Who can apply for funding
The National Lottery Community Fund gives out funding across the whole of the United Kingdom, including all four nations: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
To apply and be considered, you need to be a constituted group or organisation. This means you need to have a written constitution (or governing document) which sets out rules on how your organisation is run – this is known as being ‘constituted’.
What types of organisations can apply
We can usually accept applications from:
- constituted voluntary or community organisations
- constituted groups or clubs
- registered charities
- not-for-profit companies or Community Interest Companies (CIC)
- statutory bodies (including town, parish and community councils)
These might be different depending on which of our funding programmes you apply to.
Types of organisations in different regions
We also accept applications from different types of organisations in different regions throughout the UK. Some examples include:
- Voluntary, Community or Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations in England
- Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO) in England and Wales
- Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations (SCIO) in Scotland
- Parish councils in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
Religious Institutions and Schools
We fund projects that bring people together, improve local spaces, or provide support to residents – regardless of their background or beliefs.
We will accept applications from religious organisations and schools if the proposed project:
- benefits the wider community, not the congregation of your religion or the pupils, staff or parents at your school
- does not contain any religious content
Examples of projects that would meet this rule:
- a community garden created by a faith-based school that local residents can use and help maintain – not just pupils and parents
- a faith centre running a free weekly lunch club that’s open to anyone in the community
- a place of worship hosting a blood donation drive
Make sure to be clear about who in your community will benefit from your project in your application.
Who can’t we accept applications from
We usually can’t accept applications from:
- individuals
- sole traders
- companies limited by shares
- organisations outside the UK
- one organisation applying on behalf of another
But this might be different depending on which of our programmes you apply to.