HMRC Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Grant Funding 2027 to 30

We invite bids for funding from public sector and non-profit organisations who are able to confirm that they satisfy all of the below criteria:Your organisation must be one of the following:

• a registered charity

• a voluntary and community sector organisation

• a social enterprise

• a mutual

• a co-operative

Your organisation must have:

• three years’ financial history in place

• a turnover of no less than £80,000 per year

• sound and comprehensive financial systems and processes that enable you to track the amount of funding spent throughout the year and to demonstrate that you have allocated the funding to the specific activity detailed in your bid

Your organisation must not:

• have any directors who have been disqualified in the last five years, and or any directors, trustees, treasurers or anyone in a position of financial responsibility who has had a conviction such as for fraud, within the last five years

• use the grant to support or promote religious activity

• use the grant for any activity that is party political in intention, use or presentation

Your organisation must be able to:

• identify customers who have HMRC-related issues and be competent in supporting with HMRC services

• provide the required performance data and information to HMRC throughout the programme

• identify and source suitable customers and staff to assist HMRC with research requests

• ensure a representative attends and participates in the quarterly Individual Stakeholder Forum (ISF), which is HMRC's main consultation forum to give a voice to the VCS and other organisations representing individual customers

HMRC would like organisations to provide free, independent, multi-channel tax and tax-related support to HMRC’s customers who need extra help (CWNEH) with their tax affairs, enabling them to be long-term self-sufficient.

Organisations will build an essential bridge between HMRC and CWNEH, meeting the rise in the demand for extra support and to meet the commitments published in HMRC's Transformation Roadmap.

Detailed objectives and guidance are included in the ‘Supporting information’ section of the application, which includes:

• who we want organisations to support

• where we need support

• service proposals - how organisations will support HMRC customers

• HMRC research

• measuring, monitoring, evaluation and insight

• terms for funding awards

• how we will support you

The timelines for the funding round are:

• the application window opens for a four-week period from 8 June 2026, 12:01am to 3 July 2026, 11:59pm

• HMRC’s grant funding team will be hosting live Q&A Sessions with interested applicants on 11 and 17 June

• evaluations will take place in July and August 2026

• notifications sent to successful/unsuccessful applicants by the end of October 2026

• grant agreements in place and funding programme commences 1 April 2027

If you are confident your organisation can provide this service and you satisfy the eligibility criteria, please apply on the Find a Grant system.

If you have any questions about the application process, please email HMRC's Voluntary & Community Sector team on voluntaryandcommunitysectorgrantfunding@hmrc.gov.uk

Unless a specific question stipulates otherwise, Artificial intelligence (AI) can be used as a tool to support your application, however it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all of the content is accurate and aligns with privacy, confidentiality and compliance obligations. There is an AI usage question in the application.

Who we want organisations to support

Organisations must be able to demonstrate they can provide tax and related support services to unrepresented HMRC customers who need extra help, including but not limited to:

• customers with reduced mobility or physical disabilities

• customers with sensory disabilities, including visual and hearing impairments

• customers with low digital capability or confidence or limited access to digital devices

• customers HMRC envisages are likely to need the most support, such as those impacted by Making Tax Digital (MTD) ITSA, small businesses, and pensioners impacted by fiscal drag​

• customers experiencing age related difficulties ​

• neurodiverse customers, such as customer with dyslexia, autism, ADHD or cognitive difficulties

• customers with mental health conditions, including depression, stress and anxiety

• customers with language barriers

• customers in extreme distress through life events such as bereavement, breakdown of a relationship or safeguarding concerns including domestic or economic abuse ​

• customers who otherwise would not engage with HMRC, or who HMRC finds hardest to reach, such as prisoners and those on probation

In this context, a customer is ‘represented’ if they have a paid intermediary, such as a tax agent, acting on their behalf in relation to their tax affairs. It does not include customers who have an unpaid representative, such as family or friends acting on their behalf.

A customer can contact the organisation directly for support, or indirectly from a referral by another organisation or an HMRC Extra Support team.

Where we need support

We want accessible services in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This can be through organisations either providing UK coverage or community outreach for deprived or remote areas.

Organisations should be able to demonstrate how they will reach customers and what evidence of demand there is for the service in their communities.  

The Find a Grant system includes an option to select ‘international’ as the location. Please be advised that this is not an option for this grant and that the grant is limited to England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Service proposal – how organisations will support HMRC customers

Bids must be for two of the following three activities:

Supporting customers with 'simple' tax and tax related enquiries:

• a 'simple' enquiry can be resolved at the first point of contact or with limited adviser assistance, such as through providing general advice or signposting to relevant HMRC guidance

• you should include which areas of HMRC's work you will support, for example (but not restricted to), PAYE, Child Benefit, Self-Assessment and compliance checks

Supporting customers with 'complex' tax and tax related enquiries: 

• a ‘complex’ enquiry requires more than one interaction to resolve or substantial adviser assistance, either because it involves a single complex tax issue, multiple tax issues or because the customer has complex extra support needs

• you should include which areas of HMRC’s work your service will support, for example (but not restricted to) PAYE, Child Benefit, Self-Assessment and compliance checks

Supporting customers to use HMRC's digital services:

• examples of HMRC’s digital services include, but are not restricted to, the HMRC App, MTD ITSA, the Personal Tax Account and the Business Tax Account

• support can be to customers with digital capability, confidence and access (no digital barriers), and/or to customers who do not have digital capability, confidence or access

‘Support’ can take various forms, such as 1-2-1 advisor help that is face-to-face, by telephone, Teams or web chat, or f2f or virtual webinars, outreach or workshops.

Help can count as ‘support’ if there is confirmed interaction with the customer. For example, a bulk email will only count as support if the customer has confirmed they have received and understood the email content.

If a customer is supported with more than one enquiry, this still counts as one ‘unique’ customer.

HMRC Research

HMRC will periodically ask organisations to help identify suitable people to take part in research activities. These activities might vary and could include short telephone interviews, surveys or group discussions.

Organisations must be able to work in partnership with HMRC to promote research opportunities and help people from their networks and communities to take part in research.

Measuring, monitoring, evaluation and insight

You will be required to provide data, insight and information to HMRC throughout the programme, including:

• quarterly statistics detailing the number of unique customers supported and the number of enquiries handled, a breakdown of the customers and the type of enquiries

• written six monthly reports with an overview of performance and example case studies including insight around communication channels used, reasons for needing extra support, and customer satisfaction

Terms for funding awards

All successful applicants will be subject to comprehensive due diligence reviews and other database searches, including fraud risk indicators.

If your application is successful, we will send you a grant agreement that complies with Cabinet Office standards. This will include; terms for funding, invoicing and payment schedules. You will need to read, check, sign and return this agreement to secure funding.

How we will support you

If your bid is successful, we will:

• allocate you an account manager from HMRC's Customer Stakeholder Engagement Team who will be your first point of contact to discuss the progress of your funded activities

• discuss and agree your proposed outcomes and measurement methodology

• review the data you collect by commissioning from you quarterly statistics as well as mid and end of year reports to evidence your outputs and expected outcomes

• monitor invoices to agree timescales and engage with you to ensure delivery is within the agreed budget

HMRC will arrange to visit organisations periodically throughout the project to analyse the grant spend and establish that you are spending the funds in accordance with the original bid. Please be advised that HMRC will reserve the right to withdraw and/or clawback funding if organisations are found to be in breach of the grant agreement at any point during the programme.

HMRC is under no obligation to accept any application or make an award of funding and will not be liable for any costs incurred by any applicant in submitting an application, including if the funding application is terminated, suspended or amended by HMRC.