Who can apply - Am I Eligible?

Any voluntary or community organisation that provides services in the London Borough of Lewisham can apply for a Main Grant—provided they meet the programme’s eligibility and funding criteria.

Go to the previous section: how much can I apply for

To be eligible to apply, organisations must typically be:

Not-for-profit: 

To be eligible for a Main Grant from Lewisham Council you must be a not for profit organisation. The following types of organisation are eligible to apply for a grant:

  • Registered Charity
  • Company Limited by Guarantee
  • CIC (Community Interest Company)
  • Cooperative
  • Other – constituted (including CIO’s and Social Enterprises)
  • Funding can only be given to established organisations or groups (no less than 12 months old) and not to individuals
  • You may apply for up to 50% of your organisations annual turnover, provided this amount is below the recommended threshold for funding applications
For neighbourhood funding, working in partnership: 

Collaborative or partnership applications are encouraged, though one organisation will need to agree to hold the funds for the partnership. 

  • Serving Lewisham residents: Your organisation should be delivering a service that benefits at least 90%people living in the borough.
  • Properly constituted: You should have a governing document (e.g. constitution or articles of association), a bank account in the organisation’s name, and appropriate governance structures.
For a Transition Grant: 

You must be currently funded by a Lewisham Main Grant for the period up to 31 March 2026. For more information about eligibility and applying for a Main Grant, read the application guidance.

What the Lewisham Main Grant cannot fund

  • Lobbying, political activity or the promotion of private interests 
  • Projects with significant ongoing financial/revenue implications for the council which are not covered by the bid
  • Religious activity (although we can fund religious organisations if their project benefits the wider community and doesn’t include religious content)
  • Applications for more than 50% of an organisation's annual turnover will not be funded, even if this figure is below the recommended threshold for funding applications.

Go to the next section: Neighbourhood grant criteria

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