Request for Proposals: Common Ground Award Grant 2026 – 27 (UK)

Deadline: 12-Oct-2026

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is offering the Common Ground Award 2026 to 2027 to invest capital funding in Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations across England. The grant supports the cost of constructing or renovating facilities, spaces, and equipment that help organisations bring people from different backgrounds together to build community cohesion and resilience. The application deadline is 12 October 2026. Opportunity at a Glance

- Provider: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)

- Opportunity type: Grant (competed)

- Focus areas: Community Development; Construction

- Eligible location(s): England

- Total funding pool: Up to £2.5 million capital funding (within the 2026 to 2027 financial year)

- Funding per individual organisation: £20,000 to £50,000 (payments of this range per individual organisation)

- Potential scaling (individual applicants): Applicants may set out scaling up to a maximum of £100,000 in exceptional cases (subject to clear evidence of need and high likelihood to deliver)

- Funding for consortiums: £100,000 to £250,000 total (for the consortium)

- Application deadline: 12 October 2026

- Notification of outcomes: December 2026

- Likely payment to successful applicants: January 2027

About the Opportunity

MHCLG’s Common Ground Award was first launched for 2025 to 2026 to invest capital funding into VCSE organisations building social connections across and between different communities. This second round—Common Ground Award 2026 to 2027—continues that approach by supporting capital investment in physical assets that enable organisations to deliver services bringing people together. The award is part of the overarching Common Ground Resilience Fund. It recognises good practice across England in promoting community cohesion and resilience by directly investing in organisations that build social connections across and between different communities. Funding and Benefits This is a capital funding grant intended to support the construction or renovation of facilities, spaces, and/or equipment. Funding levels

- Individual VCSE applicants:

- £20,000 to £50,000 per individual organisation (distributed in payments within the 2026 to 2027 financial year). - Applicants may propose scaling up capital investment up to £100,000 in exceptional cases, where there is clear evidence of need, significant expected impacts, and a high likelihood to deliver, supported by an exceptional application.

- Consortium applicants:

- Consortiums can apply for £100,000 to £250,000 total. Important note on eligibility and applications - If applying as a consortium, an organisation is not eligible to submit a separate individual application. - If applying individually, an organisation is not eligible to submit a separate application as part of a consortium. Who Is Eligible? The grant is open to VCSE organisations that are based and operating in England and have charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes. Eligible applicant types (VCSE organisations) The source lists eligible organisations including: - Organisations registered as a charity with the Charity Commission - Charitable incorporated organisations registered with Companies House and the Charity Commission - Companies limited by guarantee registered with Companies House, established for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes - Community interest companies registered with Companies House - Community benefit societies registered by the Financial Conduct Authority - Unincorporated community groups/organisations or unincorporated associations that meet all listed conditions, including: - established for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes - a governing body with at least 3 members - an inclusive membership policy - a governing document - ability to provide accounts for the last two financial years - a UK business bank account - ability to hold land or property and enter into contracts (either by itself or via trustees) Turnover/income requirement - The organisation must have an annual turnover or income below £5 million. - For consortium applications, each individual organisation in the consortium must also have annual turnover/income below £5 million, based on the figure reported in its submitted accounts for its last financial year. Who cannot apply The source states that the following are not eligible: - Local authorities and other public sector organisations - Profit distributing organisations - Individuals - Regulated education sector organisations (e.g., schools, further and higher education institutions, universities) Consortium eligibility - Consortiums are accepted for this round and must be a collaborative partnership of two or more independent organisations that jointly plan, apply for, and deliver a single funded project. - A lead organisation must be identified to make the application on behalf of the consortium.

- Each consortium member must:

- be an eligible VCSE organisation based and operating in England with charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes - have building social connections across and between different communities as a core focus - directly work on one of the core themes - deliver shared services or operate shared facilities as part of the consortium - have annual turnover/income below £5 million Eligible Activities or Priority Areas To be eligible, organisations and consortiums must directly work on at least one of the following core themes (building social connections across and between different communities must be a primary purpose of the work): - Encouraging and enabling social mixing, promoting understanding and reducing divisions between different communities and people from different backgrounds - Reducing prejudice, discrimination and hatred directed toward individuals and communities because of their background - Resolving conflict and addressing tensions across and betw