Apply
You can apply online
We’ll ask you about your idea and how it fits with what we’re hoping to fund.
Apply online
You can contact us if you have communication support needs or find it hard to complete the form. We can provide alternative ways for you to tell us about your idea.
If you’re not sure if you should apply
You can:
- phone us on 03454 10 20 30 – lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
- contact us by email at general.enquiries@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk
- check if a different fund is better suited to your project – for example, if your project is not focussed on climate change, you should look at information about other types of funding.
What happens after you apply
1. We’ll assess your application – we make decisions on a rolling basis and expect there to be high demand for our funding, so we’ll only be able to take applications through to the next stage that most strongly meet our criteria. We will not be able to provide individual feedback to unsuccessful applications at stage 1.
2. We’ll take some early decisions – we’ll aim to tell you if you’re through to the next stage within ten weeks. In the meantime, we may contact you to ask for more information about your project.
3. If you’re invited to the next stage, we’ll ask for more information – you can find out what information we’ll ask for in our guidance for developing your full proposal. We may also arrange a project visit or a call with you and your partners to discuss your project.
You can find out more about the checks we do. We might give you a call to talk a little more about your application or ask for more information before we make a decision.
4. We’ll make a final decision – your request will be considered by the Climate Action Fund panel. We’ll aim to tell you our final decision within around four months of being invited to the second stage.
5. If your application is successful – we'll contact you with the good news! Here’s what happens when you’re awarded funding. We’ll also discuss how we can help you:
- celebrate and promote your funding
- share your learning with others including other grant holders and future applicants to contribute to wider collaborations in these areas.
What we’ll ask for in your application
We’ll ask you about your idea and how it fits with the areas we are focussing on. We want to know:
1. What’s your proposed project idea?
You should tell us:
- about your project
- what you’re hoping to change – in the short and long term
- how you know it’s needed
- how communities have been involved in the development of the idea
- why this is the right time for your project
- about the things that will increase the chance of your project being successful – for example, you have support from your Local Authority or there’s increasing support from your community.
- an idea of how you will allocate the money to deliver your project.
2. How will you work with others to deliver your project?
You should tell us:
- about your organisation
- what experience or learning has led you to apply
- about the communities, organisations or groups you’re currently working with (or those you hope to work with)
- why you or your partnership (if you have one) are best placed to deliver this work
- if you have a partnership what will the partners do in your project? If you do not have a partnership go to the next question
- how you will share learning among your partners (if you have a partnership) and with other groups, projects and communities.
3. How does your project help communities to thrive and prosper?
You should tell us:
- how your project will positively impact communities – in the short and long term
- how your project inspires people to take climate action
- how you will address barriers to participation for underrepresented people and communities – for example, those experiencing ethnic or racial inequity, discrimination or inequality, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, and people who are seeking asylum or who are refugees.
Background of the Climate Action Fund
We launched the Climate Action Fund in 2019, as a 10-year £100 million programme. Its aim is to demonstrate what’s possible when people and communities take a leading role in tackling climate change. With National Lottery funding, communities will work together to share learning and be active participants towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
We’ve already awarded £36.7 million in funding to 48 community-led partnerships across the UK. You can read more about what we’ve done already in our blog post about the first round of funding. And our blog post from the second round of funding.
If you’re not sure if you should apply
You can:
- phone us on 03454 10 20 30 - lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
- contact us by email at general.enquiries@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk
- check if a different fund is better suited to your project – for example, if your project is not focussed on climate change, you should look at information about other types of funding.