Call for your community take a small step for the environment: Small Eco Awards is now open to applications

22 July 2026

Our Environmental Lead, John Rose, introduces our new environment funding in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Summer has a way of making us notice things. We’re often outside more, moving through our local areas at a slower pace, and suddenly looking at familiar things with fresh eyes:

an unused patch of ground that could be something
a community hall roof that gets baking hot in the sun
a group of young people with plenty of enthusiasm to put somewhere good

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Because we’ve just launched Small Eco Awards.

Introducing Small Eco Awards

Small Eco Awards are grants of between £300 and £20,000 are now available for communities across:

Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland

What the funding is for

The programme will support projects that:

improve local places
protect nature
reduce waste
support climate resilience
connect people with the environment and with one another
help create greener, healthier and more sustainable communities

These are grants for community groups with practical ideas that can make a positive environmental difference where they live.

You do not have to be an environmental expert

Often, when we talk to community groups, we hear the same thing: ‘Oh, we're not really an environmental organisation’.

And then they describe running projects such as:

a repair cafe
a youth project that gets teenagers out into green spaces
a community hall that's freezing in winter and costs a fortune to heat

These groups are exactly what this funding is for.

Environmental action isn't separate from community life. It connects to wellbeing, local pride, food, waste, energy, cost-of-living, shared spaces, skills and belonging.

Many groups are already doing environmental work without calling it that. This funding helps them take the first step.

Small steps, real difference

This funding is not about asking communities to solve the climate crisis. But instead it's about helping local people take manageable, practical steps that improve the places they know and care about.

A small grant can help a group test an idea, improve a shared space, build confidence and create something visible.

Projects do not need to be large or complicated. They just need to matter to the communities doing them. And be good for people and planet.

If you’ve already got a grant from us then you can still apply

If your group already has a National Lottery Community Fund grant, you can still apply for Small Eco Awards.

For example, you can have a Small Eco Awards grant alongside existing funding from funding like National Lottery Awards for All.

So, if you’ve got an idea, you think would be good for your community and the planet, get in touch.

We can talk through whether Small Eco Awards funding could work alongside what you're already doing.

If you’re based in England

Small Eco Awards is for communities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

However, National Lottery Awards for All England – Environment is already running and is rooted in the same principle: small grants, community-led action, practical benefits for people and planet.

If you're an English community group with an idea for a greener local place, that's your starting point.

Little eco actions can lead to big community benefits

As you head out this summer, have a look around and ask if:

anything could be a bit better, or greener
what your community has been talking about for years but never quite got started

You do not need to be an expert. You just need a practical idea and the will to make it happen.

How to apply

You can:

To find out more about our funding