Common Ground Award 2026 to 2027

The Common Ground Award 2026 to 2027 Prospectus (published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) is a £2.5 million UK government capital grant program designed to invest in physical facilities, shared community spaces, and equipment for Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector organizations building social cohesion across England.

• Total Grant Pool: £2,500,000 GBP in capital funding available for the 2026 to 2027 financial year.

• Grant Size Tiers:

  • Individual Organisations: Grants of £20,000 to £50,000 GBP (scalable up to £100,000 GBP in exceptional cases with proven impact and high delivery certainty).

  • Consortium Applications: Grants of £100,000 to £250,000 GBP for formal collaborative partnerships between two or more eligible VCSE bodies.

• Equity & Match Terms: 0% Equity / 100% Non-Dilutive Government Capital Grant.

• Eligible Capital Costs: Constructing, renovating, or upgrading physical community facilities, purchasing specialized equipment, and improving shared physical infrastructure that enables inter-community mixing.

Applications are assessed on how their primary objectives build social connections between diverse groups (spanning different faiths, ethnicities, ages, cultures, or geographic backgrounds). Applicants must demonstrate active work in at least one core theme:

1. Social Mixing & Integration: Encouraging and enabling interaction, promoting mutual understanding, and bridging community divisions.

2. Reducing Prejudice & Discrimination: Combatting hatred and bias directed toward specific individuals or groups.

3. Conflict Resolution & Community Tension: Addressing local friction and resolving inter-group tensions.

To qualify for the Common Ground Award (2026–2027 cycle), applicants must fulfill the following parameters:

1. Entity Structure: Must be an England-based VCSE organization operating for charitable, benevolent, or philanthropic purposes. This includes:

   • Community Interest Companies (CICs) registered with Companies House.

   • Registered Charities and Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs).

   • Companies Limited by Guarantee with a non-profit/charitable purpose.

   • Community Benefit Societies or unincorporated community groups (with a governing document, inclusive membership, and 2 years of financial accounts).

2. Financial Scale: Annual turnover/income must be under £5,000,000 GBP in the last financial year (for consortiums, each member must individually be under £5m).

3. Exclusions: Local authorities, public sector bodies, profit-distributing businesses, individuals, and regulated educational institutions (schools, universities) are not eligible.

4. Application Limit: Organisations must choose between applying individually or as part of a consortium (dual entries are prohibited).