A £76M Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund has been launched today (24 July 2023).

For organisations that support people and communities (people living in the same local area), under severe pressure because of the increased cost of living.

Priority to organisations supporting low-income households and individuals.

The fund will support organisations across England to deliver critical frontline services.

Applications will be for amounts between £10,000 and £75,000. The funding is ONLY open to frontline organisations running critical services in communities, in at least one of the follow areas:

• food and emergency supplies – like food and baby banks or the provision of hot meals, clothes or toiletries
• emergency shelter – like night shelters or other accommodation for people experiencing homelessness
• safe spaces – like domestic abuse services and youth services
• warmth – like warm rooms and spaces
• financial and housing advice – like giving people advice because of the increased cost of living

The Fund is more likely to fund small and medium-sized front-line organisations:

• With an annual turnover of between £10,000 and around £1 million.

Larger organisations can also apply if they do both of the following:

• show that they work closely and effectively with local communities
• fill a gap in essential local services.

You can get funding to pay for:

• costs of delivering, expanding or adapting your existing critical service(s) from the date you are funded until 31 March 2024. The date you are funded will be around 12 weeks from the time you submitted your application.

• retrospective costs of running the existing critical service(s) you’re applying for between 24 July 2023 and the date you are funded.

Applicants MUST be able to demonstrate both increased costs and increased demand.

Funding for organisations will start in October 2023, and finish in January 2024. If you get funding you must spend it by 31 March 2024.

The fund is part of the £100M for charities announced in the Spring Budget. It will be administered by the National Lottery Community Fund. Organisations looking for under £10,000 can apply to Awards for All. More information .

The application window is now open and will close at 12 noon on Monday 16 October 2023.

Voluntary Action Leeds