The 2026–2029 Main Grants Programme from Lewisham Council introduces several important changes aimed at strengthening the voluntary and community sector (VCS) while adapting to reduced funding levels.
Here's what's new:
Advice Services: Commissioned Separately
Advice services—previously funded through the Main Grants—will now be commissioned directly by the Council. This change is intended to ensure:
- Better integration with other Council services
- Clearer service specifications
- Continued support for residents facing financial hardship
We will return to Mayor and Cabinet as soon as practicable with detailed recommendations for this service. The value of funding allocated to Advice is approximately £600,000.
Capacity Building and Infrastructure
The programme is focussed on investing in:
- Neighbourhood-focused infrastructure: £900,000 across four neighbourhoods to support local coordination, signposting, capacity-building and working with Integrated Neighbourhood Teams to support vulnerable residents.
- Borough-wide infrastructure: Funding for initiatives that support Black-led organisations, digital inclusion, equalities groups (e.g. LGBTQ+, adults with learning disabilities, sanctuary seekers), and arts and sports organisations.
- Transition grants: A small number of transition grants will be made available for current Main Grants-funded organisations to adapt to the new model over the three-year period
Neighbourhood Model
A new place-based approach will fund capacity-building services in each of four designated neighbourhoods which:
- Help residents find the services they need
- Support the development of local services
- Offer fundraising and organisational development support to local organisations
- Support organisations through distribution of small grants including sourcing funds and acting as the conduit for dispersing funds at local level
- Provide one-to-one support to vulnerable residents, working alongside Integrated Neighbourhood Teams
Arts and Culture: Integrated into the Main Programme
Arts and culture organisations will no longer have a separate funding stream. Instead, they will be funded under the same infrastructure priorities as other VCS groups, with a focus on:
- Capacity building
- Alignment with Lewisham’s Cultural Strategy
- Representation and sector-wide support
How much funding is available?
The total funding available for Lewisham’s Main Grants Programme for the 2026–2029 cycle is £2,112,308. From this total, £600,000 has been set aside for the commissioning of advice services, leaving £1,512,308 for the remainder of the programme.
The funding comes directly from Lewisham Council’s budget plus a contribution from the Better Care Fund. This represents a reduction from previous years due to wider council budget pressures, including a £30 million shortfall in the 2025/26 budget.
While the Main Grants Programme is a key part of the Council’s support for the VCS, it is not the only source of funding. In 2024/25, Lewisham Council and its health and care partners invested over £15 million in the voluntary sector through other services, such as adult social care and mental health support.
Understanding the three grant strands
- Neighbourhood-Focused Services
A total of £900,000 per annum will be available across the four neighbourhoods over the three-year period. These grants aim to build local infrastructure and ensure services are responsive to community needs - Borough-Wide Infrastructure Grants
We will also fund borough-wide initiatives to support infrastructure, capacity building, voice and representation with grants for a range of priority areas in the region of £20,000 to £80,000 - Transition Grants
We will additionally support a number of current Main Grants-funded organisations in adapting to this new place-based and capacity building approach
For a deeper understanding of what's new for the Main Grant 2026-29 read the application guidance notes