COVID-19 funding under £10,000 – including Coronavirus Community Support Fund
The Government allocation to the Coronavirus Community Support Fund (CCSF) has now closed for England We’ve closed the Government allocation of funding to the Coronavirus Community Support Fund to new applications and should be finished distributing these funds by the end of October 2020.
You can still apply for National Lottery funding to help your community through COVID-19 With the COVID-19 pandemic still with us, we'll continue to support people and communities most adversely impacted by COVID-19.
The Government allocation to the Coronavirus Community Support Fund (CCSF) has now closed for England We’ve closed the Government allocation of funding to the Coronavirus Community Support Fund to new applications and should be finished distributing these funds by the end of October 2020.
You can still apply for National Lottery funding to help your community through COVID-19 With the COVID-19 pandemic still with us, we'll continue to support people and communities most adversely impacted by COVID-19.
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.
You can apply if you already have existing grants with The National Lottery Community Fund, including a National Lottery Awards for All grant in each country in the UK. If you've already got COVID-19 funding through National Lottery Awards for All, 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.
Who 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
organisations that agreed to transfer their National Lottery Awards for All application to the Coronavirus Community Support Fund
statutory bodies
schools
individuals
sole traders
Companies that can pay profits to directors, shareholders or members (including Companies Limited by Shares)
organisations based outside the UK
organisations that don't have at least two people on their board or committee who aren't married, in a civil partnership, in a long-term relationship, living together at the same address, or related by blood
one organisation applying on behalf of another. Be careful of businesses or consultants who say they can support you with your funding applications. They might even say they’re acting on the Fund’s behalf, or they’re a preferred supplier of the Fund. They could even offer to write an application for you. We wouldn’t accept applications from these types of businesses or consultants. But you can get support and advice on writing your application from your local CVS (your local council for voluntary services).
You can apply if your organisation is a:
voluntary or community organisation
registered charity
constituted group or club
not-for-profit company or Community Interest Company.
We can fund activities supporting people and communities affected by COVID-19. We can also help organisations overcome any acute financial difficulties they face as a result of the pandemic.
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.
We know that small and medium-sized charities are likely to be more vulnerable right now. So we encourage applications from those organisations, including micro charities.
Your organisation should involve your community
We know that some communities, such as disabled people and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities are being hit hard by the pandemic. We encourage organisations to apply who are led by people from those communities.
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.
This short video explains it well. It might be helpful when you’re putting your application together.
We can fund activities supporting people and communities affected by COVID-19. We can also help organisations overcome any acute financial difficulties they face as a result of the pandemic.
This list doesn't include everything. So, if you're not sure, contact us.
We can fund:
your organisation’s running costs
essential items for food banks
small land or refurbishment projects that can be delivered within Government guidelines (but make sure you own the land or building, have a lease that can't be ended for five years, have a letter from the owner saying the land or building will be leased to you for at least five years, or an official letter from the owner or landlord that says you're allowed to do work on the building) - you should also think about getting planning permission for the work too
equipment
one-off events
staff costs
training costs
transport
utilities/running costs
volunteer expenses.
We encourage you to think about any organisational costs needed to help you and your community through the current crisis.
We can’t fund:
alcohol
contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest
profit-making/fundraising activities
VAT you can reclaim
statutory activities
overseas travel
campaigning activities (this fund is to support the delivery of direct services for vulnerable people)
religious activities (we can fund religious organisations if their project benefits the wider community and doesn’t include religious content)
political or lobbying activities.
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.
You can also watch this video to get the above information in British Sign Language (BSL) for those who are hard of hearing:
