About the opportunity
Delivered by Groundwork in partnership with Comic Relief, the Comic Relief Community Fund (England) supports grassroots, community-led organisations in England with an annual turnover under £250,000. For the 2026/27 cycle, the Fund provides grants of up to £5,000 to local initiatives drawing on the lived experience of the beneficiaries they support. The funding focuses on tackling homelessness and supporting those experiencing cost of living concerns, initiatives supporting early childhood development, and projects supporting the prevention of violence against women and girls or promoting the safety of refugees, asylum seekers, and people experiencing forced migration.
Funding and benefits
- Grants of up to £5,000 per organisation.
- Funding can be used for project costs, core organisation costs, or a combination of both.
- A total allocation of just over £600,000 will be awarded to around 120 organisations.
Who can apply?
- Grassroots, community-led organisations based in England with an annual turnover under £250,000.
- Organisations must be located in the same region in England where projects will be delivered.
- Projects must draw on the lived experience of the beneficiaries they support.
- Projects must align with 2026/27 priority areas: homelessness and cost of living, early childhood development, or prevention of violence against women and girls and safety of refugees/asylum seekers/forced migration.
- Existing 2025/26 grant holders may apply if their project is completed and an end-of-grant report is submitted by September 30, 2026.
Required documents
- End of grant report (for 2025/26 grant recipients applying to the new fund).
- Additional governance and project documentation as specified in the Application Guidance Notes.
When to apply
- Applications open on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
- Applications close at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
- All awarded projects must be delivered by September 30, 2027.
How to apply
- Review full programme criteria and Application Guidance Notes on the official 'How to Apply' page.
- Submit an online application between September 1, 2026, and 5:00 PM on September 30, 2026.
- For inquiries, contact Groundwork UK at comicrelief@groundwork.org.uk or call 0121 237 5800.
Additional information
- Groundwork has delivered the Comic Relief Community Fund as an intermediary funder in England since 2019, awarding over £6.3 million across 1,462 grants.
- The fund has supported 156,000 beneficiaries and generated 3,000 volunteering opportunities.
Our Take on This Opportunity
This section reflects Open Opportunities’ own analysis of the opportunity from an applicant’s perspective.
You may be a strong fit if…
- Grassroots, community-led organizations based in England.
- Organizations with an annual turnover under £250,000.
- Groups working in priority areas like homelessness, cost of living, or preventing violence against women and girls.
What should you think carefully about?
- The application window is very short, opening September 1 and closing September 30, 2026.
- Lived experience of beneficiaries must be central to the project design.
- Organizations must be based in the same English region where the project is delivered.
How could this fit your current goals and plans?
This grant is suitable for grassroots groups seeking a small injection of capital (up to £5,000) to cover either specific project costs or core organizational overheads to drive local social change.
Our take
Small, community-led organizations in England with a turnover under £250k should apply if their projects are focus on homelessness, early childhood, or vulnerable group safety.
Ready to apply?
Review the opportunity on the official website before applying.
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