The National Lottery Community Fund — open grants for UK charities

Finding a funder is the easy part. The hard part is working out which of their programmes you're actually eligible for — and not wasting a week on an application that was never a fit. This guide lists The National Lottery Community Fund's currently open programmes so you can check the basics before you commit.

Open The National Lottery Community Fund programmes right now

• Reaching Communities England
  £20,001–£20,000,000 · Rolling — applications open
  England. £20,001–£20,000,000 to strengthen communities and improve lives. Open to applications (rolling).
• National Lottery Awards for All England
  £300–£20,000 · Rolling — applications open
  England. £300–£20,000 for projects that bring people together and improve communities. Open to applications.
• Awards for All England – Environment
  £300–£20,000 · Rolling — applications open
  England. £300–£20,000 for community-led projects tackling the climate and nature emergency. Open to applications.
• Community Action (Scotland)
  £20,001–£250,000 · Rolling — applications open
  Scotland. £20,001–£250,000 for community-led projects that help people connect. Open to applications.
• Fairer Life Chances (Scotland)
  £20,001–£500,000 · Rolling — applications open
  Scotland. £20,001–£500,000 for projects supporting children, young people and families, or helping people be healthier. Open to applications.
• Awards for All Scotland
  £300–£20,000 · Rolling — applications open
  Scotland. £300–£20,000 for projects that bring people together and improve communities. Open to applications.
• Awards for All Wales
  £300–£20,000 · Rolling — applications open
  Wales. £300–£20,000 for projects that bring people together and improve communities. Open to applications.
• People and Places (Wales)
  £20,001–£500,000 · Rolling — applications open
  Wales. £20,001–£500,000 for accessible, community-led projects. Open to applications.
• Awards for All Northern Ireland
  £300–£20,000 · Rolling — applications open
  Northern Ireland. £300–£20,000 to connect people and strengthen communities. Open to applications.
• Dormant Assets for All (Northern Ireland)
  £300–£20,000 · Rolling — applications open
  Northern Ireland. £300–£20,000 for VCSE organisations to grow stronger (Dormant Assets Scheme). Open to applications.

Each programme links to The National Lottery Community Fund's official page. Always confirm eligibility, amounts and deadlines there before applying — funders update their pages, and "rolling" does not mean funding is guaranteed.

Before you apply to The National Lottery Community Fund

• Check the eligibility basics first: where you work, the type of organisation you are, who you help, and the realistic size of grant you can deliver.
• Look at who The National Lottery Community Fund has funded recently — recent grants are the best signal of whether your work fits their priorities.
• Don't rely on one funder. The charities that win consistently keep a live shortlist of several well-matched opportunities, not a single bet.

GrantNest helps you discover and draft funding opportunities. We are not affiliated with The National Lottery Community Fund. We don't guarantee you'll win funding, and nothing here is financial or legal advice. Programme details verified 2026-06-07.