The Community Ownership Fund

You can apply for funding if your organisation, your project, and the asset you want to save meet certain eligibility requirements.

The asset

• is at risk of loss without community intervention

• can be run viably and sustainably in community hands for the long-term benefit of the community

• if already owned, the asset requires essential renovations to be sustainable for the long-term benefit of the community

The project

• applying for up to £2 million for all asset types, but we expect that most awards will be for up to £250,000 of capital funding

• applying for revenue funding no more than £50,000 or 20% of the total capital funding applied for, whichever is smaller

• able to ‘match’ the capital grant from the Fund at the required match funding rate

• able to show that capital grant funding and match funding will be spent within the 12 months following the date you are offered funding (indicated on the offer letter)

Your organisation

• is an incorporated voluntary and community organisation or a parish, town and community council

• is able to buy the asset freehold, or the long-term leasehold of at least 15 years with reasonable break clauses

• is the same organisation that will receive the funding and run the project

The full eligibility requirments for this fund can be found in the prospectus.

Strategic objectives

The Community Ownership Fund has 4 strategic objectives:

• to provide targeted investment for communities to save and sustain community assets that would otherwise be lost to community use

• to strengthen capacity and capability in communities, supporting them to shape their places and develop sustainable community businesses

• to empower communities in left behind places to level up

• to strengthen direct links between places across the UK and the UK Government

Programme outcomes

For the purposes of this Fund, community ownership refers to the ownership and management of local community assets by a community organisation in order to deliver benefits for the community and place.Community ownership of assets can boost local connections, participation and pride of place, and bolster community resilience. By investing in the capacity of communities across the UK to take ownership of the places and spaces that matter to them, we will strengthen the social infrastructure that helps communities to thrive.We want to fund community projects that do at least 1 of these 5 things:

• increase feelings of pride in, and improve perceptions of, the local area as a place to live

• improve social trust, cohesion, and sense of belonging

• increase local participation in community life, arts, culture, or sport

• improve local economic outcomes – including creating jobs, volunteering opportunities, and improving employability and skills levels in the local community

• improve social and wellbeing outcomes – including having a positive impact on physical and mental health of local people, and reducing loneliness and social isolation

Strengthening community ownership across the UK

The Fund will be delivered directly by the UK government to communities in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The UK government is committed to fair opportunities to access funding through the Community Ownership Fund across the UK.A minimum target of spending in line with per-capita allocations has therefore been set in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The Community Ownership Fund will target a minimum of £12.3 million in Scotland, £7.1 million in Wales, and £4.3 million in Northern Ireland of the total Fund over the 4 years until March 2025.The design of the Fund recognises the different landscapes for community ownership across the UK, with different legislation in England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. We have engaged widely with local stakeholders to ensure the Fund is effective, accessible and achieves its objectives.Applications will be assessed against a consistent framework. Eligibility for the Fund and the bidding assessment criteria are consistent in all 4 nations.

Key dates to note:

• Expression of Interest stage - always open

• There will be 4 bidding windows each year at regular intervals

• Applications must be submitted by 11:59am on each bidding window’s respective closing date

• March 2025 - Fund closes

For current bidding window dates please see the prospectus.

• Express your interest in the fund all year round

• Apply during a bidding window if you are successful

• Save and return to an application within the bidding window you are applying in

Express your interest in the fund

The first stage is the approval of an Expression of Interest (EOI) form, which will confirm whether your project proposal is likely to be eligible for funding.This brief form will ask for:

• details of the organisation applying

• a project description

• how much is being requested in capital and revenue funding

• how the project meets the eligibility requirements

• the stage your project is at, and your potential support needs

Before you begin your Expression of Interest, please make sure you’re familiar with the fund's eligibility requirements outlined in the prospectus.If your EOI is successful, you’ll be invited to submit a full application, which you do not have to do immediately, so choose the right time for your project. We will run 4 bidding windows per year, so you will have an opportunity to apply approximately every 3 months until March 2025. Once you have passed your EOI, we will notify you of when the bidding windows will open and close.We may also give you some feedback on your EOI form, by highlighting some areas to consider before submitting your full application or telling you that your project is not eligible for funding without a significant change.You must submit your EOI at least 3 weeks before the closure of the bidding window in which you want to apply to allow time to receive feedback and then to submit your application.You can only submit a full application if you have received confirmation that your project is eligible at the EOI stage. You can also apply separately for an entirely new project relating to a different asset, however you will need to submit a new EOI and have this approved before submitting a full application for this project.The EOI stage is always open which means you can complete the EOI form at any time. To express your interest, see Community Ownership Fund round 3: how to express your interest in applying.

Submitting a full application

If after reading your EOI form we think your project is likely to be eligible, we will share the link to the full application form by email when a bidding window is open and invite you to apply.The application form is fully online and split into sections based on how it will be assessed. You can complete it in any order and come back to it on multiple occasions within the same bidding window.The application form will ask you about:

About your organisation

• Organisation information

• Applicant information

About your project

• Project information

• Asset information

Strategic case

• Community use

• Community engagement

• Local support

• Community benefits

• Environmental sustainability

Management case

• Funding required

• Feasibility

• Risk

• Project costs

• Skills and resources

• Community representation

• Inclusiveness and integration

Subsidy control and state aid

• Project qualifications

We have published additional guidance to support applicants with their full application. You are strongly advised to read this guidance carefully before beginning your application.

How we can support you

Advice and support is available to all prospective applicants via the My Community website. In-depth support for developing a full application is available to some applicants. You can find more information on the in-depth development support provider in the prospectus.

You must read the full details about the fund in the prospectus before you start your expression of interest. The prospectus contains everything you need to know about our eligibility criteria.