The Local Communities Fund (LCF)

The Local Communities Fund is now open for applications.

Current funding streams

Apply by 3 July 2026

Apply for a Large Revenue Grant - up to £50,000 per year

Apply by 24 July 2026

What is the LCF

The Local Communities Fund (LCF) is our investment in local people, projects and organisations that help communities thrive. Through a range of grants, the fund supports voluntary and community groups to deliver activities that improve residents’ health and wellbeing, reduce loneliness and isolation, strengthen local resilience, and create stronger, more connected communities.

The fund recognises the vital role community organisations play across Nottinghamshire and aims to empower local groups to respond to the needs of their communities. Funding can support everything from improving community facilities and delivering holiday activities, to tackling environmental challenges, increasing volunteering opportunities, and providing early help for vulnerable residents.

The LCF also supports projects that address the wider ‘Building Blocks for Health’ - the social, economic and environmental factors that influence people’s wellbeing. This includes initiatives that help improve community connections, access to opportunities, financial resilience, safe and welcoming spaces, physical activity, food support and mental wellbeing. By supporting these foundations of healthy communities, the fund helps create long-term positive change for residents across Nottinghamshire.

The LCF offers both revenue funding to help with essential running costs and capital funding for improvements to community spaces and facilities. A new Start Up, Scale Up (foundation) programme also includes support for newer grassroots organisations, helping more groups access funding and grow their impact locally.

At its heart, the Local Communities Fund is about investing in the ideas, energy and passion of local communities - helping residents come together, take action on the things that matter to them, and build a healthier, more sustainable Nottinghamshire for the future.

Explore the right grant for your organisation and project

Large Revenue Grants Fund

The Large Revenue Grants Fund supports voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver activities and services that respond to local needs and improve the wellbeing of Nottinghamshire residents.

Eligible organisations can apply for revenue funding of up to £50,000 per year, per project, for a duration of two financial years only. Successful projects will be awarded a funding agreement of up to 24 months.

Funding can be used towards essential project running costs, including staff and volunteer costs, training, rent, utilities, insurance, and other overheads directly related to project delivery.

Priority will be given to projects that strengthen communities, improve mental and physical health, reduce loneliness and isolation, support vulnerable residents, increase volunteering, improve access to local services, respond to climate and environmental challenges, and contribute towards the Building Blocks of Health. Projects that help people stay connected, active, resilient, and able to access the support and opportunities they need to live well will be particularly welcomed.

An eligibility check must be completed before accessing the full application form.

Apply for a large revenue grant

Small Revenue Grants Fund

The Small Revenue Grants Fund supports voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver activities and services that respond to local needs and improve the wellbeing of Nottinghamshire residents.

Eligible organisations can apply for a one-off revenue grant of up to £5,000 per funding year. Successful projects will be awarded a 12-month funding agreement.

Projects must demonstrate at least 50% match funding secured by the application deadline and include a supporting endorsement from a Nottinghamshire County Councillor for the area where the project will be delivered.

Funding can be used towards essential project running costs, including staff and volunteer costs, training, rent, utilities, insurance, and other overheads directly related to project

delivery.
Priority will be given to projects that strengthen communities, improve mental and physical health, reduce loneliness and isolation, support vulnerable residents, increase volunteering, improve access to local services, and contribute towards the Building Blocks of Health.

Projects that help people stay connected, active, resilient, and able to access the support and opportunities they need to live well will be particularly welcomed.
An eligibility check must be completed before accessing the full application form.

Apply for a small revenue grant

Capital Grants Fund

The Capital Grants Fund supports projects that improve community facilities and purchase assets that increase community access and promote health and wellbeing.

Eligible organisations can apply for a one-off capital grant of up to £20,000 per funding year. Successful projects will be awarded a 12-month funding agreement.

For grants of over £5,000, funding will be paid in two instalments: 75% upfront and the remaining 25% upon completion of the project and submission of all required monitoring information.

This fund is ideal for organisations looking to invest in buildings, facilities, equipment, or other capital improvements that will deliver lasting benefits for their community.

An eligibility check must be completed before accessing the full application form.

Apply for a capital grant fund

Crisis Resilience Fund - Building Financial Resilience Grant

The Crisis Resilience Fund - Building Financial Resilience Grant supports projects that address the root causes of financial crisis and help people build longer-term financial resilience.

Eligible organisations can apply for up to £5,000 per project per financial year, delivered through a 12-month funding agreement. The fund will open for applications through two application windows each year, with dates published on the LCF webpage.

Funding can be used towards essential project running costs (core costs/overheads) linked to delivery. This includes activities such as healthy eating projects that reduce food costs, budgeting workshops and cost-saving advice, tool sharing and 'make and mend' initiatives, community gardening and 'grow your own' projects, and activities that promote access to free or low-cost leisure opportunities such as walking groups.

Priority will be given to projects that support outcomes including increased savings and income, reduced debt, reduced reliance on emergency food parcels, improved access to advice services, reduced material deprivation, and fewer repeat crisis support needs.

Eligible organisations must be based in Nottinghamshire (or clearly delivering services to Nottinghamshire residents), have appropriate governance and safeguarding arrangements in place, and demonstrate clear benefit to local communities.

Apply for a CRF - building financial resilience grant

Local Communities Fund – Start Up Scale Up (Foundation) Grant

The Local Communities Fund - Start Up Scale Up (Foundation) Grant supports neighbourhood groups and small organisations to pilot new activities, build capacity, and deliver inclusive, locally led projects that strengthen communities across Nottinghamshire.

Eligible organisations can apply for one-off grants of up to £1,000 per project. The fund is designed to be light-touch and accessible, with proportionate application and reporting requirements. Successful applicants will also receive ongoing support from Nottinghamshire County Council, including regular check-ins to help develop and grow their activities.

The fund aims to enable small organisations to test or expand community-led activity, improve wellbeing and social connection, support underserved or marginalised groups, build skills and governance capacity, and encourage local innovation in response to community needs.

Priority will be given to projects that contribute to cost of living and community resilience, wellbeing and loneliness reduction, youth voice and opportunity, inclusive communities, and the local environment. Projects that also align with the Building Blocks of Health will be particularly welcomed, especially where they help people stay connected, active, supported, and able to access opportunities that improve overall wellbeing.

Applications from all areas of community benefit are welcome, with projects aligned to these themes likely to receive enhanced scoring.

Apply for a LCF start up - scale up (foundation) grant

Eligible organisations

We encourage applications from eligible organisations. These include:

Charities registered with the Charity Commission* (e.g., Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs), unincorporated associations, trust, or charitable / not-for-profit companies limited by guarantee).
Voluntary or community groups that are not registered as a charity (e.g., the group could be set up as an ‘unincorporated association’ or an ‘excepted’ charity as defined by the Charity Commission*).
Friendly societies or industrial and provident (community benefit) societies with charitable purposes and registered with an appropriate regulator.
Community benefit or cooperative societies.
Community Interest Companies (CICs) with charitable aims, community purpose and limited by guarantee.
Social enterprises that are set up using a recognised legal form.
Sports clubs – providing activities for the wider community (where paid membership is not needed in order to access the provision).
Parish or town councils (Capital funding only).
Any community group with a constitution.

* Please refer to the Charity Commission for further information.

Organisations which are not eligible

The following are not eligible to apply to the Local Communities Fund:

National organisations - a national charity (or local branch thereof) that cannot adequately provide evidence that funding is being solely spent in Nottinghamshire or for the benefit of the residents of Nottinghamshire.
Borough and district councils and any other public sector organisation
Any organisation who is applying on behalf of another organisation.
A district or borough council acting as an accountable body for a local voluntary or community group.
Companies that can pay profits to directors, shareholders, or members (including companies limited by shares).
Sole traders and individuals.

Funding criteria summary - Local Communities Fund (LCF)

To be eligible for the Local Communities Fund, applicants must demonstrate that they have appropriate and satisfactory governance arrangements in place and that their project is clearly aimed at benefiting residents of Nottinghamshire.

The following criteria apply across both the Revenue and Capital programmes (unless otherwise stated):

Community engagement - a strong emphasis is placed on meaningful community involvement. Applicants are expected to demonstrate how local people have been engaged in shaping the project’s design, development, and delivery. Evidence of engagement is essential and may include consultation activity, surveys, stakeholder or public events, direct discussions with service users, social media engagement, or other methods that show how community insight has informed the proposal. Projects should also demonstrate how they will strengthen community connections.
County councillor endorsement - all applications must include an endorsement from the relevant Nottinghamshire county councillor for the area where the project will take place or where an asset will be installed. This reflects the importance of local democratic input and ensuring projects are rooted in community priorities.
Endorsements are submitted through a dedicated form within the application process. It is the responsibility of the applicant to share this form with the appropriate councillor, who will complete it for each project they choose to support. Contact details for all county councillors are available at: Contact a councillor | Nottinghamshire County Council

In summary, the LCF prioritises well-governed organisations, projects that directly benefit Nottinghamshire residents, strong evidence of community involvement, and clear local democratic support.

Governance requirements

Governance is about the way your organisation is set up and delivered. The council is accountable for public funds and therefore reviewing the governance arrangements that organisations have in place helps to reassure the council that an organisation is:

operating in line with the law AND in line with relevant regulation;
operating in line with its own governing document; and,
able to effectively manage public funds and fulfil the monitoring requirements.

To satisfy the Local Communities Fund requirements, applicants must ensure that they have satisfactory governance arrangements in place.

Application requirements

Match funding

Match funding is required for Capital and Small Revenue applications, but not for the Large Revenue applications.

Read the complete guidance: Local Communities Fund Guidance for Applicants 2026-28 [PDF]

County councillor endorsement

All Local Communities Fund Revenue and Capital applications must include an endorsement from an elected Nottinghamshire county councillor for the area where the proposed project or asset will be delivered or installed. This helps ensure projects are connected to local communities and supported by local elected members. Please note that councillor endorsement does not guarantee funding approval.

As part of the application process, organisations will be provided with a dedicated endorsement form link within their online application. Applicants are responsible for sharing this link with their chosen county councillor, who will complete a short endorsement form if they wish to support the project. The endorsement link can only be accessed by a Nottinghamshire county councillor.

Applicants are encouraged to contact their local councillor early to discuss their proposal and seek support: Contact a councillor | Nottinghamshire County Council

If you are a county councillor and require support with the endorsement process, please contact the LCF team at LCF@nottscc.gov.uk.

Acknowledging funding and logos

If you are successful in securing funding, one of the conditions of this is that we must be acknowledged as a funder as part of all publicity, including any written or spoken public presentations.

Before finalising any celebration event and news release, please contact our communications team at news@nottscc.gov.uk to check councillor availability and to arrange a press comment well in advance.

We want to share your stories about how this funding is benefitting local communities, so do tag us in to posts about your LCF-funded projects; @nottinghamshire for Facebook , @nottscc on X or @nottscountycouncil on Instagram.

Our logos below must be used to help promote the financial support of the council and must never be altered in any way. This includes using them for news releases, webpages, leaflets, signage and any plaques. NB. We are unable to provide or order any plaques or signage on a group's behalf.

Nottinghamshire County Council logo against a white background. Accompanied by 'Supported by' text.

If you require larger or higher quality files, please contact our communications team.

Please follow the brand guidelines outlined in the acknowledging funding and publicity guidelines.

If you are successful in securing funding, we must be acknowledged as a funder as part of all publicity, including any written or spoken public presentations.

Further key points

Organisations should ensure that any grant awarded is not ‘double funding’ (e.g., the grant must not be used to pay for the same items paid for by other means). If you were awarded NCC funding previously you cannot use that towards any new funding.

Organisations must have at least a minimum two signatories as legally required, but we recommend obtaining three as best practice as this allows for more contingency. Signatories must not be related to each other. Organisations are required to provide three months of recent bank account statements.

Please see the funding criteria summary section for further support.

Visit the links below for guidance pm the LCF and how to complete the application form: