National Lottery Community Fund

Total Value of Fund

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes over £500 million per year to communities across the UK, supported by National Lottery income. It is responsible for allocating around 40% of all “good causes” money raised since the Lottery started in 1994, with around £47 billion raised overall.

Amount that can be applied for

Funding amounts vary by programme:
• The UK Fund: applicants can apply for £500,000 to £5,000,000 for large, multi-area projects. 
• Reaching Communities/ similar long-term funding: awards are generally £20,001 up to around £500,000 or more, depending on project scale. 
• Smaller-scale streams: such as Awards for All (or the Scottish equivalent), can provide £300 to £20,000 for grassroots projects.

Percentage that can be applied for

There isn’t a single fixed percentage for all funding. The Fund may support up to 100% of project costs in many cases. Applicants must demonstrate the additional impact of the grant, and in larger programmes might be expected to show co-funding or match-funding abilities as part of the proposal.

Who can apply

Registered charities, community interest companies (CICs), not-for-profit organisations (including companies limited by guarantee), community benefit societies, co-operative societies with asset locks, statutory bodies (e.g., local councils), universities and constituted community groups.

Aims of the fund

The Fund aims to support community-led projects that:
• Build stronger, more connected communities and improve relationships between people from different backgrounds. 
• Enable meaningful connection and community influence over decisions affecting local life. 
• Help children and young people facing challenges to influence systems and outcomes that affect them. 
• Support organisations to listen to children and young people and involve them in shaping community activities. 

In broader mission terms, the Fund also seeks to address poverty, disadvantage, inequality, health and wellbeing, and environmental sustainability through its community missions.

Timing

Application windows vary by programme:
• Larger programmes like the UK Fund operate with a 36-week decision timeframe from submission. 
• Long-term programmes such as Reaching Communities can see decisions in around 9–10 months due to multi-stage application processes. 
• Smaller programmes typically have rolling or open deadlines with decisions in a few months depending on the scheme.

Examples of successful projects

The Community Fund supports a very wide range of initiatives across the UK, such as (supported by National Lottery funding broadly across community strands):
• Community gardens and wellbeing projects that enhance social inclusion and mental health. (e.g., Bloom Sheffield garden expansion) 
• Sports inclusion initiatives supported with equipment grants (e.g., wheelchair rugby club funding). 
• The Citizens Theatre regeneration in Glasgow, reopened to benefit local cultural participation.

Contact info

• Email: advicescotland@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk
• Website: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk