Funding and Grants
Funding advice and information
Community Action has developed funding advice and information for voluntary and community organisations in Bradford district as people sometimes underestimate the need to prepare before you fundraise.
This includes an introductory guide to fundraising that covers what you need to think about before you start making applications. The guide will set the context of your funding bid, give you some of the key questions you are likely to be asked, the benefits of networks and newsletters and signposts to some free and paid-for funding databases which can help you to find potential funders.
Funding support from a Development Officer
If you would like to speak to one of our development officers about funding, please book an appointment with Chris Barker. This could be for signposting to appropriate funding, advice on writing a bid, proofreading or checking a bid you’ve already written, or any other funding related query!
If your organisation’s annual income is under £100,000, this support is offered free of charge through the use of Community Action’s trading income and reserves, as part of our charity’s commitment to supporting grassroots organisations to thrive.
If your organisation’s annual income is £100,001 or above, this support may be chargeable but we will let you know in advance and try to support you through other funding if possible.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Funding opportunities
Below is a live list of funds, sorted in order of deadline (soonest first). This list is updated regularly. Click on the titles to expand.
Rosa Voices from the frontline – grants up to £10,000 – deadline 9th December
The Rosa fund is for women and girls’ organisations to deliver activism and campaigning to raise awareness of the issues women and girls face.
The campaigns could be targeted at local communities, the general public, local or national government, media, service providers or businesses.
Awards for All, Environment – grants up to £20,000 – deadline 17th December.
Funding for community-led projects that improve the environment and help people connect with and enjoy nature where they live. Projects should meet one or both of the project priorities:
- Make a positive difference to the environment
- Help people connect with and care for nature in their area
1001 Critical Days Foundation – grants up to £100,000 per year – deadline 19th December
Multi-year grants of up to £100,000 per year for five years to UK charities supporting babies and parents during the first 1001 days, from pregnancy to age two.
Projects must be delivered in community-based family hubs or similar “one stop shop” settings and may include infant feeding support, parenting programmes, perinatal mental health services, and targeted help for dads or marginalised communities.
YBS Small Change Big Difference – donations up to £2,500 – next deadline 31st December
Grants to support good causes to alleviate poverty, improve health and save lives; particularly those supporting children, those who are seriously ill, the elderly, homeless and disabled people in the UK. Applicants must be nominated by a YBS member or colleague.
Barclays Female Coaches for Girls Fund – grant up to £200 – deadline 31st December 2025
Barclays is dedicating grants to get more women qualified as sports coaches for girls.
Grants to cover the cost of, or a contribution towards, a Level 1 or equivalent introductory qualification and any additional safeguarding and first aid requirements for your sport.
- Football – £160 grant
- Tennis – £200 grant
- Cricket – £200 grant
Weston Charity Awards – up to £22,000 in support and funding – deadline 9th January 2026
Apply to the Awards to win a package of strategic mentorship worth £16,000 plus £6,500 in unrestricted funding.
Up to 22 charities working in community, environment, welfare or youth sectors will be selected. It is designed to help organisations strengthen their leadership, plan for sustainable growth and build long-term resilience.
Info webinars taking place on various dates. Book via Eventbrite.
Lifelong Learning and Development Fund – grants up to £40,000 – opens 5th January with deadline of 26th January 2026.
The fund supports small charities with projects that promote lifelong learning and development, address barriers to entering the labour market and allow people to gain additional skills to advance their careers.
Grants can be used for core and/or project costs. For requests for both project and core costs, applicants must highlight how this will help their organisation.
Amazon Literary Partnership Grants – grant value not disclosed – deadline 30th January 2026
The partnership supports non-profit literary organisations that empower writers to create, publish, learn, teach, experiment and thrive. They provide grant funding to innovative groups that amplify diverse voices and impact the community.
Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust – discretionary grant value (average £4.2k) – deadline 13th February 2026
The aim is to assist churches with repair and restoration, provided they are currently used as a place of worship at least twelve times a year and are accessible by the public with repair and restoration projects. The church may be of any age and need not be listed.
National Churches Trust – grants up to £50,000 – deadline 3rd March 2026
The Large Grants programme (formerly Cornerstone Grants) supports structural repairs and maintenance issues costing more than £100,000 or the installation of kitchen and toilets costing over £30,000.
The funding is for urgent and essential structural repair projects to buildings that were originally built as churches, or the installation of kitchen and toilets.
British Record Industry Trust – grants up to £50,000 – deadline 30th April 2026
The BRIT Trust offers grant funding consistent with its mission of “improving lives through the power of music and the creative arts”.
National Lottery Heritage Fund: Landscape Connections – grants up to £10,000,000 – no deadline, applications reviewed monthly or quarterly
The fund will support 20 long-term projects to boost nature recovery and connect more people to Protected Landscapes and other world-class landscapes. These include National Parks and National Landscapes in England and Wales.
Project delivery can last for up to 8 years. Applications for grants up to £250,000 are reviewed monthly, applications for grants over £250,000 reviewed quarterly and must first submit an EOI.
National Lottery Heritage Fund: Places of Worship – grants up to £10,000,000 – no deadline to apply
This fund aims to address the following challenges facing places of worship:
- The repair needs of listed buildings, particularly in more rural areas
- Workforce and volunteer capacity to manage heritage
- Supporting heritage in places of worship that are currently inaccessible, at risk or under-used to maximise their full potential
For grants over £250,000 you must first submit an Expression of Interest.
National Lottery Community Fund: Reaching Communities – grants from £20,001 to £500,000 – no deadline to apply
Reaching Communities aims to strengthen communities and improve lives. The new priorities are projects that:
- Support places, people or communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination
- Support people and communities to shape the decisions that affect their lives
National Lottery Community Fund: Awards for All – Environment – grants from £300 to £20,000 – no deadline to apply
The fund will support community-led projects that improve the environment and help people connect with and enjoy nature where they live. Projects should meet one or both priorities:
- Help people connect with and care for nature in their area
- Make a positive difference to the environment
nPower Business Solutions Foundation – up to £100,000* – no deadline, applications reviewed quarterly
Funds available to VCSE organisations within 50 miles of nPower Business Solutions offices in Leeds to support projects that have a positive impact on local communities, improve places and spaces, and provide opportunities for individuals to reach their potential.
Funding available in bands based on organisational income:
- Income over £50,000 can apply for
- up to £19,999
- £20,000 to £39,999
- £40,000 to £100,000
- Income under £50,000 can apply for up to £19,999
Allen Lane Foundation – grants of £15,000 – no deadline to apply.
The Foundation makes grants to VCSE organisations for work which benefits groups of people who are under-represented in UK society.
Overall the Foundation wishes to fund work which:
- Encourages or enables unpopular groups to share in the life of the whole community
- Will make a lasting difference to people’s lives rather than simply alleviating the symptoms or current problems
- Is aimed at reducing isolation, stigma and discrimination
Albert Gubay Foundation – discretionary grants, £5k to £2.25 million – deadline given upon completion of eligibility test.
Grants are available for registered charities serving disadvantaged/in-need communities in England so that they may maintain their meaningful work. The funding is for work that meets one or more of the Foundation’s currently priorities:
- Amateur sport
- Victims of domestic abuse
- Ex-offenders and their families
- Homelessness – especially young people
- Drug and substance misuse
- Care leavers
- Worship and associated community outreach
Utilita Football Rebooted – discretionary grants – no deadline to apply.
This funding is intended to enhance grassroots football, providing tailored support based on individual application needs. Support can be utilised for various purposes, such as clubhouse improvements, volunteer appreciation, crime recovery, facility safety enhancements and overall game and playing environment improvements.
The grant amount is discretionary and clubs and leagues can apply for multiple grants or gifts.
Brelms Trust – grants up to £6,000 – no deadline to apply.
Grants of up to £18,000 (over three years) are available for registered charities based in Yorkshire that are working within local communities to tackle disadvantage and provide sustainable benefit.
Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund – up to £3,200 in first year (tapered over 6 years) – no deadline to apply.
The funding aims to transform lives and strengthen communities through the power of football. The funding covers smaller capital projects to support grassroots football, providing six-year tapered grants to help football clubs sustain pitches already at a ‘good’ level and enhance pitches that are considered ‘poor’ or ‘basic’ with a PitchPower pitch assessment.
Lionesses HERe to Play – grants up to £25,000 – no deadline to apply.
The Football Foundation new funding to improve football facilities for women and girls involved in grassroots football in England. The fund aims to create inclusive and high-quality environments that encourage and sustain female participation in football at all levels.
Applicants must provide match funding of at least 25%.
Truemark Trust – grants up to £5,000 – no deadline to apply.
Grants available for small, locally based charitable organisations addressing social distress and disadvantage, with a preference for neighbourhood-based community projects.
The Trust does not have a website so interested organisations should email truemark.trust01@ntlworld.com or call 07970 540015 for full details.
Didymus Fund – grants up to £30,000 – no deadline to apply.
Grants available for charities based in Yorkshire to wider access to, and participation in, the arts. The aim is to promote social inclusion through the arts, and fund projects and charities that make the arts accessible, inclusive, exciting and enriching.
Application is by invite only – submit an EOI through the website, following which you may be invited to submit a full application.
Morrisons Foundation – grants up to £10,000 – no deadline to apply.
The funding is for specific projects which make a difference to people’s lives with special consideration for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Projects should address the following criteria:
- Tackle poverty and social deprivation
- Enhance community spaces, facilities and services
- Improve health and wellbeing
Sovereign Health Care Community Programme – discretionary value – no deadline to apply.
Grants for local registered charities for work associated with health and wellbeing in West Yorkshire (preference for Bradford).
Funding is for the following priority areas:
- Projects addressing disease and conditions prevalent in Bradford
- Providing support and preventing ill health in hospitals and hospices
- Organising initiatives that support and promote healthy lifestyles
- Education and training programmes
- Projects tackling wider deprivation and disadvantage