Awards from the UK Portfolio

Manchester Cares

The UK Portfolio explores new and innovative approaches, and develops and tests new ways of building a stronger civil society. Our funding supports projects and ideas of UK-wide impact and significance that focus on transformational change.

We experiment with how to do things differently and share learning and insights to continually improve our grantmaking practice with the Fund, the wider sector and beyond.

Current funding:

We're continuing to listen to the needs of communities across the UK and develop other funding opportunities that explore new approaches and test new ideas. Check our Twitter feed for updates. You can also email us at UKPortfolioTeam@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.

Area
UK-wide
Funding size
Over £500,000
Application deadline

Ongoing

Current funding

The UK Portfolio offers a range of funding programmes.

Climate Action Fund - new funding

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

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

From Wednesday 27 March 2024 you can apply for funding from the Climate Action Fund to help do this.

We’ll fund projects that reach more people by either:

  • linking climate action to the everyday lives and interests of local communities. And inspiring them to take action.
  • influencing communities at a regional or national level. Like linking up groups across locations. Or a campaign that inspires change across one country, or the whole UK.

You should be in a partnership with

  • a mix of organisations and sectors
  • smaller groups that represent the people you’re working with.

You do not have to be a climate or environment-focused organisation to apply

We want to reach people who are new to climate action by funding other types of organisations too. And by using people's everyday activities and interests as a starting point for climate action.

For example, your project might:

  • involve people who have not had a say. For example because they are new to climate action. Or because they come from communities that experience poverty, disadvantage and discrimination
  • introduce a climate perspective to a group who came together around another interest or activity
  • test the best ways to engage different audiences in climate action
  • spread an exciting local approach to climate action by sharing it nationally.

The minimum you can ask for is £500,000. We expect to fund most projects for between £1 million and £1.5 million over 3 to 5 years. We may fund some exceptional projects up to £3 million, and for up to 7 years. We aim to fund up to 25 projects.

For more information, you can attend one of our webinars:

The UK Fund

This fund is for organisations that want to do more to help communities come together and help make us a better-connected society.

This fund is one of our first significant commitments as part of our new strategy, ‘It starts with community.'

Find out more and apply to The UK Fund

There's no deadline for applications.

Existing UK Portfolio grant holders

Check our Twitter feed for updates on new funding opportunities.

Past funding

These funding programmes are closed to applications.

Some of most recent funding programmes are:

Bringing People Together: This fund supported projects building stronger connections across communities, and improving the infrastructure and conditions needed to strengthen these connections.

The Platinum Jubilee Fund: The Platinum Jubilee celebrates 70 years of Her Majesty The Queen’s reign and to mark this occasion, The National Lottery Community Fund will fund 70 projects across the UK that create a legacy. This programme is now closed to applications.

Growing Great Ideas: this funding supported ideas that focus on supporting transformational and long-term change that goes beyond individual organisations and instead focuses on nurturing ecologies and ecosystems. This programme is now closed to applications. We are taking this opportunity to review the Growing Great Ideas funding programme and the applications that we have received and this may mean our funding offer changes.

Global partnerships: this programme aimed to connect civil society groups in the UK with their peers in Europe and America to share ideas, learn and collaborate. We were particularly interested in the areas of climate change, digital, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), participatory grant making, and equipping civil society (including funders) to understand, adapt and respond to the future. The programme is now closed to applications.

Together for Our Planet: offered 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. The programme is now closed to applications.

Places Called Home: IKEA Limited and The National Lottery Community Fund have come together to grow thriving, resilient and sustainable communities across the UK. Places Called Home is a £1.5 million fund that aims to inspire and help people get more involved in their local community as a positive, homely place to be and meet other people. The programme is now closed to applications.

The Climate Action Fund is supporting communities across the UK to take action on climate change. These communities will demonstrate what is possible when people take the lead in tackling climate change. The programme is currently closed to applications.

The Emerging Futures Fund aims to equip civil society with the skills and resources required to anticipate, imagine and shape the future. The programme is now closed to applications.

Digital Infrastructure Fund aims to equip civil society organisations with the digital infrastructure and capability it needs to be responsive and adaptive. The programme is now closed to applications.

Leaders with Lived Experience 2020 supports organisations set up or run by people with first-hand experience of a social issue. This funding programme ensures that lived experience leadership plays a key role in shaping how communities move towards recovery and renewal after the impact of COVID-19. The programme is now closed to applications.