COVID-19 funding over £10,000 for partnerships – including Coronavirus Community Support Fund

You can only apply once for COVID-19 emergency funding in England, either for less than £10,000, over £10,000 or over £10,000 for partnerships. So please make sure that you’re applying for what you need.

Your partnership can apply if you already have existing grants with The National Lottery Community Fund. If you've already got COVID-19 funding through Partnerships, you'll need to tell us how the funding you're applying for now is different from that.

We also encourage organisations to apply who are led by people with lived experience.

We cannot accept applications from:

• organisations that have already applied to us for COVID-19 funding, including the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, since 22 May
• organisations that have already applied to the Coronavirus Community Support Fund and been told they were unsuccessful

• statutory bodies (including town, parish and community councils)

• schools

• individuals

• sole traders

• organisations based outside the UK

• anyone who’s applying for another organisation

• organisations that look to make profits and share these profits out privately. This includes organisations without the right asset locks. Or organisations that can pay profits to directors or shareholders – this might mean some CICs limited by shares

• organisations that don’t have at least two people on their board or committee who aren’t married, in a long-term relationship, living together at the same address, or related by blood.

What partnerships we can fund:

We can fund a partnership (both new partnerships, and one that’s already been set up) as long as they're led by a voluntary or community organisation, this includes:

• a registered charity or charitable incorporated organisation (CIO)
• a not for profit company including companies limited by guarantee and Community Interest Companies with two or more directors (see the bullet points below for CICs we can’t fund).

If you’re not sure if you can apply
Contact us.

When organisations work in partnership, they help communities to thrive - by focusing on the bigger picture, rather than just what their organisation can do on its own.

We’re looking for partnerships where everyone takes responsibility to work toward their shared goals together, while offering their own insights and perspectives. We call this 'generous leadership'.

We like to see projects that can test new approaches to issues in the community. And projects that are committed to equalities and the environment.

There are different types of partnership:

• cross-sector partnerships
• local place-based collaboration
• local and national organisations working together around a particular theme.

We can help if you're struggling financially because of COVID-19
We know that COVID-19 has affected lots of organisations' finances. We can help you make up for some of the losses, so you can keep helping your community through the pandemic and continue to support them after.

What types of projects we’re prioritising

We want to support projects and organisations playing a vital role in helping their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will prioritise:

• Organisations supporting people and communities who experience disproportionate challenge and difficulty as a result of the Covid-19 crisis

  This category includes, for instance, organisations supporting older people, disabled people (including people with long-term health conditions) and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, all of whom are facing specific challenges during the current crisis. It also includes organisations who provide advice and support to those pushed in crisis as a result of the pandemic. This category also includes those organisations supporting people and their families with end of life care.
  
  

• Organisations providing services and support for vulnerable people, for which there will be increased demand as a result of the COVID-19 crisis
  This category includes, for instance, organisations supporting people and families who face financial hardship as a result of the pandemic. It also includes organisations working to prevent domestic abuse and violence against protected groups, those working with homeless people and those supporting vulnerable children and young people. Finally, we also know that there is increased demand for mental health support and support to mitigate the increased challenges of loneliness and isolation.
  
  
• Organisations which connect communities and support communities to work together to respond to Covid-19
  This category includes organisations supporting local community activity, including volunteering, and community organising. It also includes organisations supporting community and sector infrastructure, including public information. We know there is increased demand for support with the development of digital, data and technology capabilities. Finally, we want to support building capacity and infrastructure of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and other marginalised communities to ensure they are in a better position after the initial emergency response.

As far as possible, we're also looking for organisations to be people-led, strengths-based and connected

People-led

We believe that people understand what's needed in their communities better than anyone. So it’s important to us that you involve your community in the design, development and delivery of the activities you’re planning.

You might want to ask yourself:

• Have I spoken to the people in my community?
• Have the people in my community told me what they need and what's important to them?
• Have I listened to them and used what they've said to create my project?

This short video explains it well. It might be helpful when you’re putting your application together.

Strengths-based

We’d like to support people and communities to build on the knowledge, skills and experience they already have, to make the changes they want.

You might want to ask yourself:

• What’s already working in my community?
• How will my project add to these positive things that are already working?
• How will my project make the most of any resources that are already helping my community?

Connected

We want to know that you’ve a good understanding of other activities and services in your community. We’d like to see how you’ll compliment these. So you can add value to what’s already there.

You might want to ask yourself:

• Have I spoken to other groups in the area that are doing something similar to my project?
• Have I thought about how we can all help each other?

If your project works with children, young people or vulnerable adults

You need to have a policy in place that explains how they'll be safe. And we might ask to see this policy, if we decide to give you funding. The NSPCC have lots of helpful advice about setting up and following good child safeguarding policies. NCVO also host a number of safeguarding resources. If we do fund your organisation, you must comply with our safeguarding policy.

We can fund:

• investments in your systems
• investments in your people
• investments in your infrastructure
• dedicated capacity development
• staff salaries
• project activities
• running costs
• small-scale refurbishment
• equipment
• organisational development
• contributions to fixed costs.

We can't fund:

• activities that make profits for private gain
• campaigning activities (this fund is to support the delivery of direct services for vulnerable people)
• religious activities (but we can fund religious organisations if their project benefits the wider community and doesn’t include religious content)
• political or lobbying activities
• things you’ve spent money on in the past and are looking to claim for now
• loan repayments.

Managing your emergency COVID-19 funding in England - including Coronavirus Community Support Fund grants
If your organisation’s awarded emergency COVID-19 funding in England, including from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, you'll need to manage your funding a bit differently. Read more about what to expect with managing your emergency COVID-19 funding in England.