Grant News
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has opened the second round of the Common Ground Award, with up to £2.5 million available for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in England. The fund supports organisations that bring people from different backgrounds together and strengthen community cohesion and resilience.
Individual organisations can apply for £20,000 to £50,000, with awards of up to £100,000 possible in exceptional cases. Consortiums can apply for £100,000 to £250,000.
The funding could be used towards:
- refurbishing or expanding a community centre or shared meeting space;
- constructing new facilities that enable different communities to meet;
- improving existing buildings so they can host more inclusive community activities;
- purchasing furniture, laptops or other essential equipment for shared community use;
- buying sports or activity equipment used by different groups through joint programmes;
- capital improvements that allow organisations to expand activities bringing together people of different faiths, ethnicities, ages, cultures, nationalities or geographical communities.
Key highlights:
- Applicants must be VCSE organisations based and operating in England.
- Annual income must be below £5 million.
- Projects must promote social mixing, reduce prejudice or discrimination, or address community tensions.
- Applicants can apply individually or as part of a consortium.
Key points: funded organisations must show that building connections between different communities is central to their work. Projects should be ready to spend funding by 31 March 2027.
Applications close on 12 October 2026, with decisions expected in December 2026.
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