Find funding for your charity

VAL can help your organisation to work towards securing the funding it needs to run its activities by one to one funding support including;

  • Funding search to match your project/activity
  • Read and review of your funding application to offer tips and guidance to strengthen your bid before submitting to funders
  • Visioning and planning to assist with measuring your project impact and evidence to secure funds
  • Support with how to write better bids
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Leicestershire Funding Toolkit

Register for free and search a comprehensive database of local and national funding opportunities across Leicester and Leicestershire.

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Help with applying

If you would like help with applying for these funds such as our read and review service, please submit a request using the online contact form.

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Search through the funding below to find opportunities for Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations of all shapes and sizes across the city and county.

If you have funding opportunities you would like us to advertise on this page, please send them to helpline@valonline.org.uk

Funding opportunities

Grants, awards and other sources of funding available to VCSE groups. Find out which opportunities your group may be able to apply for.

  • The British and Foreign School Society – Displacement Education Fund
    A new £1 million fund launched to address the specific challenges that children and young people who have been displaced by conflict face in accessing quality education. Grants are available to support UK registered charities, not-for-profit community-based organisations, schools, academies, colleges and other educational establishments with projects working with displaced children and young people both internationally and in the UK. • UK projects - BFSS supports projects to improve access to educational opportunity (including further education or employment opportunities for those aged 16-25), or reduce barriers to achievement, for children and young people living in the UK who are refugees or asylum seekers, unaccompanied children or children of undocumented migrants. The fund is open for applications. There is no deadline, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
  • David Wilson Foundation
    The grant fund has a focus on the East Midlands and particularly Leicestershire and Rutland. It is focused upon advancing the health and wellbeing of younger members of the community and supports schemes which build skills and confidence though education and sport. Potential applicants need to complete a short on-line form in-order to then be considered for a formal invitation to apply.
  • Biffa Award
    Biffa Award gives grants to community projects near landfill sites. They are the main county waste disposal provider and have not received many applications from Leicestershire organisations. Grant themes: • Rebuilding Biodiversity • Community Buildings • Recreation • Cultural Facilities Check website for further information and to see whether you are eligible to apply
  • Community Automated External Defibrillators Fund launched
    The Department of Health and Social Care is inviting interested organisations to register expressions of interest for its £1 million Community Automated External Defibrillators Fund, aimed at increasing the number of AEDs in public places where they are most needed and help save lives. An estimated 1,000 new defibrillators are to be provided by the fund, with the potential for this to double as successful applicants will be asked to match the funding they receive partially or fully.
  • JHMT Inspire Awards
    Small grants to help young people, aged 13 to 21 years old, based in Leicester and Leicestershire to fulfil their potential. The Inspire Awards are part of the Trust's long-term charitable aims to make a difference through Joe's legacy. The awards are designed to inspire young people to fulfil their potential and develop their talents. We know that young people are sometimes thwarted in their attempts to realise their ambitions. They might not get the financial support, expert advice or counselling they need. The JHMT Inspire awards can provide a financial contribution and/or practical advice and help towards helping young people flourish across a wide variety of community, sporting and creative arts activities.
  • Thrive Together Fund
    The Thrive Together Fund (TTF) provides a funding package of loan (75%) and grant (25%) to eligible charities and social enterprises in England. The Fund is delivered by a partnership made up of Social Investment Business, Co-operative and Community Finance, Fredericks Foundation, Groundwork, Homeless Link and The Architectural Heritage Fund. It is for small and medium sized charities and social enterprises based in and delivering impact in England, who are looking to grow or diversify their business models.
  • BBC Children in Need
    Not-for-profit organisations working with children and young people aged 18 or under can apply for grants of up to £40,000 from Children in Need's Core Costs Funding Stream. Grants will be provided for up to three years and can be spent on your organisation’s central day-to-day operations. There is no deadline, grants are awarded on a rolling basis
  • Foyle Foundation
    The Small Grants Scheme is designed to support charities registered and operating in the United Kingdom, especially those working at grass roots and local community level, in any field, across a wide range of activities. Please note we are not able to support individuals. School PTAs and Friend groups are not eligible to apply. They are unlikely to support newly set up charities without a track record. Online applications can be accepted from charities that have an annual turnover of less than £150,000 per annum. Larger or national charities will normally not be considered under this scheme. They take into consideration your latest complete financial year, however, if you expect your turnover to exceed £150,000 in your current financial year, you are unlikely to be supported. Please note that competition is intense; they receive many more applications than they are able to fund.
  • Making a Difference Fund – Hinckley & Bosworth Borough
    The Making a Difference Fund offers community grants of between £500 to £3,000 to kickstart new projects within the VCS network (volunteer & community sector) or to boost the impact of VCS groups across Hinckley and Bosworth Borough. Funding will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis as a rolling programme. https://www.ruralcc.org.uk/hbbc/
  • Clothworkers Foundation
    We award grants to UK registered charities, CICs, and other registered UK not-for-profit organisations (including special schools). Grants are awarded towards capital projects, which we define as: Buildings: purchase, construction, renovation or refurbishment. Fittings, Fixtures, and Equipment: this includes but is not limited to office equipment/furniture, sports/gym equipment, digital/audio visual equipment, software and websites (more guidance on digital infrastructure can be found here), garden equipment, specialist therapeutic (excluding medical) equipment. It does not include equipment for one-off use, or which will be given to service users for personal use on a permanent basis. Vehicles: This includes a minibus, car, caravan, people-carrier, or 4X4. We are unlikely to fund the total cost of a new vehicle and do not provide grants towards vehicle leasing.
  • Masonic Charitable Foundation – Children and Young People
    Grants (for up to 3 years) are available for local and national charities in England and Wales helping disadvantaged children and young people to overcome the challenges they face. Depending on their annual income level, charities can apply for: • Small grants (£1,000 - £15,000), for general running and/or overhead costs of the charity – core funding. • Large grants (£10,000 - £60,000), for projects and can be used for salary costs, activities, materials, etc. • Projects must support disadvantaged and vulnerable children aged 0-18 and up to the age of 25 years for disabled young people. • Grant amounts should not exceed 20% of the total income of the applicant charity. • For small grants, at least 75% of the charity’s beneficiaries must be disadvantaged children and young people • For large grants, all of the beneficiaries of the project must be disadvantaged children and young people and their families/guardians. Amounts available: • Small grants between £1,000 and £15,000 for charities with an income of under £500,000. • Large grants between £10,000 and £60,000 for charities with an annual income over £500,000.
  • Asda Foundation Cost of Living Grant
    The new Cost of Living grant is designed to support the increased running costs groups will face between September 2022 and February 2023, including rent increases and electricity cost rises. Applications must be submitted to your local Community Champion from 19th September and the application window will remain open until the budget cap has been reached.
  • The VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme
    The VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme is part of a package of over £100 million of support being delivered by the Government to help frontline delivery organisations with the increased cost of living. The scheme is expected to open for applications in early December 2023.
  • Golsonscott Foundation
    Voluntary sector organisations across the UK can apply for funding to deliver projects and activities that promote, maintain, improve, and advance the education of the public in the arts, and in particular the fine arts and music. Golsonscott Foundation is offering grants typically up to £3,000 for voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver projects and activities that demonstrate and deliver excellence in the arts, whether in performance, exhibition, artistic craft, or scholarly endeavour.
  • Dr M A Gerrard’s Kegworth Old People’s Benevolent Fund
    This small charity can make one-off grants (up to £500) against the following criteria: 1) FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANY CHARITABLE INSTITUTION OR INSTITUTIONS PROVIDING BETTERMENT OR COMFORT OR CARE OR SUPPORT FOR NEEDY AGED PEOPLE IN THE PARISH OF KEGWORTH | 2) FOR THE BENEFIT OF NEEDY AGED PEOPLE IN THE SAID PARISH | 3) FOR THE BENEFIT OF NEEDY AGED PEOPLE WHO HAVING BEEN RESIDENTS IN THE SAID PARISH ARE NO LONGER RESIDENT THERE | Contact: Andrew Leppard, 1 London Road, Kegworth, Derby, DE74 2EU | Phone: 01509 670204 | Email: clerk@kegworthparishcouncil.gov.uk
  • Leicestershire & Rutland Community Foundation – Making Local Life Better Fund
    Grants between £500 and £3,000 are available to local charitable groups for small local projects that benefit the communities of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Funding is intended for projects supporting, involving, or set up by local people in Leicestershire and Rutland to improve the quality of local life and life chances. This is a rolling programme and groups can apply at any time.  National charities applying must to be able to demonstrate that they have a local branch. This would include a local bank account, finances, and demonstration of fundraising and delivery in the local area only. The Making Local Life Better Fund is made up of money from many local private donor funds that the Community Foundation attracts and manages. Between them, donors fund a wide range of needs, but all aim to support local people and local communities. Grants are available to support grassroots community groups and small-medium sized charitable organisations who are aiming to improve the lives of the people in their local communities.
  • Aviva – Save our Wild Isles
    The Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund is live - and Groundwork is here to help make your application a success.  Aviva, in partnership with WWF and the RSPB, is giving £1 million to support community groups across the UK to protect and restore nature in their local area. We all have the power to make a real difference and help bring nature back to life. That’s why WWF, the RSPB and Aviva have come together to launch the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund to make it easier for communities to take action for nature. From creating community gardens and replanting wildflower meadows, to protecting local wildlife and promoting community connection to nature – together we can help communities around the UK bring nature back to life and make our isles wilder. The Save our Wild Isles Community Fund has teamed up with Groundwork to help applicants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland throughout the lifetime of their project. Whether you’re looking for support with your application, peer-to-peer training, or the opportunity to meet likeminded people in your area – we can help! Contact shamli.khanam@groundworknottingham.org.uk / 07771 566893 or debra.laking@groundworknottingham.org.uk / 07850 503203 Further information available on the website
  • Morrisons Foundation
    Charities registered in the UK can apply for grants from the newly established Morrison’s Foundation. The Foundation is looking to award approximately £2 million a year for charity projects which make a positive difference in local communities; in the main grants are available to fully fund projects of up to £25,000. There is no specific grant amount that can be applied for but applicants must demonstrate how the project will deliver public benefit, who in the community will specifically benefit and how it will bring about positive change. Applicants must also have financial information dating back three years and have raised some of the funding elsewhere.
  • National Lottery Heritage Fund
    In early March 2023, the National Lottery Heritage Fund announced it had launched a new 10-year strategy, Heritage 2033 that aims to invest £3.6 billion across the UK. The investment priorities will focus on: • Saving heritage • Protecting the environment • Inclusion, access and participation • Organisational sustainability. Come along and speak to them at the Meet the Funders Oadby event on 28th June
  • National lottery Awards for All
    The National Lottery Awards for All fund is there to help support communities with things that are important to them, including helping with the impact of the cost of living crisis. At midday on 15 November 2023 National Lottery Awards for All is changing. From then, you’ll be able to apply for up to £20,000, get your project funded for up to two years. You can still only hold one National Lottery Awards for All grant at a time. This means if you apply for up to £10,000 before 15 November you would not be able to apply for more funding until your project is complete. You will not be able to ask for top-ups. If you would like to ask for more than £10,000 and less than £20,000 then you should wait until 15 November to apply. The time it takes to assess and pay successful applicants is still 16 weeks.
  • Barchester Health Care
    Barchester Healthcare Foundation is offering grants of between £100 and £2,000 for small community groups and local charities across England, Scotland, and Wales for projects that help reduce isolation and loneliness, promote group activities and generally improve mobility and quality of life for older people and adults with physical, learning, or mental disabilities. The Foundation will support practical solutions that enable people to connect or re-connect to others in their local community and lead to increased personal independence, self-sufficiency, and dignity.
  • The Ann Rylands Small Donations Programme
    This fund makes grants to support charities’ core costs with a maximum award of up to £5,000. The programme was re-launched in January 2022 to enable the Trust to increase support for smaller charities whose work aligns with our mission to improve provision in health and care. The programme is designed to help smaller charities providing practical and emotional support to people with – or at high risk of – physical or mental ill health, people living with disability, and their families and carers.
  • Oakland Foundation Fund
    The Oakland Foundation have recently launched a fund for clubs, groups, organisations and schools to apply for funding to support children under the age of 16 and their families who live in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, focusing on the following themes: - Education: to ensure children get the best education, no matter what their background. - Health and nutrition: to ensure children have access to healthy food. - Sport: to ensure children have access to sport and activities irrespective of social background or physical ability.
  • The Yapp Charitable Trust
    Grants available to registered charities with a total annual expenditure of less than £40,000 for ongoing core funding only. They define core funding as the costs associated with regular activities or services that have been ongoing for at least a year. YCT cannot fund new projects, extra services or additional delivery costs. They will cover costs for organisations working with: • Elderly people • Children and young people aged 5 - 25 • People with physical impairments, learning difficulties or mental health challenges • Social welfare – people trying to overcome life-limiting problems of a social, rather than medical, origin (such as addiction, relationship difficulties, abuse, offending) • Education and learning (with a particular interest in people who are educationally disadvantaged, whether adults or children) Deadline: Trustees meet 3 times per year to consider applications and a decision time can take up to 5 months from the date of submission.
  • Plunkett Foundation – Bringing Churches Together
    Plunkett Foundation is a national charity that supports rural communities across the UK to tackle the issues they face through community business. One of the main reasons many community businesses aren’t able to get up and running is lack of a suitable premises from which to operate. To help groups and churches explore the opportunities of locating within an active church or building they have partnered with All Churches Trust to offer:
  • North West Leicestershire – Community Groups Grants
    Are you a community organisation, voluntary group or charity in North West Leicestershire? Do you have a project, event or initiative that needs funding? North West Leicestershire District Council has grant funds available! Small Grants* Up to £500 for new projects or for one-offs (like equipment or other items) to help you to improve a service or just to try something different. Zero Carbon Grant** Between £50 and £500 for environmental improvements - climate change projects, litter picking equipment, composting, energy efficiency, transport issues, cycling and walking projects, wildflower meadows, community orchards, hedge planting, recycling… think green! Coalville Special Expenses Community Chest Grant £250 to support and encourage a range of community activities, initiatives and events for people in Coalville, Bardon, Snibston, Thringstone and Greenhill wards.

Commissioning and Procurement Opportunities

Public sector contracts to deliver services to the community, suitable for larger groups, or smaller groups working in partnership.

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