The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is committed to building cohesive and resilient communities. The Common Ground Resilience Fund was launched in September to support local places, and a key part of this is promoting the important role of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.
The UK government’s Common Ground Award will invest capital funding into VCSE sector organisations that are bringing people together from different backgrounds, supporting the cost of constructing or renovating facilities, or the purchasing of equipment to deliver services.
Who can apply: The grant is open to applications from VCSE organisations with a base and operating in England, with charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes.
Funding available: Up to £1.7 million capital funding within the 2025/2026 financial year, distributed in payments of up to £10,000 per successful applicant. Applicants will be able to set out how capital investment could be scaled up beyond £10,000, which may be considered in exceptional cases - where there is a clearly demonstrated need, supported by a strong application.
Important dates:
Applications open: 13 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 21 November 2025
Funding awarded: January 2026
Grant objectives:
The Common Ground Award aims to:
- identify and reward good practice in building bridging social capital
- invest in the physical spaces and equipment that enables good practice
- build a community of practice, for knowledge sharing across the voluntary and community sector and with government
For full information please view the Prospectus here.