Current Funding Available

Funding for community groups and charitable organisations

Keep checking back for the latest local, regional and national
funding opportunities

If you’d like advice or support with a funding application please get in touch

Unrestricted, Social Enterprise, Community Laura Bowers Unrestricted, Social Enterprise, Community Laura Bowers

The Fore - Unrestricted Grants

They make unrestricted grants which have the potential to have a transformational impact on an organisation. Transformational impact includes helping organisations become more sustainable, more efficient, to grow significantly or enabling an organisation to take a major step forward of some kind.

Any registered charity, CIC, CIO or Community Benefit Society with turnover of under £500,000 in the last financial year is eligible to apply.

2024 funding dates are as follows:

Summer: Thursday 28 March, to 12pm (midday) on Thursday 4 April

Autumn: From 12pm (midday) Wednesday 24 July, to 12pm (midday) on Wednesday 31 July

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GM NW, Social Enterprise, Green, Community Guest User GM NW, Social Enterprise, Green, Community Guest User

Enterprising Communities Fund

GMCVO have launched a new social investment fund for organisations and businesses working in Greater Manchester who are trading for social good and looking to grow.

They are working in a unique partnership with the Greater Manchester Credit Union Consortium, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Access – The Foundation for Social Investment and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to deliver local investment with real impact, in communities where the need is highest.

Find out more here

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Buildings Investment Fund - GMCVO

Do you want to make your building more energy efficient to help tackle the cost of living crisis?

Do you need to make your space more accessible?

You can apply now for up to £350,000 (made up of 90% loan and 10% grant) if you are an organisation or business trading for a social purpose in Bolton, Oldham, Stockport or Wigan, that wants to renovate or refurbish your building, or purchase or build something.

Visit GMCVO’s website to find out more or get in touch to discuss your options: gmsocinvest@gmcvo.org.uk or 0161 277 1007

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Social Enterprise, Regional Laura Bowers Social Enterprise, Regional Laura Bowers

Foundational Economy Innovation Fund

GMCA’s new Foundational Economy Innovation Fund will provide grants for businesses and organisations in Greater Manchester’s “foundational” economy, to trial innovative new ideas and improved ways of working. The “foundational economy” is the “everyday economy”, or the “essential economy” – the businesses we all rely on for our daily needs.

It will provide £10,000 grants for 40 projects, plus expert support, to test innovations and ideas in stage 1, followed by £60,000 grants for 10 projects, plus expert support, to develop the best ideas from stage 1.

They are starting with four sectors: adult social care, early education and childcare, retail and hospitality, leisure and tourism.

The fund is for you, if you:

- own or run a business, social enterprise or cooperative in these sectors
- support or represent a cluster of businesses in one of these sectors
- can provide technology and / or innovative solutions or new ideas that could be used in one of these sectors

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Social Enterprise Laura Bowers Social Enterprise Laura Bowers

Key Fund

Key Fund can support a range of activities, from restoring a derelict building to buying equipment or meeting start-up costs. Investment of between £5,000 and £150,000 to support:

Working capital to pay for staff or overheads.

Growth and development.

Contributing to the purchase and renovating of buildings.

Marketing & Promotion

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Social Enterprise Laura Bowers Social Enterprise Laura Bowers

Community Shares Booster Fund

The Booster fund helps all types of community businesses to prepare a community share offer, to support their recovery from COVID-19.

Development grants – up to £5,000 to prepare a community share offer: financial planning, governance support, marketing costs and being awarded the Community Shares Standard Mark.

Match equity investment – typically matching pound for pound up to £25,000 invested by the Booster Programme, providing that the minimum share offer target is achieved.

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Social Enterprise, Stockport Laura Bowers Social Enterprise, Stockport Laura Bowers

Proper Good Investment + referral fee

The Proper Good Investment team offer affordable and accessible social investment aimed at small and very small social enterprises and charities that trade, including new organisations. There are three tiers: Early Stage Loan Fund, Scale Up Loan Fund and Buildings Loan Fund.

If you refer an individual to the investment programme and they are subsequently approved, your VCFSE organisation will receive 1% of the total award for the early stage and scale up funds when the investee draws down.

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 Always open funds

These funds have a rolling deadline and can be applied for at any time.

  • The programme supports development by allowing artists, cultural practitioners and organisations to work in new ways and to get their work out to new audiences.

    Find out more here

  • The Core Costs Funding Stream is for charities and not-for-profit organisations. Applicants to this programme can apply for grants for up to three years. They aim to give quicker decisions for grants of £15,000 or less per year.

    Find out more here

  • Funding for specific projects and activities children and young people aged 18 or under. Priority to smaller, local organisations and rarely fund organisations with income above £1 million. For UK wide Hospices and Housing Associations there is no maximum income limit. They will only consider applications for over £15,000 pa, if you are a registered non profit.

    Find out more here

  • Minor Grants are aimed at supporting small local charitable organisations which deliver services directly to beneficiaries. They fund core costs, average grant size is £500 - £4,999

    Community Grants are aimed at assisting and supporting the development of smaller local charitable organisations which deliver services directly to beneficiaries. Grant Size in the range of £5,000-£20,000

    Find out more here

  • Grants are available to organisations doing legally charitable work in the UK that focuses on Communities or people most affected being involved in campaigning or leading change / Work which makes connections across our aims: Our Natural World, A Fairer Future and Creative, Confident Communities. You must have an annual turnover of less than £100,000. Funds of £30,000 upwards

    Find out more here

  • The grant is always open for applications from charities and community organisations to bid for up to £1,500. Three projects in 575 local communities are voted on by customers in Tesco stores throughout the UK, with projects changing every three months.

    Find out more here

  • A quick way to apply for smaller amounts of funding between £300 and £20,000.

    Suitable for Voluntary or community organisations

    Apply at least 16 weeks before you want to start the activities or spend any of the money.

    Find out more here

  • Offers a larger amount of funding (over £10,000) for organisations that work together with a shared set of goals to help their community thrive – whether that’s a community living in the same area, or people with similar interests or life experiences.

    Find out more here

  • Offers a larger amount of funding (over £10,000) for projects that last up to five years. They’re looking for projects that work with their community – whether that’s a community living in the same area, or people with similar interests or life experiences.

    Find out more here