in need

A new £15 million investment in Scotland to help disadvantaged urban communities most affected by serious disadvantage to become stronger through their own efforts

Extending the positive impact of the London 2012 Games

Supporting organisations set up or run by people with first-hand experience of a social issue, who are trying to create positive change for communities and people who share those experiences.

This programme is now closed.

Leaders with Lived Experience is a pilot programme providing National Lottery grants of between £20,000 and £50,000 to support lived experience leadership. A lived experience leader is someone who uses their first-hand experience of a social issue to create positive change for, and with, communities and people they share those experiences with. At this stage we expect to award between 15-20 grants.

Delivering services that will support targeted groups of economically inactive people

Supporting large-scale capital projects through two distinct funding streams

This programme offers small scale capital grants of between £1,000 and £10,000. This is to support communities by creating more sustainable and resilient outdoor spaces through environmental projects focusing on greening, rewilding or water management.

The Local Connections Fund is a new £4 million fund to help charities and community groups working to reduce loneliness

This is Round 2 of The Local Connections Fund, a £4 million investment to help charities and community groups in England that are working to reduce loneliness.

A programme for groups who want to run events or activities to celebrate the Mayor’s Community Weekend in London.

A programme for groups who want to run events or activities to celebrate the Mayor’s Community Weekend in the West Midlands

Promoting the rehabilitation and independence of people with serious mental health problems

Aimming to make the parks, waterways, coastal environments and countryside of Wales accessible

Five inspirational projects to benefit UK communities

This funding is for extra hours of youth work for additional activities to give young people more places to go and positive things to do.

£10 million to put young people in the lead so that they can imagine and create a more resilient and mentally healthy future for young people in Wales.

A multimillion programme across England to deliver world class youth centres

A quick way to apply for smaller amounts of funding between £300 and £20,000.

A quick way to apply for smaller amounts of funding between £300 and £20,000.

A quick way to apply for smaller amounts of funding between £300 and £20,000.

A quick way to apply for smaller amounts of funding between £300 and £20,000.

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

Supporting organisations working in partnership to continue delivering services to people and communities affected by COVID-19

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

If none of the current The National Lottery Community Fund programmes are suitable for your project, one of the other Lottery funders may be able to help.

Helping communities in Scotland come together to find and develop ways in which they can make a difference.

Providing palliative care and support for children and adults with cancer

Funding is available for improving the quality of the environments in which Palliative Care is delivered and organised. This is a capital programme and awards have been made to organisations that have a demonstrable experience in providing palliative care in hospitals and hospices.

Grants for projects that regenerate historic public parks and cemeteries

Offers a larger amount of funding (over £20,001) for organisations that work together with a shared set of goals to help their community thrive – whether that’s a community living in the same area, or people with similar interests or life experiences.

A larger amount of funding (between £20,001 and £500,000) for projects working with your community – whether that’s a community living in the same area, or people with similar interests or life experiences.

Funding capital and revenue community projects from £10,001 to £500,000

Funding capital and revenue community projects from £100,001 to £500,000.

Funding capital and revenue community projects from £20,001 to £100,000.

Place Based Social Action (PBSA) is a joint £4.5m programme between the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and The National Lottery Community Fund (the Fund)

IKEA UK and The National Lottery Community Fund have come together to support thriving, resilient and sustainable communities across the UK. Places Called Home is a new £1.5 million fund which aims to inspire and enable communities to invest in their local community as an extension of their home.

Providing a broad range of activities to help divert young people from taking part in criminal activity

Power to Change is an independent charitable trust, established in 2015 with a £150 million endowment from The National Lottery Community Fund.

Funding land and buildings projects that help people and communities most in need

Offers a larger amount of funding (over £20,001) for projects that last up to five years. We’re looking for projects that work with their community – whether that’s a community living in the same area, or people with similar interests or life experiences.

Supporting Northern Ireland families to improve their children's lives

Helping young people avoid pathways into offending

Funding for organisations to help rebuild communities in Nepal following the devastating earthquake in April 2015.

The Rural Programme (round two) funded projects that create positive change for those living in poverty in rural Wales.

The Safeguarding Training Fund is a jointly funded programme developed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and The National Lottery Community Fund (The Fund). It will provide £1.14M of funding over two phases until March 2022 to improve access to safeguarding/safe culture support materials.

Supporting urban and rural communities to become more resilient and sustainable through the ownership and management of land and land assets.

Supporting rural communities to acquire, manage and develop rural land.

£15 million to bring communities in Northern Ireland together, by making better use of local spaces and places

Grants of between £10,000 and £350,000 to improve local support for people experiencing hardship.

Supporting Great Ideas awards grants to support innovative and strategically important project ideas that encourage positive social change in Wales.

This funding is to help organisations be more environmentally sustainable. It's capital funding (up to £50,000) to improve the energy efficiency of community buildings.

Grants from £10,001 to £350,000 that address climate change in communities and help people live in a more sustainable way

We want to help community groups in Wales who are starting to take action on climate change and want to live in a more sustainable way. Our grants will help groups who are receiving support from Sustainable Steps Wales - Egin Mentoring Service to kick start their ideas.

This programme is now closed to new applications.

Applications are being assessed.

This programme aims to help young people (aged between 16 and 30) in Wales into green careers. By green careers, we mean careers that reduce carbon emissions, restore nature and help us adapt to our changing climate.

Examples of green careers could be anything from an administrative assistant for an environmental consultant, to a cook at a zero waste café, or a trainee engineer for a renewable energy company.

We’re funding projects that help young people:

• develop their confidence
• teach them new skills – this could include social and technical skills
• get work experience and placements which could lead to longer-term opportunities.

We want to fund projects that focus on supporting young people with disabilities and/or young people from ethnically minoritised communities. Our aim is to encourage diversity in green careers by giving a helping hand to these underrepresented groups.

To get funding, you must want to work in a partnership. We can help you connect with other interested organisations.

This programme is now closed to new applications. This page provides a summary of the funding.

This funding aims to help communities contribute to a prosperous, low carbon future for Wales.​

The Development Trust Association Wales (DTA Wales) received £2.2 million. They provide mentoring support to community groups across Wales to deliver climate action.​ For more information about the funded project visit the DTA Wales website.

Funding for organisations that support people and communities under severe pressure because of the increased cost of living. This funding comes from the UK Government.

Finding out how to help communities move towards recovery and renewal after the impact of COVID-19

This programme offers up to £3 million of grant funding (over three years) to empower voluntary and community sector organisations to work together with the local health and care sector to boost the health and wellbeing of their communities.

Strengthening and renewing infrastructure to be fit for the future

Projects to improve local facilities or help people get more out of their area

This programme is closed to new applications

We’re back with The National Lottery, ITV, UTV and, for the first time this year, the Sunday Mail. We’re giving community organisations the chance to apply for funding of up to £70,000.

After a national campaign the winners will be decided by public vote. The idea is to give Lottery players and the public a say in how National Lottery money is spent.

We’re looking for projects that:

• bring people together and build strong relationships in and across communities
• make communities stronger and more inclusive
• help people or communities develop the skills and capacity they need to achieve their ambitions
• involve the people you support in the design, development and delivery of your project
• support people to create meaningful change in their local community or help it thrive
• help people and communities connect by engaging with nature
• build connections across different cultures, different communities, or both.

We’re looking for imaginative ideas from organisations that have already done good work in their local community. We’ll prioritise smaller organisations with annual turnovers of under £500,000.

We’ll award grants of up to £70,000 to 57 winners across the UK. We will offer up to 38 runner-up organisations awards of as much as £10,000.

This is an exciting opportunity, but it will take time and commitment over several months to get your project the votes you need to win. Before deciding to apply, consider if you’re happy running a public campaign that could bring lots of publicity to your project. We’ll provide free support and training to help you do this.

Watch British Sign Language interpretation of our introduction to The People’s Projects with English voice over and subtitles (YouTube):

The Platinum Jubilee celebrates 70 years of The Queen’s reign and to mark this occasion, The National Lottery Community Fund will fund 70 projects across the UK.

A small grants programme with a big impact

Pioneering ways to help vulnerable older people deal more effectively with life-changing events

We’re looking to fund organisations that want to do more to help communities come together and help make us a better-connected society.

Promoting sustainable economic growth and jobs in coastal communities

Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the events that led to the end of the Second World War

Third Sector Early Intervention Fund

We’re offering funding from £1,000 to £10,000 to support communities across the UK to take action on climate change. The UK Government is using Together for Our Planet to engage people with COP26 and inspire positive climate action.

Funding partnerships of local infrastructure organisations to support front line civil society organisations

Supporting community recycling, reuse and composting projects

Supporting community recycling, reuse and composting projects

Supporting community recycling, reuse and composting projects

Supporting community recycling, reuse and composting projects

Enhancing the quality of life of communities in Northern Ireland

Enhancing the quality of life of communities in Scotland

Enhancing the quality of life of communities in Wales

Making funding available to help Civil Society Organisations (CSO) to adapt to, and manage, the transition to a different funding environment

Your future business partner could be right next door

Supporting the development of healthier lifestyles and to improve well-being

The Women and Girls Initiative supports 62 projects across England, which helps and empowers women and girls facing a wide range of issues such as violence, abuse, exploitation, and multiple and complex needs. This National Lottery funded initiative also aims to provide quality evidence that shows what works to empower women and girls.

Supporting projects across England where young people lead from start to finish

Supporting projects in Wales that will achieve at least two of the aims of the Young People's Fund.

Supporting projects, that target resources at those young people at greatest risk of exclusion or offending

Funding young people's ideas for projects that made a difference in their community

Awarding grants to national charities for youth-led projects that will make a significant difference to young people

Supporting projects in Wales that will achieve at least two of the aims of the Young People’s Fund

Grant programme to help young people aged 11-25 learn new things